Page 26 of Tangled in Temptation

My musings were interrupted by the soft chime alerting me to someone wanting to come up. I went to the touchpad and approved it. Mr. Stevens, my attorney, arrived a minute later.

“Thanks for coming,” I said. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Water, please.”

I grabbed two bottles of water and we sat down at the table. “What do you have?” I asked.

“I’ve looked into the legal aspects of Paisley’s situation, Timothy,” he began, his tone professional yet solemn. “Unfortunately, you have no legal rights to her.”

I felt a pang of frustration even though I’d known it was the likely outcome. We had been down this road before. “What do you mean, no rights? I’m her stepfather. I’ve been more of a parent to her than her own mother. I was in her life for almost ten years. She’s at my house right now. I’m the one that’s been taking care of her.”

Mr. Stevens sighed, leaning back in his chair. “You’ve done more than enough for both Regina and Paisley. Financially, you were generous during the divorce proceedings. More than generous. I personally would have cut that settlement in half.”

I scoffed. “Generous? I set up a trust fund for Paisley. That doesn’t feel like much. Money isn’t love. Money isn’t safety and security. She wants a home. I can provide that for her, but I’m not allowed to? How stupid is that?”

Mr. Stevens regarded me with a knowing look. “It’s more than her mother has ever done for her. We all know that. I can try to file another petition to the court to get custody, but I can tell you now it’s a losing battle. We could try to get Paisely to write a statement.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to drag her into the legal side of things. That girl is already stressed out.”

“Is she with Regina now?”

I shook my head. “No. Are you kidding? Regina doesn’t actually want anything to do with the kid. Paisley had some trip planned with a couple of the girls she met in town. One of the families rented a house in The Hamptons.”

“She’s making friends,” he said.

“Yes, she is. She’s really pushing to stay with me in Sleepy Hollow. Regina is just not going to let it happen. She wants to send her back to the boarding school.”

“Not surprised,” he muttered. “No witnesses.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

He hesitated, glancing around cautiously like he was afraid someone would overhear. “This is between you and me, Timothy.”

I leaned forward, my patience waning. “What happened?”

“Wells filed for divorce from Regina three months ago,” Mr. Stevens revealed, his tone hushed. “They married here in the state, so proceedings are happening in New York. He’s claiming she tried to poison him during their honeymoon in Italy last year, and apparently, he has proof. He’s been in ill health since they married, and during their separation, he has miraculously gotten better.”

I couldn’t help but scoff. “That sounds like something out of a melodramatic TV show. Regina is a lot of things, but I don’t think she’s a murderer. That’s a little much even for her. If she was a black widow, wouldn’t she have tried to off me?”

Mr. Stevens gave a small shrug. “Well, isn’t the social elite just a soap opera in real life? Regina is the queen of the elite.”

“Does he have proof?” I asked, a shiver of unease snaking down my spine.

“I don’t have the specifics, but from what I understand, he has enough to get the divorce.”

“Is he pressing charges?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Sounds like he’d prefer to keeping everything quiet.”

“Understandable.” I nodded. “What does this have to do with Paisley?”

“The divorce is turning nasty. According to Regina’s lawyer, she has been dipping into Paisley’s trust fund to fund her extravagant lifestyle in Europe all summer.”

Anger flared within me, a surge of protectiveness for Paisley coursing through my veins. “How is she able to do that? We had an agreement, signed paperwork. That’s not her money.”

Mr. Stevens sighed, his expression mirroring my frustration. “I don’t know the specifics, but I would suggest you talk to your financial advisor. Make sure everything is up to snuff. Check and see how much is left.”

I cursed under my breath, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. The trust fund had been set up to secure Paisley’s future, not to finance Regina’s extravagant endeavors. I didn’t have to pay alimony because she’d remarried, but she had walked away with a very generous settlement.