Chapter 99


    TIMOTHY POV


    Timothy couldn’t shake the weight of his conversation with Josh from his mind as he walked into the


    hockey arena. The revtion that Bruce had been ckmailing him had shaken him to the core,


    and it was a burden he couldn’t carry alone. But as heced up his skates and prepared for another


    long practice, he couldn’t help but feel conflicted.


    He wanted to protect Evie, but she refused him. If Bruce acted out like before, he couldn’t entertain


    the idea of him harming her in any way. That was more painful than not seeing her at all.


    He knew very!


    about Bruce, most of his knowledge stemming from rumors and the asional run in with the guy.


    In those brief moments, he could already tell that Bruce was a criminal in the making, if he hadn’t


    been one already. It made Timothy’s stomach turn just thinking about how Evie had to live in the


    same house as that degenerate.


    As Timothy stepped onto the ice, his teammates greeted him with nods and smiles. The rink was a


    sanctuary, a ce where he could temporarily escape


    the chaos of his thoughts. But today, the familiar feel of the cold ice beneath his skates and the


    sound of the puck hitting the boards did little to ease his inner turmoil.


    Timothy’s focus wavered as he skated through the drills, his mind drifting back to Evie and the


    desperate situation she found herself in. The temptation to abandon practice and go to her aid was


    strong, but he knew that she had rejected his help. It was a painful realization, and it left him feeling


    helpless and conflicted.


    Timothy’s thoughts were adrift as he glided across the ice during another grueling hockey practice.


    The recent turmoil involving Bruce and Evie had cast a long shadow over his mind, making it nearly


    impossible to concentrate on the drill.


    As the practice continued, Timothy’s newfound ferocity became increasingly apparent. He battled


    fiercely for the puck, his body colliding with opponents in a way that surprised even himself. His


    teammates didn’tin, however. In fact, they seemed pleased with the attitude, like it gave him


    the edge they were looking for.


    One of his teammates, Scott, skated over to Timothy after practice. He pped. Timothy on the


    back, a grin on his face. “Timothy, you were on fire out there


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    today! Are you heading out to dinner with the rest of us after practice?”


    Timothy wiped the sweat from his brow and nced at Scott.


    “Thanks, man,” Timothy replied, his voice somewhat distant. “I appreciate the invite, but I think I’m


    just going to head to the showers and call it a night. Got some stuff on my mind, you know?”


    Scott nodded, giving him a thumbs up. “No problem, buddy. Catch you at the next practice.”


    With that, Timothy skated away from the conversation, his mind still a whirlwind of thoughts and


    emotions. He knew that he needed some space to process everything that had happened, and the


    solitude of the locker room and the soothing rush of the shower offered a brief respite from the


    chaos of his thoughts.


    As he entered the locker room, the familiar scent of sweat and hockey gear greeted him. The room


    was filled with the sounds of teammates joking and chatting as they prepared to shower and


    change.


    Timothy found his own corner and undressed quickly, the weight of the day’s events hanging


    heavily over him. As he turned on the shower and stepped beneath the cascading water, he found


    that the icy temperatures did little to calm him. The pain he saw in Evie’s eyes still haunted him.


    Once he had showered and dressed, Timoy made his way out of the locker


    room. As he turned the corner, he spotted Alex just a few feet away.


    Timothy’s curiosity got the better of him, and he slowed his pace, pretending to tie his shoces as


    he observed the interaction from a distance. Alex was engaged in a hushed conversation with a


    random man, their voices barely audible over the echoing sounds of the emptying arena.


    Timothy strained to catch any words he could, and as he focused, he overheard something that sent


    a chill down his spine. The words “fair return” came from Alex’s mouth as he slipped a wad of cash


    into the man’s hands.


    The implications of those words hit Timothy like a freight train. Fixed matches in the hockey league


    were not only illegal but could ruin careers and reputations. He had only seen one case of that in his


    whole career, and he figured nobody else would be dumb enough to continue it.


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    As Alex finished his conversation and turned to walk away, he caught sight of Timothy. Their eyes


    locked for a moment, and Alex gave him a sly wink before disappearing around the corner, leaving


    Timothy both confused and frustrated.


    Timothy had never been one to involve himself in the rivalries and politics of the hockey world. He


    simply loved the game and the thrill ofpetition. But now, he found himself once again being


    thrust into a world of deceit.


    He had already gained a small reputation for causing trouble merely for speaking up against the


    corruption. Of course, he was praise by dedicated fans and supportive teammates alike for him and


    Evie setting things right, but that came with encroaching on the territory of shadier figures. He


    almost wondered what Ste’s father was doing now since he was already pretty well established.


    The fortunate side of that was not having Ste around to constantly cling onto him wherever he


    went. Her desperate attempts at grabbing his attention only brought on unwanted attention from the


    press. Supposedly, angering her father was all Timothy needed to push her away for good.


    That night, as Timothy returned home, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled over


    him. The possibility of Alex’s involvement in a fixed match was like watching a ticking time bomb,


    waiting to explode and bring more chaos. before the dust had even settled.


    As he stepped out of his car and made his way to the front door, he was met with a sight that left


    him even more bewildered.


    On the farthest part of the lot, Evie stood by her car, her figure adorned in a skin tight dress and


    heavy makeup that was starkly different from her usual modest and understated style.


    Timothy’s heart raced as he watched her. The dim glow of the streetlights cast long. shadows on


    the pavement, and he couldn’t help but wonder where she was going dressed like that. His instincts


    told him that something was amiss.


    Right as Timothy was about to call out to her, Evie ducked into the passenger seat of the car while


    the driver started up the engine. He scrunched up his face and backed away as the high beam


    lights flickered on.


    Against his better judgment, Timothy walked back to his car. He knew it was a risky move, but he


    couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was deeply wrong, and it had Bruce written all


    over it.


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    He climbed back into


    life as he pulled out of the driveway, keeping a safe


    she drove through the quiet streets of the city.


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