“No!” Why would she want to alter the prenup? She’d barely read it. She took a deep breath. “I’m afraid.”
“And I am afraid,” he said with dangerous silkiness, “that you already gave me your word. We have a verbal contract. It’s done.”
Tess herself had thought something similar just moments before—that the decision had already been made, so there was no backing out. But hearing him speak the words like a threat made her back stiffen. “What are you saying?”
His eyes narrowed.
“You’re wearing my ring.” He looked down at the big diamond on her left hand. “You will take my name. You will be my wife, and we will raise our daughter. Our wedding will go forward as planned.”
She tried to toss her head, not easy when it was weighed down with a heavy diamond tiara. “Maybe I won’t!”
His lips twisted. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek, running his thumb along her shaking lower lip.
“And maybe,” he said tenderly, “I’ll hire a team of lawyers to utterly destroy you and your family. Maybe I’ll take our daughter and make sure you never see her again.”
Then Stefano drew back, his dark eyes smiling down at her as if he’d been flirting
.
The room, with all its elegant furnishings, seemed to spin around her. Tess stared up at him, her eyes wide with horror.
“Are you ready, Miss Foster?”
Tess turned to see the hotel’s wedding planner with her headset standing in the doorway. Behind her, Uncle Ray hovered.
“Yes. She’s ready.” Stefano’s eyes were callous as he looked down at Tess. “Aren’t you?”
Feeling sick inside, she gave an unsteady nod.
“What are you doing here, Your Highness?” the wedding planner chided. “You’re supposed to be waiting in the ballroom.”
“Of course.” Deliberately, Stefano reached down and pulled the translucent white veil over Tess’s tiara, over her face. He said lightly, “I can’t wait to marry you, cara mia.”
And, after kissing her cheek through the veil, he left.
Tess stood in shock as her uncle came forward with tears in his eyes.
“You look beautiful, Tessie.” He held out his arm awkwardly in the new designer tuxedo that Stefano had provided for him. “Are you ready for this?”
Numbly Tess took her uncle’s arm. She picked up her bouquet.
“Thank you for walking me down the aisle, Uncle Ray,” she said, barely knowing what she was saying. She felt frozen, like she was in a bad dream.
“My little sister would be so proud of you,” her uncle said, blinking back tears. “Of the woman you’ve become.”
“I wish Mama was still here,” Tess whispered. After Tess’s father had left, her mother had gone through many other short-lived romances—surely Serena would have known what to do now.
They followed the wedding planner down the elegant hallway, toward the entrance to the grand hotel ballroom, where her two bridesmaids waited outside the door. Lola refused to meet her eyes. Hallie took one look at Tess and demanded, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Tess said, looking away.
“Stefano just rushed by us. I guess that means you guys worked it out?” she said hopefully.
“You might say that,” Tess said. Maybe I’ll take our daughter and make sure you never see her again.
The double doors opened and a wave of music swelled as the orchestra started the first notes of the wedding march. Bouquets held high, Lola walked in, followed by Hallie.
“Here we go,” her uncle whispered. Tess nodded, and clutching his arm like a life preserver, she walked forward.