How convenient
“Tessa?” Ares breathed, the name cracking out of him like a secret let loose.
Chloe’s fingers clamped around his forearm. “Don’t,” she hissed. “Ares, stop.”
He stepped off the dais. Guests turned. Music died. At the back of the aisle, Tessa stood between two women, pale and steady.
Marcus rose. “What is this?”
Lady Bianca didn’t hesitate. “Nannies, now. Security, remove the children from the floor. Take them to the green room.”
Four small heads jerked. Kamal and Jamal in tiny tuxedos, Beauty and Pretty in white, were swept away by two nannies. Beauty clutched Pretty’s hand. Jamal looked at Ares. Kamal pressed his mouth thin.
Tessa lurched. “Please…don’t take them,” she cried. Mariam and Ayisha caught her elbows.
“Isn’t this your best friend?” Ayisha asked. “Getting
