"I have something for you," Sidharth said finally. "Come with me?"
Twenty minutes later, they were in his car, driving through the city. Advika had no idea where they were going, but for once, she didn't mind the mystery.
They stopped in a commercial district she recognized—not far from where Sinfully Sweet had been located. Sidharth led her to a building she'd passed a thousand times, never really paying attention to it.
"This way." He unlocked a door, gesturing for her to go first.
Advika stepped inside and froze.
It was a bakery. Fully equipped, gorgeous, and roughly three times the size of her old location. Commercial-grade ovens lined one wall. Massive marble counters stretched across the space. A walk-in refrigerator hummed in the corner. Display cases waited to be filled. And in the back, she could see an office with a desk and computer.
"What... what is this?" Her voice came out as barely a whisper.
"Your bakery." Sidharth handed her a set of keys. "Your old place wasn't secure enough. Too exposed, too vulnerable. This building is owned by one of my companies. Top-of-the-line security system. Cameras, alarms, panic buttons. I've already hired two guards who'll be here whenever you are."
"You bought me a bakery?"
"I bought you a safe place to do what you love." He moved to stand beside her. "You gave up Sinfully Sweet when you married me. I can't give that back to you—that was yours, your creation, your dream. But I can give you this. A place to start fresh. To build something new."
Advika's eyes were burning with tears again. She walked through the space, trailing her fingers over the counters, opening oven doors, examining equipment.
Everything was perfect. Professional-grade, thoughtfully arranged, clearly designed by someone who understood what a baker needed.
"Meera and your old staff have already agreed to come work here," Sidharth continued. "If you want them. And the apartment upstairs has been converted to a secondary office and storage space, but we can make it into a small café area if you prefer."
"You talked to Meera?" Advika spun to face him.
"I wanted to get the details right." He shrugged, but she could see the pleasure in his eyes at her reaction. "She was very helpful. Also threatened to castrate me if I hurt you again, which I respect."
Despite everything, Advika laughed. "That sounds like Meera."
"So?" He looked almost nervous. "What do you think?"
Instead of answering, she crossed the space between them and kissed him. Poured everything she was feeling into it—gratitude and love and hope and joy.
When she pulled back, they were both breathless.
"It's perfect," she whispered. "It's absolutely perfect. Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me—"
"Yes, I do." She cupped his face in her hands. "This is the first time anyone has ever given me something just because they wanted to make me happy. Not because they had to, not to control me, not as a transaction. Just... because you care."
"I do care." The words seemed hard for him, but he said them anyway. "More than I know how to express. This—" he gestured around them "—this is me trying to show you what I can't quite say yet."
"It's enough." She kissed him again, softer this time. "For now, it's more than enough."
They spent the next hour exploring the space together. He showed her the security features, the updated electrical system designed to handle the load of commercial equipment, the ventilation system that would keep the space from getting too hot.
"When can I start?" Advika asked, already mentally planning what she'd bake first.
"Whenever you want. The permits are all filed, the inspections passed. It's ready."
"Tomorrow," she decided. "I'll call Meera tonight, start inventory tomorrow, and hopefully open within a few weeks."
"No rush," he said, but she could see he was pleased by her enthusiasm.
On the drive back to the estate, Advika found herself smiling for the first time in weeks. Real, genuine happiness bubbling up in her chest.
