It was not supposed to be there.
At least, that was what Sophie thought as she stood beside her mother in the enormous ballroom of the Bennett family mansion, watching Claire Beaumont adjust the rounded stomach everyone had been celebrating for the past two hours.
The room shimmered beneath crystal chandeliers. White roses spilled from tall arrangements, champagne glasses glistened on silver trays, and nearly a hundred guests moved between tables decorated with ivory ribbons and expensive floral centerpieces. A towering cake stood near the windows, its delicate sugar flowers matching the blush-pink decorations surrounding the room.
Everything looked perfect.
That was the problem.
To anyone watching from a distance, the Bennett family appeared to be celebrating a beautiful new beginning. Daniel Bennett, a successful thirty-nine-year-old Black American businessman, stood beside his beautiful blonde fiancée with one hand resting protectively around her waist. His tailored charcoal suit fit his athletic frame perfectly, and his neatly trimmed beard and composed expression gave him the appearance of a man whose life had finally settled into happiness.
Claire wore a fitted blush-pink maternity dress, its carefully gathered fabric emphasizing the large round belly that supposedly held Daniel's unborn child. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in styled waves, and a diamond bracelet glittered whenever she lifted her hand.
Beside the cake stood Evelyn Bennett, Daniel's sixty-two-year-old mother, wearing an elegant cream gown and a double strand of pearls.
She was smiling.
She had been smiling all afternoon.
Every photograph captured her leaning toward Claire's stomach, greeting wealthy family friends, or speaking proudly about the grandchild who would soon carry the Bennett name.
And near the back of the room stood the two people Evelyn had barely acknowledged.
Mara Ellis and her daughter.
Mara was thirty-four, a strikingly beautiful Black American woman with rich brown skin, expressive almond-shaped eyes, naturally full lips, and extraordinarily thick, glossy black hair falling in long waves over her shoulders. Her fitted chocolate-brown satin dress complemented her graceful figure, while small gold earrings and understated heels completed an appearance that was elegant without trying to compete with the room around her.
She held Sophie's hand firmly.
The little girl wore a magnificent white princess dress with lace sleeves, a satin bodice, and a full layered tulle skirt. White ribbons decorated her natural curls, and tiny sparkling shoes peeked beneath the hem whenever she moved.
Sophie had chosen the dress herself.
Her father had asked her to wear something special because today was supposed to be a family celebration.
He had promised that everyone would behave kindly.
Mara had wanted to believe him.
But she had known Evelyn Bennett for almost eleven years.
And she knew that the woman standing beside the cake rarely organized a gathering without expecting something from it.
"Mommy?"
Mara looked down.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
Sophie pointed discreetly toward Claire.
"Something's wrong with her tummy."
Mara's shoulders tightened.
She lowered her daughter's hand gently.
"Sophie, we don't point at people's bodies."
"I know."
The child looked troubled.
"But—"
"Come here."
Mara crouched slightly so they could speak face-to-face.
"What is it?"
Sophie leaned closer.
"I saw straps."
Mara frowned.
"What straps?"
"Like my costume."
The little girl touched the front of her white princess dress.
"When we did the school play, my fairy wings had straps under the dress so they wouldn't fall off."
Mara glanced toward Claire.
For a brief moment, she noticed the blonde woman's hand move awkwardly across her stomach.
Then Claire adjusted the side of her dress.
A thin black elastic band appeared near the waist before disappearing beneath the fabric.
Mara felt something cold move through her chest.
But she immediately corrected herself.
Maternity clothing sometimes required support garments. People wore braces, bands, and medical equipment for reasons that were nobody else's business.
It would be cruel to assume dishonesty because a child noticed an unfamiliar strap.
Mara touched Sophie's shoulder.
"Sweetheart, we don't know what that is. It's not our business."
Sophie nodded reluctantly.
Then looked back toward the celebration.
At that exact moment, Claire turned.
Her eyes settled on Sophie.
Then Mara.
The smile vanished from her face.
For several seconds, she stared.
Then she crossed the ballroom toward them.