Then to the children.
Brielle followed his gaze.
When she saw the dark red folder beneath Claire’s arm, the color seemed to leave her face.
Everett approached.
“Claire.”
“Everett.”
His attention immediately returned to the children.
“Who are they?”
Mason answered before Claire could.
“She’s our mom.”
Nathaniel placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“Nathaniel Brooks. Claire’s husband.”
Everett clearly recognized the name.
Claire watched his expression change.
Then Lenora appeared.
She stared at Mason.
Then at the twins.
“You have children?”
Claire met her eyes.
“Three.”
Lenora looked almost offended.
“Why weren’t we told?”
Claire could barely believe the question.
“Because we haven’t been family for four years.”
The Celebration Began to Change
Everett noticed how many guests were watching.
His voice hardened.
“Please don’t make today about your past.”
Claire remained calm.
“I didn’t choose the guest list, Everett. You invited me.”
Brielle suddenly stepped closer to him.
“Maybe we should talk privately.”
Everett frowned.
“About what?”
Claire looked past them.
Parker Sloan was standing near the bar.
He refused to look toward Brielle.
That was enough.
Everett noticed the folder.
“Whatever you’ve brought here, keep it closed.”
Nathaniel stepped closer to Claire.
His voice remained quiet.
“You don’t get to order my wife around.”
Everett looked at him.
“This isn’t your business.”
Nathaniel glanced toward their children.
“Claire is my wife. That makes her well-being my business.”
Claire opened the folder.
She removed the first document.
“For years, people connected to this family were told that I was the reason Everett and I couldn’t have children.”
Lenora immediately interrupted.
“This is hardly the place.”
Claire looked directly at her.
“Neither was Thanksgiving dinner, but that never stopped you.”
The surrounding guests fell silent.
Claire placed the report on a nearby table.
“Everett received this years before our divorce. The information showed that the issue wasn’t mine.”
Lenora turned toward her son.
Everett said nothing.
Claire removed another page.
“There are also records showing unusual payments around the period when parts of the information I received were changed.”
Lenora stared at Everett.
“Tell me there’s another explanation.”
Everett’s silence answered for him.
Then Brielle Whispered Two Words
Claire could have stopped.
But Brielle had known why Everett wanted his former wife at the wedding.
She had helped send the invitation.
Claire removed the next document.
Brielle immediately whispered:
“Please don’t.”
Everett turned toward her.
“Don’t what?”
Claire placed the laboratory request on the table.
“This one isn’t about my marriage.”
Everett picked it up.
He read the page once.
Then again.
His eyes narrowed.
“Why is Parker’s name here?”
Nobody answered.
Everett looked toward his friend.
“Parker?”
Parker slowly approached.
“We should discuss this somewhere else.”
“No. Explain it here.”
Brielle lowered her bouquet.
“Everett, I was going to tell you.”
His expression changed.
His eyes dropped briefly toward her stomach.
“Tell me what?”
Brielle said nothing.
Everett’s voice became quieter.
“Is the baby mine?”
The silence lasted only a few seconds, but it seemed much longer.
Brielle looked down.
That was enough.
Everett turned toward Parker.
Then back toward his bride.
Brielle finally spoke.
“You became so focused on proving that your life was better after Claire that you stopped paying attention to the people around you.”
Everett stared at her.
“You kept this from me.”
Brielle looked toward Claire.
“And you kept the truth from your first wife for years.”
No one in the ballroom moved.
The ceremony had not even begun.
Yet the perfect life Everett wanted everyone to admire was already disappearing.
He Looked at Claire’s Children
Everett suddenly turned toward Mason, Sadie, and Paige.
“How old are they?”
Claire immediately understood where his mind was going.
“That’s irrelevant.”
“How old are they, Claire?”
Nathaniel moved between Everett and the children.
“Stop.”
Lenora stared at Paige.
“She looks familiar.”
Claire reached for her daughter’s hand.
“Do not bring my children into this.”
Everett looked almost desperate now.
“How am I supposed to know they aren’t mine?”
Claire stared at him in disbelief.
For years, he had allowed her to feel inadequate because they had not become parents together.
Now that his own future had become uncertain, he was looking at Claire’s family as though he had somehow been denied something.
