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#Chapter 44 Smear Campaign
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2024-10-29 19:42:56I turned to face the young woman I had accidentally hit. She was holding her cheek and eye, part of which I could see had started to turn pink. “Oh my God!” I exclaimed. “I’m so sorry!” I reached out to touch the woman’s arm, but she shrunk away from me. “Please, let me help you,” I continued. “Let me get you inside. We can get you some ice—” “No!” the woman said, shaking her head. Her hand never left the side of her face. “No.” “Please, I insist…” I reached out for her again, but she stepped away from me. The woman kept shaking her head and muttering “no” as she back away through the crowd. I thought I saw tears on the uncovered side of her face. My heart broke. All eyes were suddenly on me. I had no
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Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 45 Death Becomes Her
“Come over here,” Arthur said as he sat me down in the closest chair. “There you go.” I slumped forward and put my face in my hands. My head swam. Tears trickled from the corners of my eyes. “Anna, are you okay?” Arthur’s hands on my shoulders grounded me. I took deep breaths, inhaling his cologne. My head slowly steadied itself. I wiped my tears and forced a smile for him. “I’m all right. It’s just that…some of what’s in that article is tough for me.” “So, some of it is true?” “The facts are true, but what they read between the lines are not.” Arthur tilted his head. “Meaning…?” “Meaning, I had nothing to do with my brothers’ deaths. I was
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 46 Her Will Be Done
I ran to the bathroom and locked myself in one of the stalls. Crouching beside the toilet, I cried and dry-heaved. My hands shook uncontrollably, and my breaths came in and out raggedly. I knew I had to do something about my diagnosis, but what? Telling anyone about it was out of the question. Going back to the doctor was useless, too; it was terminal, after all. Yet there was so much to do regarding my…death. Funeral arrangements. A will. There just wasn’t enough time—but I had an idea of where to start.
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 47 The High Life
“Please tell me that you’re not wearing that,” Lily said as soon as I entered her bedroom on the yacht.I rolled my eyes and waved my dress bag at her.“Yes, it is. I just brought this incredible dress that my best friend bought me as a backup in case I got my modest wear filthy.”Lily stuck her tongue out at me.“What were you even doing that required such morbid attire?”
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 48 Driving Miss Boozy
Barnett followed Ted into the first empty room they encountered, one of the guest cabins. Ted had pulled out his vape and started taking a hit before he realized he had been followed. He glared at Barnett.“Private party, dude,” Ted said before returning to his vape.“I think I’m invited.”Barnett took a step forward.“You bother any young ladies tonight?”Ted glanced at Barnett
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 49 The Drunk Mistake
I woke up with a blinding headache the next morning. Nauseated, I could just barely sit up without vomiting. I couldn’t even remember what happened the night before after I started using the barf bag.Groaning, I looked at my phone. 10:30 a.m. Shit.I was so late. The last time I was late was when my apartment flooded, and Arthur didn’t take it too well then. He certainly wouldn’t take a hangover from my best friend’s birthday party as a better excuse.I checked my notifications. I already had four texts and two missed calls from Arthur. I would have so much
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 50 Revelations
After changing into a new three-piece suit, Barnett went straight to his living room and texted Lily to meet him at his midcentury house for coffee. After making a pot and pouring them each a cup, he paced in front of his recliner and waited for her to arrive.Lily stumbled through the front door around noon. She was immaculately dressed in a white sundress with a yellow belt, a big floppy yellow hat, and yellow gladiator sandals. However, she wore no makeup, and large white sunglasses covered her bloodshot eyes.“This better be good, Uncle Barnett,” she growled. She accepted a cup of coffee from him and collapsed on the couch as he sat down in the rec
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 51 Guilt
A couple days after the party, Lily asked to come over after I got off work for a girls’ night in. It seemed like an odd request so soon after such a big party, but I brushed that off and let her come over. After all, she had to have her reasons for wanting to get together.I set out a plate of flourless brownies I had just found the recipe for and a couple glasses of milk—I was swearing off alcohol for a while, given the trouble it had just gotten me into—in anticipation of her arrival. Anxiously, I wondered if Barnett had told Lily about what had happened between us.Don’t be silly, I told myself. Why would he tell his NIECE, of all people? Lily is really easy to talk to, my more worried inner voice countered.But wouldn’t that be really awkward, especially considering that she’s my best friend? Maybe that’s why he would consult her, to get the opinion of someone with insight into how my brain works. I’m assuming that he even cares enough to want to talk to someone about it. It p
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 52 Backlash
“Shit! Not again,” I moaned, tossing my phone on the ground. Fortunately, it didn’t break.“What?” Lily asked.I motioned towards my phone.“Fucking paparazzi are trying to ruin my life again.”Lily picked up my phone. Her eyes widened when she saw the headline and picture.“Well, it isn’t that bad, really. You can’t identify the man, and all you’re doing
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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 Lily’s shoulder, the hood of her pink parka pulled up over her head. The sight of them together warmed my heart.“Damn, she’s getting heavy,” Lily said.I smiled. “I know. They grow up fast.”She nodded. Lily didn’t have kids, and I didn’t 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.“She asks about you all the time now,” I said. “She calls you ‘wi-wy.’”“Adorbs.” Lily hugged her closer. “We’re going to be besties when she’s older.”“For sure.”“Scratch that. We’re already besties.”The 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
“I’m the father,” he repeated.I nodded. “That’s 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, I’m sorry you’re only finding out now.”A sad look crossed his face, and he put his head in his hands. “God, I’m sorry.”I stood up and walked around the desk. His muscles tensed, but he didn’t look up as I ran my hands over his shoulders. “You’re here now,” I said.“I should’ve been with you the whole time.”He swiveled around in his chair and hugged me, his face resting lightly against my stomach. I ran a hand through his soft blond hair. “I’m so sorry,” he said. He looked up at me and gave me a wide smile. My heart skipped a beat. “I’m really happy, Anna.”“You are?”“You have no idea.” He still hadn’t let go of me, but I didn’t want him to. I never wanted him to. If I could have stayed in his arms forever, I would have.“I’m happy too,” 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.“Can I get you anything?” he asked. “Water or something?”I shook my head. “No, I’m alright.”He nodded and sat down in his leather chair. “Either Lily is clairvoyant, or she convinced you to come here,” he said after a moment of awkward silence.“She’s adamant that we talk.”He just nodded again.Another long stretch of silence ensued as I searched for something to say.“You look great,” he said. I wasn’t 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.“I heard about your father,” I answered, ignoring his compliment completely. That felt like dangerous territory. “I’m sorry he was sick. Is he doing better now?”“He is,” he said. “It was tough going for a while, but he’s doing a lot better now. Good enough to kick me out, anyway.”“He sounds like a c
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 77: Lovers Meeting
“Barnett, open up!” 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.“Barnett!” she called again.He yanked open the door and scowled down at her. “Do you know what time it is?”She 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.“It’s a beautiful day,” she said.“Is it?”He sank down onto his couch and pulled his robe tighter around him. Lily didn’t 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 wasn’t much of a morning person either, but today she was clearly on something.“Did you sleep at all last night?”“Like a baby,” she said, h
Hockey Billionaire's Hat Trick #Chapter 76: Setting Things Straight
I’d been home for nearly a month, and people were still talking about my ‘relationship’ with Arthur. It was really starting to drive me crazy. To the point where I knew I’d 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. I’d been filming my vlogs at the gym in my building, and while that was going well, I’d 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 weren’t 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 couldn’t 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 couldn’t stop looking at the pictures. He knew he needed to, but Barnett couldn’t 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 wasn’t 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 he’
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: Anna’s 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.
