Chapter 124

The towering skyscrapers of the city cast long shadows on the bustling streets below, as Timothy pushed through the revolving

glass door of his father’s building. With every step he took, the weight of anticipation hung heavily over him, threatening to drown

his thoughts.

Timothy entered Kamran’s opulent office, decorated with exquisite art and furnished with plush leather chairs. Kamran, dressed

impeccably in a tailored suit, stood behind a massive mahogany desk, a faint smile on his lips as he extended a hand.

“Timothy, glad you came,” Kamran greeted him, his voice smooth and polished.

Timothy nodded curtly and shook Kamran’s hand. “What's this all about?”

Kamran motioned for Timothy to take a seat, and as they settled into the comfortable chairs, a brief silence filled the room.

Finally, Kamran broke the silence. “I've been working on something big, Timothy, something that could change the course of our

family’s legacy.”

Timothy's eyes narrowed. “What does that have to do with me?”

Kamran leaned back in his leather chair, a smug smile playing at his lips. “Timothy, my boy, it’s been a while since we had a

heart-to-heart talk about your

your future.”

“My future?” Timothy snorted, lifting an eyebrow. “I’ve got that covered but thank you.”

Kamran’s smile widened as he steepled his fingers. “No, listen. I've been working on a multibillion—dollar deal with Stella’s father,

and it occurred to me that it’s time for you to step up and join the family business.”

Timothy's jaw clenched, and he felt a familiar surge of frustration. He had worked hard to build a life for himself away from the

suffocating expectations of his family. He had finally found a sense of independence, and he wasn’t about to let Kamran drag him

back into the fold.

“For the last time, I have no interest in your deals or your family business,” Timothy replied curtly. “I’ve made a life for myself.”

Kamran sighed, his tone dripping with frustration. “Timothy, you’re still living in

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the shadows of your own potential. You’ve got talent, but you’re wasting it on that small-time hockey career. You could be so

much more.”

Timothy laughed, shaking his head. “Tell that to my fans. Hell, tell that to my team, because I’m sure they'd argue against my

hockey career being ‘small“”

Kamran’s voice remained eerily calm. “It’s not just the career choice that I have an issue with, Tim.”

Timothy grunted, rubbing the fresh stubble on his chin. Before he could respond, his father went on.

“It seems like every year you're in a new relationship,” said Kamran. “I remember that Lyla girl, or the one with that awful makeup

and trashy clothing line. Of course, you never brought any of them around.”

Timothy shrugged. “Relationships don’t always last,” he said carefully, adjusting himself in the leather seat.

events,

“But,” Kamran continued, “Flash forward to more recent and you've found a new beau in the form of Miss Evie Sinclair. Your own

lawyer.”

Timothy stiffened at the mention of her name. He supposed that his father really was up to date on the media outrage, and it

didn’t help that Evie was being hailed as an opportunist. She’d been far too vague about the matter for his own comfort, but the

more he thought about it, the more he just couldn’t rationalize it.

“Evie helped me when I needed it,” Timothy said finally, his tone more resolute. “She was willing to help me when Mr. Fitzgerald,

who seems to have a monopoly on everything around here, was screwing me out of my hard-earned money!” Kamran rolled his

eyes. “Well, most sensible lawyers collect their checks and jump to the next client. You two seemed to be rather friendly with one

another.”

“Because we're friends,” said Timothy, but with the words hanging there between them, he began to feel less certain. They were

friends, before things with south. “I care about you.”

“Be realistic, Tim,” Kamran grumbled. “From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t share the same sentiment. I mean, you want to attack

yourself to someone like her?”

“You don’t know anything about her,” Timothy insisted.

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A

“And I don’t want to!” Kamran shouted. For a moment, he seemed to have let his anger slip out as he towered over the table, his

hair flopping out of place. Timothy watched as he collected himself and returned to his seat before clearing his throat.

“Listen, son.” Kamran gripped the armrests of his leather chair with an unnerving amount of force. “Stella loves you. She told me

she’s never stopped loving you, and you're throwing it all away because you're still hung up on some lawyer.”

Timothy's face contorted with anger, his voice sharp and biting. “She’s not just some lawyer. She’s one of the few people who

gets me and actually listens, unlike my own family.”

Kamran’s facade of calm cracked once more, and his face grew red. “You're so damn stubborn! You're letting your pride get in

the way of your own happiness!”

