At twenty-five weeks pregnant, Avery Collins had developed an unfortunate habit.

Every time she left St Katherine Women's Hospital after a maternity appointment, she found herself crossing the road to the little dessert café opposite.

It was impossible not to.

The scent of freshly baked cakes drifted through the air every afternoon, tempting every expectant mother who walked past. Avery had never possessed much of a sweet tooth before becoming pregnant, yet these past six months her cravings had been relentless.

Red velvet cake.

Blueberry mousse.

Those two, in particular.

Balancing the folder containing her maternity notes beneath one arm while the other rested protectively over the gentle curve of her stomach, Avery pushed open the café door.

The tiny brass bell above it chimed softly.

Warmth wrapped around her immediately, carrying with it the comforting aroma of vanilla, coffee and melted chocolate.

The young woman behind the counter looked up with an instant smile.

"Afternoon, Avery."

Avery returned the smile automatically.

"Hello."

"The usual?"

The waitress didn't even need to ask.

"Red velvet and the blueberry mousse?"

Avery laughed quietly.

"You know me too well."

"I'd be worried if you ordered anything else."

A few customers chuckled.

It wasn't Avery's first visit.

Since her pregnancy began, she'd stopped here after nearly every antenatal appointment. The staff had watched her bump grow month by month.

She paid before making her way to her favorite table beside the window.

Outside, London bustled through another cold December afternoon.

She slipped her phone from her handbag while waiting for her order.

Her search history had become almost laughably predictable.

Prams.

Baby clothes.

Newborn blankets.

Tiny knitted socks.

She smiled unconsciously while scrolling through pictures of impossibly small cardigans.

Her daughter would look adorable in them.

The thought warmed her heart.

Then the café bell rang again.

Almost absently, Avery glanced towards the entrance.

A man and a young woman walked inside together.

The man stood well over six feet tall, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. Dark hair, impeccably tailored charcoal coat and the effortless composure of someone accustomed to command attention without ever seeking it.

Adrian Blackwood.

The name struck her heart before her mind had fully recognized his face.

Beside him walked a woman who looked barely out of university.

She wore a pale pink wool coat over a cream jumper dress, knee-high suede boots and a matching beret that framed soft chestnut curls. Bright-eyed and effortlessly elegant, she carried herself with the easy confidence of someone untouched by life's heavier burdens.

Avery felt every drop of colour drain from her face.

Her fingers tightened instinctively around her mobile.

Adrian.

Her husband.

The father of the baby growing beneath her heart.

Neither of them had expected to meet here.

Or perhaps...

Only she hadn't.

The young woman smiled at him while saying something Avery couldn't hear.

Adrian listened patiently, carrying both her pink clutch and his suit jacket over one arm.

It was such a small gesture.

Yet it landed like a knife.

Maybe she had stared too long.

Too openly.

Because Adrian suddenly lifted his head.

Their eyes met across the café.

Time seemed to stop.

No surprise crossed his face.

No awkwardness.

No guilt.

Certainly no warmth.

His expression remained as composed as if he were looking at someone he'd passed in the street only once before.

A stranger.

Nothing more.

After barely a second, he looked away.

Conversation resumed between him and the young woman as though Avery had never existed.

The waitress returned carrying Avery's desserts.

"Here we are."

The rich crimson cake and delicate blueberry mousse looked every bit as perfect as usual.

Normally, Avery would already have picked up her fork.

Today she couldn't bring herself to touch either.

Across the café, Adrian collected their takeaway order.

The young woman accepted the bag with a cheerful smile.

Together they walked towards the door.

As they passed Avery's table, she heard the woman lower her voice.

"Ren..."

Avery recognized the nickname.

"So," the young woman whispered curiously, "did you know that pregnant lady? She kept looking at us."

Adrian didn't even glance in Avery's direction.

"Don't worry about her."

His voice remained calm.

Indifferent.

The pair stepped outside.

The door closed behind them.

Pregnant lady.

The words echoed painfully.

Avery was only twenty-four.

Yet pregnancy had transformed her.

Morning sickness had given way to constant exhaustion.

Dark circles shadowed her eyes despite weeks of careful rest.

Her cheeks had rounded slightly.

The elegant figure she'd once taken pride in had disappeared beneath layers of winter knitwear and a thick maternity coat.

The woollen hat she'd pulled on after leaving hospital concealed hair she hadn't had the energy to style.

Compared with the effortlessly radiant girl beside Adrian...

She suddenly understood why anyone might mistake her for someone older.

She shouldn't have looked.

She knew she shouldn't.

Yet she found herself watching through the café window.

Outside, Adrian unlocked the black Range Rover parked beside the kerb.

He walked ahead, opened the passenger door and instinctively lifted one hand above the woman's head so she wouldn't bump it against the frame.

She laughed at something he'd said.

He smiled.

Not politely.

Not out of obligation.

It was warm.

Relaxed.

Gentle.

A smile Avery had never once seen directed at her.

He closed the door carefully before walking around to the driver's side.

Moments later the Range Rover disappeared into the London traffic.

Only then did Avery realize she had stopped breathing.

The waitress approached quietly.

"Enjoy your desserts."

Avery forced herself to smile.

"Thank you."

She picked up her fork.

A generous piece of red velvet cake melted on her tongue.

Usually it tasted sweet.

Today...

It tasted like nothing at all.

She swallowed with difficulty.

The ache spreading through her chest was far sharper than any hunger.

She had always known this marriage would end one day.

Knowing it, however, had never made it hurt less.

Their marriage had never begun with love.

One reckless night.

One unexpected pregnancy.

That had been enough.

The Blackwood family had insisted they marry.

For Adrian Blackwood—the brilliant founder and chief executive of Blackwood Capital—the wedding had been little more than an obligation.

A responsibility.

Nothing else.

As far as he was concerned...

She was simply the woman who had trapped him.

He had never said the words aloud.

He'd never needed to.

Everything in his eyes had spoken for him.

For Avery...

It had been different.

She had loved him for eight years.

Long before he knew she existed.

Long before fate had ever placed them in the same room.

She had studied tirelessly, determined to become someone worthy of standing beside him rather than merely admiring him from afar.

Eventually she had earned a position of Adrian's secretary at Blackwood Capital.

She had believed destiny had finally smiled on her.

Instead...

It had brought her heartbreak.

Even now she could remember the morning after that night.

The coldness in Adrian's eyes.

The unmistakable revulsion.

As though touching her had been the greatest mistake of his life.

A sharp cramp suddenly twisted low across her abdomen.

Avery gasped.

The fork slipped from her fingers.

Another pain followed.

Stronger.

She instinctively wrapped both hands around her bump.

"No..."

The color drained from her face.

Cold perspiration formed across her forehead.

Nearby customers noticed immediately.

"Excuse me!"

A middle-aged woman hurried over.

"Are you all right?"

Avery tried to answer.

Instead another wave of pain stole her breath.

Someone was already reaching for a phone.

"The maternity hospital's right across the road."

"We need to get her there."

Within minutes, two members of staff had helped Avery carefully back across the street.