Mr. CEO's Darling Shame

AVA’S POV

The word positive blinked up at me in neat black letters, and for a long moment, I just stared at it, my breath caught in my throat.

I pressed a trembling hand to my lips, laughter and tears threatening to spill all at once. After months of trying, after all my silent prayers whispered into the darkness of our bedroom, it had finally happened. I was pregnant.

Adrian’s child.

My fingers tightened around the test results until the paper crinkled. I could already imagine the look on his face when I told him. Adrian was always so controlled, so careful about appearances, but this… this would break through the ice. He would smile. He had to.

For two years, I had longed to give him this. To give us this. A family.

I brushed a stray curl behind my ear, wiped at the dampness on my cheeks, and tucked the results safely into my bag. Then I hurried out of the clinic, my heart fluttering like it hadn’t in years.

Adrian would be at the office—probably in the middle of one of his big meetings. Sinclair Global was visiting today; he’d been talking about it for weeks obsessed with securing the partnership, muttering about global expansion, profit margins, and prestige. I had listened quietly, always silently proud that he was so driven. But surely he could spare a few minutes. This wasn’t just business news. This was our life changing forever.

I leaned back in the car seat as the driver pulled out into the traffic. My palm rested against my stomach, and for the first time, I whispered the word out loud.

“A Baby.”

My baby. Our baby.

I smiled the whole way to Voss Tower.

***

The glass façade of the building glittered like a mirror against the afternoon sun, and for once, I didn’t feel intimidated as I stepped inside. The marble floors echoed under my heels as I crossed the lobby, my pulse racing with excitement.

The receptionist looked up as I approached. “Good afternoon,” I said softly. “Could you let Mr. Voss know his wife is here? I’d like to see him.”

Her brows pinched together. “His… wife?”

I returned her stare with a small, polite smile. “Yes. Ava Voss. Tell him I have important news.”

Something flickered in her eyes—confusion, then something else. She smirked. “Nice try. Mr. Voss doesn’t have a wife. Unless you mean his partner, Ms. Monroe.”

I blinked, thrown off guard. “I—I think you must be mistaken. Adrian and I have been married for two years.” I tried to laugh it off, but my stomach knotted.

The receptionist folded her arms. “Sweetheart, everyone knows Adrian is with Selene Monroe. She’s practically his wife already.”

The words were a slap. My throat tightened. “That’s not true,” I whispered.

“Well, it is true.”

The voice came from behind me. Smooth. Taunting.

I turned slowly, and my heart dropped. Selene Monroe.

She looked even more beautiful and striking. She was tall