"One foot in front of the other. Breathe in, breathe out." Holly Ashton hasn't celebrated her birthday since her mother passed away. Instead, it's the one day of the year that she allows herself to grieve. The rest of the year is spent pretending to be the strong and independent woman she wants to be. Professionally, she has it all together. A great job as an architect at Sydney's most prestigious firm keeps her focused. Her personal life is far less charmed. Emotionally detached from everyone other than her small circle of friends and family, relationships are a no-go zone. Life is exactly how she wants it to be - until the day of her twenty-fifth birthday. A chance encounter with Ryan Davenport, CEO of a property development firm, turns her tightly controlled life upside down. Ryan is driven, ambitious and used to getting what he wants - and very unexpectedly, what he wants is the beautiful, smart-mouthed Holly Ashton. When neither of them believes in happily ever afters, how are they supposed to find their own?