The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 44

My eyes fluttered open, and my head throbbed with a dull ache. Though body was heavy with exhaustion, it felt like I was being restricted in movement. I blinked and my eyes darted around at the space around me.

The room was larger than expected. It appeared to be a barn shed, which exuded an aura of neglect.

The air was musty, carrying the scent of damp wood and decaying hay. Cobwebs clung to the corners, and dust particles floated lazily in the dim light that filtered through the cracked windows.

The ground floor was cluttered with remnants of the past. Wooden crates and rusted tools were strewn haphazardly across the floor. Broken pieces of furniture, long forgotten and abandoned, were scattered throughout the space, their once vibrant colors now faded with time.

The walls were adorned with peeling paint, and patches of wallpaper clung stubbornly to the surfaces. Old, weathered horse saddles leaned against them. A sense of eerie tranquility filled the air, interrupted only by the occasional sound of rodents scurrying in the shadows.

I looked out the broken windows, attempting to guess the time of day. Brooding clouds loomed overhead, floating along a gray sky. I could hear the rain beating against the steel roof in a low hum.

A sharp whine emanated from the doors ahead of me as they slid open, startling me into alertness. Panic surged through me as memories of my encounter with Bruce flooded back. He poked his head in a grinned.

“Good morning, Coco,” Bruce’s voice rang throughout the open space, making my skin crawl. He walked inside and slid the doors shut behind him before prowling toward me.

I made a move to back away, only then realizing that I was bound to a chair. The rope rubbed my skin raw as I shifted. My heart began to pound in my chest as glared at him.

“Let me go, Bruce,” I pleaded, my voice shaking.

Bruce stepped closer and poked out his bottom lip. “Oh, I don’t think so, Coco.

Chapter 44

Besides, you kind of forced my hand here,” he said, his eyes gleaming with malevolence.

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Please, I won’t tell anyone what happened here. Just let me go,” I begged desperately. “You don’t have to go this far!”

But Bruce’s grip on reality seemed to have slipped entirely. Any hint of amusement had left his expression since our last discussion, replaced with something sadistic. “I’m not letting you go until I get that money. And if you won’t give it to me willingly, then I’ll have to involve your lover,” he hissed.

openly. He couldn’t have been watching me that closely to even guess we were dating, especially since that was an act we

for

with a

don’t bring

highly intrigued. “So protective. Before, you could hardly stomach the guy, and

of even Bruce knowing about Timothy’s bet made my stomach curdle. He thought it would be easy to try me after that, as if I was

triggering me by dragging Timothy into this twisted game. “He’s a part of your life now, Coco, and he’s going to pay for it. I wish I could just throw my

bastard,” I mumbled, leering up at him. “I worked hard to get

me, his knees knocking against mine. He leaned over, his lips right at

I could even cry in front of him in the first place. “I don’t belong to you,

cruelly.

you give me exactly what I wao me now, Coco. And

A

8.54%%%

Chapter 44

suffocating room. I had to find a way out and escape this nightmare before Bruce carried

rusty shovel tucked away in a corner. It was a long shot, but

I stood up, the weight of the chair making my breath ragged. I shimmied over to the shovel and turned around so that the sharpest edge was near my wrists. With trembling

endlessly as I worked on the rope. Each second felt like an eternity as I fought through the pain and exhaustion. After a while, I strained to look over

gash in the rope, not enough to split it. Where would I

was. No words could describe my disdain for Bruce for dragging Timothy into this. If Timothy had the sense,

be in his best interest at least. As much as I didn’t want to entertain the idea, part of me was hoping that he would arrive. Bruce

shifted around in my seat, the motivation leaving me. Instead, I watched the

to

years ago. I had fallen victim to his soft kisses and

but he had also taken on a gentleness that seemed to emanate warmth. Despite all the