Timothy curled his lip. “Happiness? I could never be happy with Stella, and no amount of money will convince me otherwise.”

Kamran clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing as he hissed, “You may be wealthy, but you’re not that wealthy, Timothy. I still have

influence, and I can make things. very difficult for you.”

Timothy snorted, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “And you haven't made my life. difficult already? Threaten me all you want but

leave Evie out of this.”

Kamran’s expression darkened, and his tone grew more forceful. Timothy, you’re making a grave mistake. Stella loves you, and

you'll inherit both mine and Stella’s father’s legacies in the future. It’s a golden opportunity.”

Timothy felt his patience wearing thin. “I’m sorry, but that can’t happen.”

But Kamran wasn't finished. He leaned in closer, his voice low and dangerous. “There’s something you should know, Timothy.

Something that might change your mind.”

Timothy raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “What are you talking about?”

Kamran’s smile turned into a sly grin, and he dropped the bombshell. “Stella is pregnant, Timothy. And it's your baby.”

The words hit Timothy like a train, knocking the wind out of him. He stared at Kamran in shock, unable to comprehend what he

had just heard.

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7

Stella, pregnant with his child?

Kamran continued, his voice laced with a hint of satisfaction. “It was always your mother’s greatest wish to see you settle down

with a woman and have a baby, Timothy. It would warm her heart to see it happen before her health deteriorated.”

Timothy's mind was a whirlwind of emotions—shock, anger, and disbelief. He had always been determined to live life on his own

terms, free from the expectations. and pressures of his family. But now, faced with the news of impending fatherhood, he felt as

though his world had been turned upside down.

“What...what did you say?” Timothy stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

Asmug grin spread across his face. “Stella is carrying your child, Timothy. You can’t just walk away from that responsibility.”

Timothy felt as if the ground had been ripped out from under him. He staggered backward, crashing into a bookshelf behind him,

sending books and trinkets tumbling to the floor. His mind raced, trying to process the implications of what he had just learned.

“Stella... pregnant?” Timothy muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Kamran’s tone softened slightly, his expression no longer one of anger but of concern. “It’s not the end of the world, son.

Besides, you two fit together.”

“No,” Timothy grumbled. “No, that’s not-”

“Timothy, you have it in you to be a good father, and Stella a good mother. You just need to let go of your hockey career and

embrace this responsibility.”

Timothy's eyes blazed with fury, and he shot to his feet, knocking his chair backward. “You have no idea what you’re talking

about! This...this can’t be happening!”

Kamran’s voice remained calm, but there was an edge of frustration. “Timothy, I’m not saying it'll be easy, but you have a chance

here to do something incredible, to give your child a loving family.”

Timothy paced the room, his mind in turmoil. The weight of Kamran’s words pressed down on him, and he felt suffocated by the

sudden turn of events.

A loving family...the one his own father refused to ever make. Timothy never knew

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315)

warmth from his old man, and he doubted his ability to do the same. He had a track record for screwing up meaningful

relationships.

Kamran reached out, trying to placate Timothy. “You can develop some more practical goals. Evie may tickle your fancy now, but

Stella is purely wife material. You ought to be honored that she wants to have your child.”

Timothy's face contorted with desperation, and he growled, his voice filled with anger. “Mom would want me to marry and have a

child with the woman that I love! This... this is a nightmare!”

Before Kamran could stop him, Timothy stormed toward the door and wrenched it open. He barely heard Kamran’s pleas to stay,

to consider the consequences of his actions. All he knew was that he needed to escape, to clear his head, and to come to terms

with the reality that had been thrust upon him.

As Timothy stepped out of the office, he felt as if he were in a daze. The city bustled around him, oblivious to the storm raging

within him. He couldn’t fathom how everything had unraveled so quickly, how his life had taken an unexpected and tumultuous

turn.

If Stella was truly pregnant, this would complicate for than just his hockey career. He couldn’t get Evie out of his mind, even after

she'd dismissed him from her life. Having a baby with Stella would shatter any hope he had of rekindling anything between them.

He walked the bustling streets of the city, the cold seeping through the layers of his coat and freezing his breath as it escaped his

lips. It seemed like he was suffering more and more losses as time went on, despite all his efforts.

He could hold on all he wanted, but if he didn’t stay diligent, he sensed that he would lose grasp of it all.

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