Sophie pressed herself against Mara.
Her little body trembled.
Mara wrapped both arms around her daughter.
"It's okay, sweetheart."
But it was not okay.
Daniel looked from the silicone belly to the woman he intended to marry.
His face had turned pale.
"Where's the baby?"
Claire began crying.
"Please, let me explain."
Daniel's voice shook.
"Where is my child?"
The question echoed through the ballroom.
Claire covered her mouth.
For several seconds, she seemed incapable of speech.
Then she looked toward Evelyn.
The older woman stood beside the cake, one hand gripping her champagne glass so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale.
Their eyes met.
And suddenly Mara saw something she had not noticed before.
Evelyn was not surprised.
She was terrified.
Daniel followed Claire's gaze.
"Mother?"
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Daniel, sweetheart, we should discuss this privately."
He stared.
"Privately?"
She swallowed.
"There are people watching."
Daniel looked around the room.
Guests stood motionless.
Several phones were raised.
His daughter was crying.
His former wife had been shoved.
And the woman who claimed to be carrying his baby stood beside a silicone pregnancy belly lying on the floor.
He turned back toward his mother.
"Tell me what is happening."
Evelyn looked toward Claire.
Her expression sharpened.
It was a warning.
Claire saw it.
And whatever courage she had spent months pretending to possess finally broke.
She pointed toward Evelyn.
"Your mother paid me!"
The words came out in a desperate sob.
Daniel stared.
Claire continued.
"She paid me to pretend I was pregnant!"
Silence fell so completely that the faint music from the hallway suddenly seemed deafening.
Evelyn's champagne glass slipped from her hand.
It shattered against the marble.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
"Mother?"
She did not answer.
Claire was crying uncontrollably now.
"She said you would never marry me unless I gave you another child! She said everything would work if I followed her plan!"
Daniel looked toward the shattered glass.
Then toward his mother.
The woman who had raised him.
Protected him.
Taught him to distrust strangers.
Warned him never to let anyone manipulate him.