Chapter 1

Ava Williams ran a hand over her swollen belly, a soft smile on her face. For five years, her marriage to Liam Miller had been flawless. He was the brilliant tech entrepreneur, the man who could have anyone, but he had chosen her. He built a world for her, a beautiful home, a life filled with comfort and love. Everyone said they were the perfect couple, and Ava believed it.

The pregnancy had made their perfect life even better. Liam, usually so calm and in control at work, became a different person at home. He would press his ear to her belly, talking to their unborn daughter. He read every baby book he could find and insisted on assembling the crib himself, even though his hands were more used to a keyboard than a screwdriver. The love in his eyes was so real, so deep, it warmed her from the inside out.

But then, about a month ago, a crack appeared. It started small. He was on his phone more often, a little smile playing on his lips that wasn't for her. He said it was work, a new project, a promising intern. Her name was Chloe Davis.

Today, the crack split wide open.

"Liam, are you ready? My appointment is in an hour," Ava called from the bedroom.

He walked in, already dressed in a sharp suit. He avoided her eyes. "Ava, something's come up. A huge deal. I can't miss it."

"But you promised," she said, her voice small. "You haven't missed a single check-up."

"I know, honey, I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I swear," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. It felt cold. "Chloe is handling the presentation, and I need to be there to support her. It's her first big project."

The name hung in the air between them. Chloe. The intern.

Ava went to her prenatal check-up alone. The doctor's office felt big and empty without Liam's cheerful presence. She sat on the examination table, feeling the cold gel on her stomach, and stared at the ultrasound screen. A tiny, perfect heartbeat flickered, a rhythm of life that felt a million miles away from the cold dread seeping into her own heart.

Later that evening, scrolling through her social media feed, she saw it. A news article from a tech blog. The headline was about Liam's company, Miller Tech, securing a massive new contract. But it was the picture that made her stop breathing. Liam was on a stage, a microphone in his hand. Standing next to him was a young woman, Chloe Davis. She looked plain, dressed in a simple white dress, her face a picture of innocence. Liam was beaming at her, a look of pure adoration on his face. In his outstretched hand, he was offering her the keys to a brand new luxury car.

Ava read the article. It described how Chloe had rejected the car and a huge bonus. "My integrity is not for sale, Mr. Miller," she had apparently said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I just want to do good work." The article praised her as a humble, unspoiled talent in a world of greed. The comments were full of people admiring her virtue and Liam's generosity.

Ava felt sick. The public humiliation washed over her in a cold wave. He abandoned his pregnant wife for this... this performance. This public display of affection for another woman.

Heartbroken, she stumbled through their silent house. It was a house built on love, but now it felt like a museum of lies. In his study, she opened the safe, her hands shaking. On their wedding day, Liam had given her a file. He had laughed and called it an "insurance policy." "If I ever, ever wrong you, Ava," he'd said, "this is yours. Everything is yours." She had thought it was a romantic, if dramatic, gesture.

She pulled out the pre-signed divorce agreement. It was all there, in black and white. In the event of his infidelity, she would get a controlling share of his company, the house, everything. The man who wrote this, the man who loved her enough to promise her the world, was gone. In his place was a stranger who humiliated her in front of everyone.

A cold rage began to replace the pain. It wasn't just about the cheating. It was about the lie. He had turned their love into a joke. He had turned her into a fool.

She sat at his desk, her mind racing. An idea, sharp and clear, cut through her grief. She opened his laptop. She knew his business rival, Ethan Hayes. They had met at a few galas. He was shrewd, ambitious, and he hated Liam.

She typed a short, direct email.

Subject: Miller Tech

Mr. Hayes, I have a business proposition you might be interested in. It concerns a significant portion of shares in Liam Miller's company. Let me know if you are available to discuss. Ava Williams.

She stared at the name. Ava Williams. Not Ava Miller.

She hit send.

A strange sense of calm settled over her. It was the first step. She didn't know what the next one would be, but she knew she couldn't let this go. She had to confront Liam. She had to know why.

She stood up, her hand on her belly, a silent promise to her child. We will be okay.

As she walked toward the front door, she heard a noise behind her. Before she could turn, a cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose. A sweet, chemical smell filled her lungs. The world tilted, the edges blurring into darkness. Her last thought was of her baby.

She woke up in a haze. The room was white and sterile, smelling of antiseptic. She was in a hospital bed. A sharp, rhythmic pain pulsed in her lower abdomen. Panic seized her.

She heard voices from outside the room, low and urgent. One was Liam's.

"Is everything ready, doctor?" Liam asked. His voice was cold, stripped of all the warmth she once loved.

"Yes," another man replied. Dr. Ben Carter, she recognized his voice from a company event. "The drugs will induce labor within the hour. It's premature, six months is very risky, but we can make it look like a medical necessity. A placental abruption caused by stress."

"Good," Liam said. "When she's weak and recovering, Chloe can move in. As a 'live-in assistant,' a nanny to help with the preemie baby. No one will question it. They'll just see a concerned husband doing everything for his poor, fragile wife."

Ava's blood ran cold. This wasn't just cheating. This was a conspiracy. They were going to force her into labor, risk their daughter's life, just so he could bring his mistress into their home. A wave of pain, stronger this time, ripped through her. She tried to scream, but only a weak sound came out.

They were going to take her baby.

As the horror of their plan washed over her, she thought of the email she had sent. It was exactly 7 p.m. She had scheduled it to send at this time. Right now, somewhere in the city, Ethan Hayes's phone was buzzing. A seed of her revenge had just been planted, even as her own world was being violently torn apart.