Chapter 17
ANNA S POV
Everyone was whispering loudly now and Nate’s mother couldn’t keep calm any longer.
“I knew this wouldn’t last!” she shouted at her son. “I told you not to marry this gold digger, Nate. And now look at her – jumping from one wealthy man to the next, with another man’s child, how crazy is that!”
Nate tried to interject, but his mother didn’t even give him room to say anything
further.
“How dare you deceive my son, you heartless woman?” she cried, her gaze fixed on me with undisguised contempt. “You’ve been leading him on, making him believe. you love him, when all along you’ve been carrying another man’s child!”
The murmurs from the crowd grew louder, and I felt a thousand accusing eyes turn my
65 18:37
1/7
Chapter 17
way. I wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor and escape this nightmare. How had everything gone so out of control?
Nate’s hand found my arm as he tried to calm the situation. “Mother, that’s enough,” he said, his voice low and firm. “This is my decision, and I stand by it. Anna is my wife, and I love her, child and all.”
His mother scoffed, her eyes shooting. daggers. “Love her? Don’t be so naive, Nate. She’s only after your money, your status. She’s probably been playing you from the start, just like she played this poor fool Caden.”
I turned to Caden, my eyes pleading for him to say something, to make this all stop.
“How did you know? How did you even find out about the baby?”
“Your mother called me last night,” he said, his gaze never leaving mine. “She told me you were pregnant, with my child. And when I heard you were going to marry
656 TH:37
217
Chapter 17
Nate, I had to stop it. I can’t let you do this, Anna. I won’t.”
I felt my stomach drop, my eyes widening in shock as I turned to my mother, who was now standing beside me, trying to look away.
“Mom, why?” I groaned. “Why did you have to do that?”
My mother reached out, trying to fake a smile. “I didn’t know, Anna. I didn’t know you were marrying Nate Powers until this morning. I should have told you, I should have warned you, but I just… I wanted to protect you.”
I pulled my hand away, shaking my head in disbelief. “Protect me? By betraying me to Caden?”
“Well technically it’s not betrayal if he is the biological father of your child” she mumbled and I shot her an irritated look. She had caused this whole mess.
Caden started looking at me intensely, his
65% 18:37
317
Chapter 17
eyes pleading. “Anna, please, you have to come back to me. I know we’ve been
through a lot, but I still love you. I want to be a part of our child’s life. I won’t let you do this and marry this good for nothing”
Nate moved to stand between us, his expression as hard as ice. “Um you‘ re a little too late and I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. Anna and I are already married, and she is my wife now. You need to back off and go back to the other woman you’ve been with.”
Caden gave him a once over, his hands. already balling into a fist.
“I didn’t get anyone else pregnant, Nate. The baby Anna is carrying is mine, and I won’t let you take her and my child away from me.”
Nate snorted, shooting him a cold gaze. “That’s nonsense. You have no claim to Anna or her child. If you don’t leave now, I’ll have security escort you out.”
-159 166.37
4/7
Chapter 17
Caden’s face flushed with anger, and he surged forward, his hand reaching out to grab my arm. “Anna, please, you have to listen to me. I made a mistake, I know that. But now I know Jessica is carrying
someone else‘ s child and I’ve kicked her
out. Thank you for sending me that video last night. I want to make things right. I want to be a part of our child’s life. Please, just give me a chance.”
Now I was starting to regret sending him that video last night. I only did it out of spite, wanted him to feel what it meant to be cheated on but now everything had backfired. I should have just kept my mouth shut and allowed him accept. another‘ s man child.
Before I could respond, Nate stepped in, his hand pushing Caden back with a firm shove. “I said, back off. You really don’t want things to get ugly do you?.”
Caden retaliated, shoving Nate back with equal force. “This is my family! Anna and
■D+
65% 18:37
5/7
Chapter 17
our child are mine, and I’m not going to let you take them from me! You are just the bastard trying to break us up.”
I tried to come in between them, raising my hands to calm them down.
“Caden, please, don’t do this. Not here, not now. You are making a scene and embarrassing me”
But Caden refused to back down, his gaze fixed on me.
“Well I’d stop embarrassing you if you can just come back home with me. I’m begging you. Come back to me. I made a mistake, and it’s crystal clear to me now.
The murmurs of the crowd intensified, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. This was a total nightmare.
Nate severely said he was going to have security remove Caden if he didn’t listen. Caden wasn’t ready to back down.
“I’m not going anywhere. Not until Anna
651 18 57
6/7
Chapter 17
comes with me.” He replied stubbornly.
Before I could say anything, Caden had shoved Nate again, sending him stumbling backwards. Nate pulled his hand backward and landed a sucker punch on his face that made everyone go “Ow!”
It seemed like we could all feel the impact on his behalf.
Suddenly, the two men were locked in a heated brawl, punches flying as everyone in the room went crazy.
“Stop, please!” I cried, hardly hearing my
own voice over the commotion. “This
e
needs to stop!”
65 18:27
