The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 197

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| lacked the urge to get out of bed that Monday morning, still exhausted from Timothy and I's trip to the beach. | had been restless the whole night because of it.

Something was different. | could feel it in the air.

My phone buzzed, and the notification read: “Meeting in 40 minutes — Scarlett.” | exhaled slowly and rose from my bed, straightening my night gown. | had almost forgotten about the dispute with everything that had happened, but perhaps this meeting would mark the end of it all.

Otherwise, it would have to be taken into court.

| was just on time as | entered the grandiose conference room, my footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. Scarlett sat at the head of the long mahogany table, her meticulously coiffed auburn hair a gleaming beacon of power. Stella, in her characteristic all-red attire, seemed even more enigmatic than ever. Her lawyer, a middle- aged man with a polished veneer of sophistication, stood by her side, clutching a stack of documents.

Stella’s piercing eyes locked onto mine, and | could see a mixture of anger, defiance, and desperation in her gaze. | knew we were on the edge of something dreadful.

“Evie,” Stella began, her voice laced with bitterness. “Scarlett and | have come to an agreement.” | nodded, urging her to continue, though a feeling of dread pooled in my stomach.

“| want nothing to do with the estate,” Stella declared, her tone unwavering. “Considering the lengths that you and my so-called sister have gone to for it, | figured it was no longer worth the risk.”

Scarlett’s eyes darted between Stella and me, her perfect mask of indifference slipping for just a moment. | knew that she hadn’t expected this turn of events. | had seen the conversations and scheming between the sisters unfold, but Stella’s sudden abandonment of the estate was a twist | hadn't foreseen.

Stella’s lawyer handed me a document, which | skimmed through, It was an official document, relinquishing Stella’s claim to the vast family estate. This was the first of many dominos to fall, | was sure.

| glanced at Scarlett, who had yet to utter a word. Her face remained an enigma, but there was a certain tension. in her shoulders that belied her true emotions.

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“You can’t just walk away from everything, Stella,” Scarlett finally spoke, her voice tinged with irritation.

Stella’s lips curled into a wry smile, one that had no warmth in it. “Oh, Scarlett, don’t pretend you care about my reputation. We both know you have your own agenda.”

Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve always had your best interests at heart,” Scarlett insisted, her voice growing colder. “I never wanted to tarnish your reputation.”

Stella scoffed, and her gaze hardened. “You can drop the act, Scarlett. You had a vendetta against me, and you knew | had my shot.”

The room crackled with tension as their accusations filled the air, | watched, torn between the two sisters who seemed to hold hardly a sliver of love for one another.

Scarlett’s carefully constructed facade began to unravel. She clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and frustration. “Stella, | may have been irrational, but | never wanted to destroy you. | never wanted things to reach this point. Can’t we just go back to how things were? We're all each other has left, besides our father.”

Stella’s lawyer shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the heated exchange. Stella’s expression remained unyielding. “Scarlett, your words mean nothing to me now. You've crossed a line, and you’ve shown that you're willing to do anything to maintain your power.

“Can we please find a way to resolve this amicably?” | interjected, my voice quivering slightly.

Both sisters turned to me, their eyes heavy with emotions. | could see the turmoil etched in Scarlett’s face, and the unyielding resolve in Stella’s.

“Evie, you're the voice of reason here,” Scarlett said, her tone softening. “We don’t have to let it come to this. We can find a way to work together, to restore our sisterhood.”

Stella remained silent, her gaze locked onto mine. | could see the doubt and the flicker of hope in her eyes, as if her own words conflicted her.

| sighed and weighed my options. The sisters were at a crossroads. “Very well, Stella, but Scarlett is willing to make amends. We can find a way to rebuild what’s been broken. It won’t be easy, but it might be worth it.”

Stella’s lawyer chimed in, “I think a mediated settlement could be the best course of action. It’s clear that both parties have grievances, and it would be in everyone’s best interest to reach a compromise.”

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Stella hesitated for a moment, her resolve wavering. Her eyes flicked back to Scarlett, who held her breath, waiting for her sister's response. The room seemed to hold its breath with them, the fate of their family and their shared history hanging in the balance.

Finally, Stella let out a long sigh. “I have no grievances. | reserve those for strangers, and right now, we’re practically strangers.” Scarlett clenched her jaw and looked prepared to fight that notion, but quickly let it go. “As you wish,” Scarlett

said, her voice cold and distant. “Let’s settle this then.”

With a nod, Stella picked up the documents and began to read through them. The agreement had been meticulously prepared, outlining the terms of their settlement. It was a complex web of legal jargon, and | could see the frustration building in Stella’s eyes as she went through the pages.

| couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. Oddly enough, | had hoped that the sisters would find a way to reconcile, to salvage some semblance of their fractured relationship. But it was becoming increasingly clear that they had become strangers bound by a shared history and little else.

Stella’s lawyer leaned in to offer guidance, explaining the details and implications of the agreement. Stella, her pride begrudgingly set aside, nodded and began to sign the documents.

| took my turn, signing the documents as a witness, knowing that it was my role to ensure the legality of this pivotal moment. It pained me to see the sisters part on such bitter terms, but it had to be done.

Stella handed the completed agreement back to Scarlett, her eyes devoid of emotion. Scarlett, with a curt nod, gathered her belongings and rose from her seat. “This is it, then. We're done,” she said.

As they left the room, Stella’s lawyer offered a solemn nod of acknowledgment to me. The door closed behind them, leaving me alone with Scarlett. She turned to me, though she carried an particular air of defeat.

“| suppose this is it,” she said. “Thank you, Evie. You've been a great help.”

| couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Scarlett. “I wish things had turned out differently,” | confessed, my voice soft.

Scarlett managed a weary smile. “So do I, Evie. But sometimes, we have to accept that things change, even when we don't want them to.”

With that, Scarlett gathered her things and made her way to the door. She paused before leaving, turning to me 3/4

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one last time. “I'll be transferring the money to your account soon, as promised. Thank you for your help. All of it.”

| nodded in acknowledgment, watching as she walked out of the room. As the door closed behind her, my shoulders slumped and | let out a long sigh.

Alone in the room, | gathered the documents and prepared to take them to the court for verification. The legal process would ensure that the agreement was binding and that both parties had willingly and knowingly. entered into the arrangement. It was a formality, but an essential one.

| knew that | had played my part, facilitating the resolution they had reached. My role was not to judge but to support, and | had done so to the best of my ability. But as | made my way to the court, the realization of my win

seemed to dawn on me. The money promised to me by Scarlett was a significant sum, one that | had not anticipated. | knew that | needed to make careful decisions about how to use it, and | already had it in my mind where | would take it.

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