The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 76

Panic surged within me, my mind racing through a series of possibilities. Had someone broken in and taken it? Did Aria know what had happened? I fought to keep my thoughts from spiraling into a whirlwind of worst–case scenarios, but the anxiety that gripped me was hard to ignore.

I rushed from room to room, my search growing more frantic with each passing moment. My calls for Aria went unanswered, the only response the haunting echo. of my own voice. Tears stung my eyes as I stood in the center of the living room, the weight of the situation sinking in.

After gaining some fame, there were probably quite a few people who had a personal vendetta against me. Bruce was a given, although his whereabouts were unknown. There was also Stella, who I hadn’t seen since the trial.

The sound of the front door creaking open pulled me from my distressing thoughts, and I turned to see Aria stepping in, a puzzled look on her face. “Hey, Evie, what’s with all the-” Before she could finish her sentence, her eyes landed on the empty velvet box in my hands, and her expression shifted from confusion to concern. “Evie, what happened?”

My voice wavered as I recounted the discovery, my words rushed and trembling with the fear that clung to me. “Aria, I don’t know… The sculpture, it’s gone. I can’t find it anywhere.” Aria’s brow furrowed in genuine worry, and she stepped closer, her hand resting on my arm in a reassuring gesture. “What sculpture?”

“Timothy gave it to me,” I croaked, and it felt like my throat was closing up. “It was his gift, and I lost it somehow.”

“Hey, hey,” Aria whispered into my ear, smoothing back strands of hair that had been pulled out of my ponytail. “We’ll figure this out, Evie. Maybe it fell out by accident or got misplaced.” I shook my head, the anxiety clutching my rib cage. “That can’t be. It was on my dresser, close to the wall, it shouldn’t have fallen or anything.”

She squeezed my arm gently, her voice soft. “I’ll keep an eye out, okay? Maybe we’ll find it tucked away somewhere.”

Her words were meant to be reassuring, but there was a lingering suspicion that had taken root in my mind. She’d made it clear that she was jealous of how close I’d gotten to Timothy, but I wasn’t too sure how deep that went. She wouldn’t go as

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Chapter 76

far as stealing my belongings from him…would she?

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I chastised myself for even entertaining the idea. Aria was my confidante, my partner–in- crime, someone who had stood by me through thick and thin. The thought that she could have taken the statue seemed ludicrous, yet I couldn’t shake the nagging doubt that clawed at the corners of my mind.

“Evie?”

even more regretful.

a smile, though my mind was anything but at ease. “Sorry, I’m

understanding. “I get it. But hey, at least we’re

I sighed. “Yeah.”

thoroughly convinced that I was reassured, and I wasn’t too sure that I

it would alleviate the weight that was causing the ache in my temples. Aria settled beside me, drawing the nearby blanket over our legs. Fortunately, she decided to turn

had settled between us, I took a deep breath and forced a small smile. “On a brighter note, guess what? I got Timothy to agree to meet up.” Aria’s eyes lit

trying to face me. “Well, we haven’t set a date yet, but he agreed to hang out with us. He seemed pretty interested in meeting

felt so sill that I had doubted her, even for a second. “Sweet!” She raised her fists and shook them

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Chapter 76

“Hold on.”

stopped abruptly, hands frozen in the air as she looked back over at me. Her expression

asked, descending from

already be a taken woman, depending on how

Timothy temporarily banished the

was something else,” she said

giving her a playful slap on the thigh. “I

curving into an impish smile. “Oh,

intrigued. “Now I’m even more

into her tale with animated gestures that brought her words to life. “So, Mike and I decided to meet at this charming Italian, restaurant downtown. You know, the one with the fairy lights

get there a little early, and I’m seated

in, hanging on to her

tinged with amusement. “And let’s just say,

eyebrows shot up. “Wardrobe

as he’s making his way over to the table, he accidentally steps on a loose part of the tablecloth. And before

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