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#Chapter 35 The Meeting
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2023-07-15 20:27:59In hindsight, my first move should have been to call the police. If I had been thinking straight, I would have called the cops. Instead, I ran over to Barnettâs apartment and started pounding on the door, hoping he had spent the night there. To my relief, he opened the door. He looked as though he had just been about to leave and was surprised to find my fist in front of his chest.âAnna? Whatâs wrong?â Barnett asked.I couldnât say anything. I only dragged him by the hand to my door, where I showed him the red X and the note.He stared at the note for a long time.âWell, that is her signature,â he finally said. He didnât sound overly worried or even mad, moreâŚresigned, as though he werenât too surprised this had happened but was tired of all of Juliaâs shit.I, however, was still freaking out. The more that I stared at it, the more that the red on my door and on the note looked like blood to me. It made my mind go to a m
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Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 36 Shopping Day
I was getting ready for a shopping day with Lily when I received the call from Barnett.âHello?â I answered as I juggled outfit options.âGood morning, Anna,â Barnett said in his smooth, confident voice. âI have good news for you.ââOh?ââYou wonât have to worry about Julia or Bob anymore.âI froze.âReally? You took care of both of them? How?ââYou let me worry about the how. Just rest assured that they wonât be bothering you anymore.âI hesitated.âYou didnât do anything to hurt them, did you?âBarnett sighed.âAnna, do I really seem like someone who would do something like that?ââNo.ââThen I think you have your answer.ââWellâŚthank you.ââYouâre welcome.âI hung up, still unsure about what Barnett could have done to get both Julia and Bob off my back.â˘* *Since I had the entire day offâno clients scheduledâLily and I took our time perusing the highest-end shops we could at the richest mall we c
Last Updated : 2023-07-16Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 37 Branching Out
Arthur did not let up over the next couple days. In fact, any time we werenât talking about his own styling, Arthur steered our conversation towards why I should take up Freyja on their offer. Finally, he wore me down. I called the people at Freyja, they faxed me a contract, and we arranged to film the first commercial over the next week. Arthur was so excited that he offered to come with me to ensure that everything went down without a hitch.I couldnât really think of a reason to say no. It was his world; he would know how best to navigate. Besides, it would be nice to have a friend there with me, at least on the first day. So, I let him come with me. On the first day of the shoot, we took the gold Aston Martin from Arthurâs office to the studio. Gremlins started to tear at my stomach as we parked. I had been to studios before when a client ne
Last Updated : 2023-07-17Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 38 Overload
Arthur hooked his hands under my arms and lifted me to my feetâor at least did the best he could with all the resistance I was putting up. âCome on, my little fan. Up you go. Itâs not the end of the world.â âAre you kidding me? Look at this disaster!â âYou saw how horribly that was all set up. It was an accident waiting to happen. Just offer to pay for whateverâs broken and get back to work.â I nodded, oddly calmed down by how certain Arthur felt about this. âYouâre right.â âOf course I am. Now, go.â With a gentle shove, he pushed me in Chrissyâs direction. The closer I got to Chrissy, the less certain I felt and the more my stomach ached. Her beautiful face was contorted in anger as she barked orders
Last Updated : 2023-07-18Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 39 The Stalker
I sniffled. I couldnât tell Barnett the truth. He would think I was weak for not being able to handle everything myself. âAnna, I can hear you crying.â The softness in his tone broke something inside me. Tears started to flow down my cheeks again. âI-I donât know what to do,â I sobbed. âItâs all too much.â âWhatâs too much?â âThe commercial, the styling, the vlogs. Iâve only spent a little over a week doing this, and I canât keep up. I screwed up so badly today.â âHey, itâs okay. Just take a deep breath and explain everything that happened.â I followed Barnettâs instructions. I took a deep breath and then told him everything, from being worn down by the commercial to having to improvise StarRiseâs look and her reaction to it.&nb
Last Updated : 2023-07-19Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 40 Moving Out
âWho-who are you?â I asked. âWhat are you doing here?â âIâm Tom,â the man said. âIâm here to see you.â The man stepped out of the darkness. He was surprisingly well-kept with short dark hair and a well-trimmed beard. His eyes, thoughâhis eyes bore into me with a fire straight from the depths of Hell. I knew I should run, but I was frozen to the spot. I tried to scream, but no sound would come out of my throat. All I could do was stand with tears streaming down my cheeks. âNo, no, I wonât hurt you,â Tom said. He held his hands up, as if to placate me, and I flinched. âI would never hurt you.â Tom stepped towards me. Whatever had frozen me in place finally broke, and I stepped backwards. âStay away from me,â I said as loudly as I could manage. &nbs
Last Updated : 2023-07-20Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 41 Missing You
