Page 104 of Wed to You

“Colin said he’d help me get Kaden. I know he doesn’t care about me or Kaden, but I took the money because I needed a good lawyer.”

“You’re fighting for custody of Kaden with money from Jagger’s father?” Chelsea couldn’t believe her ears. Tanya had to know the kind of man Colin Talbot was and that Jagger would see her actions as the ultimate betrayal of Kaden. There was no doubt that Colin’s intentions were to get Kaden’s trust.

“I know it wasn’t right. I needed the money to fight, but I knew even if I succeeded, Colin wouldn’t get what he wanted. G.W. and Jagger would have seen to that. Please. Will you tell him? I love Kaden. I don’t want a penny from Jagger or from Kaden’s trust. I just want to be his mom.”

Chelsea nodded, absently because her mind was filled with a ton of questions. Did Jagger know that his father was involved? It seemed the sort of thing that would anger him, but he’d been in good spirits. She watched as Tanya walked away.

“She actually seems kind of okay.” Lexie watched her too. “I mean, she doesn’t look strung out, and she seems sincere about wanting Jagger in Kaden’s life.”

Chelsea thought so too. Except Tanya had gone into league with Jagger’s father. She couldn’t imagine Jagger ever forgiving something like that. It made her think of Alexis’s statement the day Chelsea signed the prenup about how Jagger never forgave a betrayal. Already Tanya was on the never-forgive list for abandoning Kaden. What would Jagger do with the knowledge Tanya was in cahoots with his father?

Chelsea didn’t bringup seeing Tanya until they were getting ready for bed. Jagger was brushing his teeth when she walked into the bathroom and sat on the vanity.

“Tanya showed up during my lunch with Lexie.” She decided the news was best delivered like removing a Band-Aid: quick.

He stopped mid-brush to look at her.

“She had a message for you.”

He spit out the toothpaste. “I can’t wait to hear this.”

“She says she doesn’t want to take Kaden from you.”

“That’s not what it feels like.” He washed his mouth out with water.

“She wants custody, but also for you to still be in his life. Like an uncle or something.”

“That’s not happening.”

“She seemed sincere about it.”

Jagger looked at her, his eyes annoyed, almost like she was betraying him for thinking Tanya might be an okay person.

“Did she tell you she’s using my father’s money to pay for her lawyer?”

“You knew about that?”

He cocked his head to the side.

“You never told me. I learned about it when she asked me to tell you she’s not taking his money anymore.” She felt the same as when Jagger first got the custody petition and told her she wasn’t a part of it. His keeping information from her was a reminder that this marriage was fake, no matter how real it felt. Or how much she wished it were real.

“Only because she knows it will look bad in court when it comes out she and my dad are trying to take Kaden’s money.”

Chelsea picked up a towel and wiped toothpaste from the corner of Jagger’s mouth. “Do you think that’s what she really wants?”

He stared at her. “What do you think she wants?”

“I think she wants Kaden.”

“Well, she can’t have him.” He left the bathroom, and she knew she was pushing his buttons.

“What if Kaden wants to keep seeing her when this is over?”

He whirled on her. “What do you want me to say, Chels? I don’t trust her. Especially after taking my father’s money.”

“If his money was the only way for you to keep Kaden, would you take it?”

He shook his head. “Jesus. What’s this all about?”

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