Chapter 1 - BEFORE THE RINGAt 6:42 on a Saturday evening in Boston, Claire Beaumont was thirty seconds away from becoming Claire Whitmore.
The ballroom of the Beaumont Grand Hotel glowed beneath three crystal chandeliers. White roses climbed the columns around the altar, candles reflected against polished marble, and nearly one hundred guests watched as Adrian Whitmore held a platinum wedding band between his fingers.
Everything looked exactly as Claire had imagined.
Perhaps that should have frightened her.
Adrian smiled at her with the practiced warmth that had convinced Claire he was different from every man she had dated before him.
At thirty-five, Adrian was handsome without seeming vain, ambitious without appearing desperate, and sophisticated enough to move easily through the wealthy circles that surrounded the Beaumont family.
More importantly, he had spent almost two years convincing Claire that he did not care about the Beaumont fortune.
Her father, William Beaumont, owned a controlling interest in Beaumont Hospitality Group, a chain of luxury hotels and resorts stretching from New England to Florida. Claire herself owned substantial shares and had recently taken responsibility for the group’s new development division.
Money had always entered the room before she did.
Adrian claimed not to notice.
That was one of the reasons she loved him.
The officiant smiled.
“Adrian, you may place the ring on Claire’s finger.”
Adrian lifted Claire’s left hand.
The guests leaned forward.
Then—
the massive ballroom doors opened.
The sound cracked through the room.
Claire turned.
A woman stood beneath the doorway.
Long brown hair fell around a pale face. She wore a dark-blue maternity dress stretched over an unmistakably eight-month-pregnant belly. Her eyes were red, swollen from crying, yet there was nothing hysterical in her expression.
She looked exhausted.
Humiliated.
And furious.
Her gaze found Adrian instantly.
“ADRIAN!”
The wedding band stopped less than an inch from Claire’s finger.
Adrian froze.
Claire felt it.
Not surprise.
Not ordinary confusion.
Something passed through his face so quickly most guests probably missed it.
Fear.
The woman began walking toward the altar.
One hand protected the underside of her belly.
The other was clenched at her side.
Adrian whispered:
“Oh, God.”
Claire turned slowly.
“What did you say?”
He recovered almost immediately.
“Nothing.”
But his complexion had changed.
The woman reached the center aisle.
Several guests began whispering.
Claire’s older brother Julian rose from his chair.
William Beaumont remained seated beside his wife, Margaret, but his attention had sharpened.
The pregnant woman stopped several feet from the altar.
“You bastard.”
Adrian stared.
“Who are you?”
Her face twisted with disbelief.
“You lied to me.”
Her voice cracked.
“And you lied to our baby.”
The ballroom seemed to lose all oxygen.
Claire looked at the woman’s belly.
Then Adrian.
Then back.
Adrian stepped forward.
“I don’t know what this is.”
The woman laughed bitterly.
“You don’t know?”
She pointed around the ballroom.
“You told me you were in Boston for a business trip.”
Her voice rose.
“THIS is your business trip?”
A guest gasped.
Claire felt her fingers becoming cold.
“Elena…”
Adrian said the name before he could stop himself.
The woman went completely still.
Claire heard it.
So did Julian.
So did several people close to altar.
The woman’s expression changed.
“You just said you didn’t know me.”
Adrian’s mouth opened.
Nothing came.
Claire slowly turned toward the man she had been about to marry.
“What is her name?”
Adrian swallowed.
“Claire, listen.”
“What is her name?”
The woman answered for him.
“Elena Hart.”
Claire stared at Adrian.
His eyes were moving now.
Toward Elena.
Toward the guests.
Toward Claire’s father.
Toward the wedding ring.
Calculating.
Claire knew that look.
She had seen executives wear it when they realized a negotiation was collapsing.
She had simply never expected to see it on the man holding her wedding ring.
“Elena is someone I met a long time ago,” Adrian said quickly. “She is confused.”
Elena gave a broken laugh.
“A long time ago?”
She touched her belly.
“I’m eight months pregnant.”
The words ripped through the room.
Claire’s bouquet trembled.
Adrian stepped toward her.
“Claire, this is not what it looks like.”
Something inside Claire snapped.
She handed bouquet to officiant.
Then slapped Adrian once across the face.
The sound echoed against the marble.
Adrian’s head turned.
No one moved.
Claire stared at him.
“How do you explain this?”
Adrian pressed one hand to his cheek.
“Claire, please.”
Elena was crying now, but quietly.
Adrian turned back to his bride.
“I don’t know what she wants.”
Elena whispered:
“You know exactly what I want.”
Adrian ignored her.
He reached toward Claire.
“Someone is setting me up.”
Claire stepped back.
“We’re one step away,” Adrian said desperately. “One step. Don’t destroy our lives because a stranger walked into the room.”
Claire’s eyes hardened.
“You called her Elena.”
His mouth closed.
Adrian glanced at ring.
Then back at Claire.
“Finish the wedding.”
His voice dropped.
“Trust me.”
Claire looked down at the platinum band.
Thirty seconds earlier it had represented her future.
Now it looked like evidence.
May you like
She slowly lifted her eyes.
And Adrian realized he no longer knew what she was going to do.
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