I transferred the rent to Barnett and moved out the next day. Since he had helped me before when my old apartment didnât work out, I asked Barnett if he could help me move my stuff into the new house. He just said he was busy and hastily closed his apartment door on me. I got Lily to help me instead, but I couldnât keep my mind off Barnett the entire day. As we moved boxes and bags, my mind drifted to Barnett helping me with the back support belt, his strong arms wrapped around me as he strapped on the Velcro. I couldnât help but think about his perfect form as he lifted the boxes, and I wondered why he didnât want to help this time. After all, we did seem to have such fun moving me in to the other apartment⌠âHello? Earth to Anna!â Lily said as she waved her hand in front of my face. I shook my head. I hadnât realized that I had spaced out thinking about Barnett. I blushed. âWhat were you saying?â I asked. âI was asking where yo
Last Updated : 2023-07-21Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 42 Sleepover
I tried to get that dream out of my mind. I tried to get Barnett out of my mind. Neither worked. I relived the sex, the pleasure it had brought me, over and over. I contemplated Barnettâs disappearance after the labor and what it meant. But mostly, I thought about that baby boy. I knew he wasnât real, and yet the fact that I could not hold him again brought me great sadness. He represented everything I didnât get to have before and everything I still would not be able to have. Even if there were some way to get past the infertility Bob always said I had, I had monthsâweeksâleft to live and could never carry a healthy baby to full term. The only way I could force these thoughts from my mind was through exercise. Unfortunately, I was finding it harder and harder to get to Stand Up. The distance from my new home was a struggle, and the fansâoh, the fans!
Last Updated : 2023-07-22Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 43 The Slap Heard âRound the World
I froze and listened to the night. For a minute, there was nothing. Then the screaming started again. âNo! No!â My heart pounding, I cautiously reached under my bed. I grasped for the bat that I started keeping near me since the incident with Tom. Its hard, grainy surface gave me a sense of security and confidence as I gripped it tightly. Bat in hand, I slipped out of bed and snuck out of my room. As I approached the end of the hall, I peeked around the corner. Nothing appeared out of order. The door was still locked and closed, the TV was off and stayed mounted on the wall, and all the furniture still stood in place. Even Arthur remained on the couch, fast asleep. I was about to search the kitchen when the screaming started again from the living room. âNo! Pleas
Last Updated : 2023-07-23
Latest chapter
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 80: The Hat Trick
9 years later⌠I sat down in the first row, my coffee cup balanced in my hands. The rink was cold, and I was bundled up in a sweater and a winter coat. Beside me, Lily sat with my daughter on her lap. Winnie was just three years old, and she was already asleep on Lilyâs shoulder, the hood of her pink parka pulled up over her head. The sight of them together warmed my heart.âDamn, sheâs getting heavy,â Lily said.I smiled. âI know. They grow up fast.âShe nodded. Lily didnât have kids, and I didnât think she ever wanted to. She was happy being Cool Aunt Lily, and I thought that was amazing. She still traveled all over the world, bringing exotic gifts back for her niece and nephews.âShe asks about you all the time now,â I said. âShe calls you âwi-wy.âââAdorbs.â Lily hugged her closer. âWeâre going to be besties when sheâs older.ââFor sure.ââScratch that. Weâre already besties.âThe first period was about to start, and I sat up straighter. Both teams were on their benches. I could
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 79: Journey's End
âIâm the father,â he repeated.I nodded. âThatâs why I was trying to find you. I wanted to tell you, but after what Julia said, I thought you never wanted to see me again. If not for Lily, I would have continued to think that. Still, Iâm sorry youâre only finding out now.âA sad look crossed his face, and he put his head in his hands. âGod, Iâm sorry.âI stood up and walked around the desk. His muscles tensed, but he didnât look up as I ran my hands over his shoulders. âYouâre here now,â I said.âI shouldâve been with you the whole time.âHe swiveled around in his chair and hugged me, his face resting lightly against my stomach. I ran a hand through his soft blond hair. âIâm so sorry,â he said. He looked up at me and gave me a wide smile. My heart skipped a beat. âIâm really happy, Anna.ââYou are?ââYou have no idea.â He still hadnât let go of me, but I didnât want him to. I never wanted him to. If I could have stayed in his arms forever, I would have.âIâm happy too,â I said, tears
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 78: The Father
Barnett gestured for me to sit down, and I took one of the plush armchairs across from his desk.âCan I get you anything?â he asked. âWater or something?âI shook my head. âNo, Iâm alright.âHe nodded and sat down in his leather chair. âEither Lily is clairvoyant, or she convinced you to come here,â he said after a moment of awkward silence.âSheâs adamant that we talk.âHe just nodded again.Another long stretch of silence ensued as I searched for something to say.âYou look great,â he said. I wasnât used to this awkwardness between us. It seemed to squeeze at my throat, preventing the words from rising. So much time had passed, and he felt both familiar to me and completely a stranger.âI heard about your father,â I answered, ignoring his compliment completely. That felt like dangerous territory. âIâm sorry he was sick. Is he doing better now?ââHe is,â he said. âIt was tough going for a while, but heâs doing a lot better now. Good enough to kick me out, anyway.ââHe sounds like a c
