Chapter 117
The air in the parking lot behind the ice rink was frigid, biting into Timothy’s skin as he trudged towards his car. Hockey practice
had been intense, and the
exhaustion gnawed at him. As he approached his car, he noticed Alex just a few feet away.
Timothy almost left it alone, but then he spotted another figure emerging from the car they were standing beside. It was one of
Timothy''s teammates.
Timothy''s eyebrows knitted together in suspicion as Alex slipped some money in the younger man’s hands. The first time should
have been thest time, because Alex’s deals were getting more obvious with time.
Alex, with a guilty start, looked up and caught Timothy’s gaze. His eyes widened briefly before he quickly pocketed the money.
Timothy''s instincts kicked in, and he decided to approach.
The teammate had already gone by the time Timothy stode over to where Alex was standing, his anger simmering just below the
surface.
“Alex,” Timothy began, his voice edged with a sharpness that cut through the chilly air. “What was that all about?”
Alex feigned innocence, his face a mask of nonchnce. “What are you talking about, Timothy?”
Timothy didn’t buy it for a second. “Don’t y dumb, Alex. | saw you. What are you up to?”
Alex sighed, a hint of frustration creeping into his demeanor. “Look, Timothy, it’s nothing. Just some personal business.”
Timothy''s patience was wearing thin, and he had no intention of letting Alex off the hook so easily. He leaned in closer, his voice
low and dangerous.
“Personal business? In a dark parking lot? Money changing hands like some kind of secret deal? I’m not buying it.”
Alex shifted ufortably, his gaze darting around as if searching for an escape route. “Timothy, you don’t understand. It’s not
what you think.”
Timothy''s anger red, and he took a step closer, his voice a menacing whisper. “I
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suggest you start talking, Alex, because it looks like you''re involved in something shady.”
Alex hesitated for a moment, his resolve crumbling under the weight of Timothy’s anger. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and
hesitant. “It doesn’t concern you.”
Timothy''s eyes narrowed. “Are you betting on games?
Alex scoffed, attempting to brush off Timothy’s inquiry. “You''re imagining things.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.
man.
Timothy''s patience was wearing thin. He wasn’t about to let Alex off the hook so easily. “Don’t y games with me, Alex. If you''re
into something illegal behind the scenes, I’ll make sure everyone knows.”
Alex shifted ufortably before responding, “Look, it''s not what you think. I''ve been helping out a friend with some financial
stuff. It’s nothing illegal, | swear.”
Timothy''s anger red again, and he clenched his fists at his sides. “You''re not just risking your own career, Alex. You''re putting
our entire club in jeopardy. If anyone finds out about this, it could bring down the entire league.”
Alex merely smirked in response. This made Timothy’s temperature rise, almost to a breaking point, and he crossed his arms
impatiently.
Before he could speak his mind once more, Alex finally spoke up, “Oh, by the way, your girlfriend''s here to see you.”
Startled, Timothy turned to see who Alex was referring to. His heart sank as he spotted Ste standing a few feet away, her
presence an unwee surprise.
“Ste?” Timothy stammered, trying to hide his difort. “What are you doing here?”
Ste approached with a sly smile, feigning innocence. “Hi, Timothy!”
When she leaned in to give him a kiss, Timothy ducked away with a grimace. Sheughed it off, though he caught the subtle
re she gave him.
“Lighten up, babe,” she said. “I’m just here to support you.”
He groaned and looked back at Alex, who was already sneaking away. “She’s not my girlfriend!” he insisted, hoping the other
had heard.
Timothy''s face reddened with embarrassment as he nced around, suddenly aware of the prying eyes of other hockey yers.
It seemed that they all knew his life more than he did at that point. His name never left the news.
He stepped closer to Ste and lowered his voice. “Ste, we can’t do this here. Let’s talk in private.”
They moved away from the curious gazes of the hockey yers, finding a more secluded spot. Timothy felt his anger simmer.
“What are you really doing here, Ste?” Timothy asked, his voice tense.
Ste shrugged, her eyes dancing with mischief. “I told you, Timothy, I’m here to support you. Is that so hard to believe?”
Timothy couldn''t contain his frustration any longer. “Don’t y games with me, Ste. You know why I’m upset.”
Ste’s smile faltered for a moment, and her gaze turned sharp. “Oh, Timothy, you''re always so serious. It was just one night. A
little fun, that’s all.”
Timothy clenched his fists, his anger boiling over. “Fun? You drugged me, Ste! You coerced me into that bed!”
Ste’s expression hardened, but then her smile returned, albeit colder. “You’re exaggerating, Timothy. It was all in good fun, and
| thought you enjoyed it.”
Timothy shook his head in disbelief. “You don’t get it, do you? | can’t have anyone find out about that night.”
Ste’s eyes narrowed, and she leaned in closer to him. “Why not? Afraid your precious Evie will think less of you?”
Timothy gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain hisposure. “This isn’t a joke, Ste. You have no idea how much | care about
Evie, and | won’t let you tarnish what we have.”
Ste’s gaze
flickered with a hint of amusement. “Oh, Timothy, you''re so naive. You really think Evie cares about you? She’s just using you to
climb thedder.”
Timothy''s eyes zed with anger. “Whatever. She’s not like that.”
Ste took a step back, her expression smug. “Believe what you want, Timothy, but
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you should watch the news. You might find it enlightening.”
With those cryptic words, Ste turned and walked away, leaving Timothy seething with anger and confusion.
Nervousness gnawed at Timothy’s insides at Ste’s words. He knew he couldn''t ignore her, not when she was making such
bold ims. He needed to find out what was going on. With a curt nod, he abruptly turned and left the sports center, his mind
racing.
As he walked briskly toward his car, Timothy debated whether he should even dignify the tabloid rumors with his attention. He’d
always despised the sensationalistic garbage that passed for news these days. But Ste’s insinuations left him curious about
what the buzz surrounding Evie.
Once home, he kicked off his shoes and settled into hisfortable armchair. He stared at the television remote on the coffee
table for a long moment before finally picking it up and switching on the news.
The television screen flickered to life, and Timothy’s heart sank as he saw Evie’s face pop up beside her boss, Mr. Erickson. The
headline beneath the image read: “Scandal at Erickson Industries? CEO and Rising Star Employee’s Rtionship Under
Scrutiny.”
Timothy''s stomach plummeted as he listened to the anchor’s spective words. The news report was a relentless assault of
innuendo and insinuation. The anchor suggested that the close working rtionship between Evie and Mr. Erickson had raised
eyebrows in thepany, with some sources iming they’d been spotted together outside of work hours.
The anchor continued, “While there has been no official confirmation of romantic involvement, sources close to the pair have
hinted at a more personal
any connection behind closed doors.”
Timothy clenched his fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing.
The news report cut to an interview with a so-called insider who imed to have witnessed Evie and Mr. Erickson in
compromising situations. Timothy''s jaw tightened as he listened to the scious details being shared without any concrete
evidence to support them.
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Unable to contain his anger any longer, Timothy snatched the remote off the couch and turned off the television.
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