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 77: Lovers Meeting
âBarnett, open up!â Lily called.Barnett sighed and got out of bed. It was still early in the morning, early enough that he wanted to yell at her through the door and tell her to go away. He hardly slept as it was. The last thing he needed was an early morning wake-up call.He pulled on his robe and stomped over to the door.âBarnett!â she called again.He yanked open the door and scowled down at her. âDo you know what time it is?âShe smirked and shoved past him into his apartment. At least she had two coffee cups with her. She handed him one and he took a sip. It was still hot, and it burned his tongue.âItâs a beautiful day,â she said.âIs it?âHe sank down onto his couch and pulled his robe tighter around him. Lily didnât sit down, she just started pacing back and forth in front of him. He was much too tired to deal with all her energy. Lily wasnât much of a morning person either, but today she was clearly on something.âDid you sleep at all last night?ââLike a baby,â she said, h
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 76: Setting Things Straight
Iâd been home for nearly a month, and people were still talking about my ârelationshipâ with Arthur. It was really starting to drive me crazy. To the point where I knew Iâd have to set the story straight if I ever wanted the rumors and speculation to stop.The nursery was mostly finished now, and the rest of the rooms were looking better, too. I had my office set up with a desk and some of my filming equipment. I planned to use it mostly for behind-the-scenes stuff, but it would work if I needed to film a quick video like I did now.I decided to just film a sit-down video. Iâd been filming my vlogs at the gym in my building, and while that was going well, Iâd avoided addressing everything with Arthur.I knew people were still talking about it because the comments on my videos were mostly about our relationship. People wanted to know why we werenât traveling together more. If we were going to get married. What we planned to name the babies.Everyone seemed convinced that they were his,
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 75: The Nursery
I wiped my hand across my cheek, realizing at the last second that I had blue paint on my fingers. I rushed over to the bathroom and laughed when I caught sight of myself in the mirror. There was pale blue paint smeared across my cheek, dotted across my white t-shirt. There was even a bit of paint at the ends of my hair that I would probably have to cut off.Deciding to decorate the nursery myself might have been a bad idea, but I couldnât deny I was having a lot of fun. As much as I was making a mess, it felt meaningful to do it myself. To pour all my love and hope into that one little room.The cribs were arriving in a couple of days, and I already have a tall, white dresser to put in there for all the baby clothes. I bought a changing table from a lady online and it was already up and waiting in my new office. There were still quite a few things I needed before the babies were born, but I was finally on track.After arriving home, I decided that the first thing I needed to do was f
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 74: Unhealthy Obsessions
He couldnât stop looking at the pictures. He knew he needed to, but Barnett couldnât turn away. They were all over the internet. Everywhere he went, the photos and videos of them taunted him. They were holding hands on a sailboat. Sitting together on a rock, their faces red from their hike. Having dinner beneath the stars in some far-off place with just trees and mountains for miles, looking far more intimate than Barnett would have liked.One headline caught his eye as he scrolled, and he sucked in a breath.PREGNANT FITNESS INFLUENCER ANNA LEONARD TRAVELS WITH FAMOUS BOYFRIEND ARTHUR STARDUSTHe finally forced himself to put down his phone. Agonizing over it wasnât helping him. Anna was happy without him. He just had to accept that somehow and move on, even if it seemed like an impossible thing to do. She was clearly in love with Arthur.Just as he placed his phone down on his desk, it rang.He picked it up without checking the Caller ID, half-convinced it was Anna calling. That heâ
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 73: Miscommunications
Lily found Barnett at his apartment. She had to knock a few times before he finally came to the door, a slight scowl on his face.“So, you’re back,” she said.He stepped aside to let her in. She closed the apartment door behind her and trailed him into the room. “How was Egypt?”“It was fine. Saw the pyramids.” He looked interested, but she wasn’t there to talk about Egypt. “Have you been online recently?”
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick   #Chapter 72: Annaâs Letter
I stopped in front of the mirror and pulled up my shirt. A few months of filming later, and I was really starting to show. I kept having to buy new clothes as my size changed. Those jeans I worked so hard to fit into didn’t even make it past my thighs now.I dropped my shirt and looked over my outfit. I had on a pair of workout leggings, sneakers, and a form-fitting pullover that showed off my protruding belly. Arthur and I were hiking today for our segment. My hair was up in a high ponytail, and I had some natural makeup on. Without it, I had dark circles under my eyes from all the early morning shoots.
