Chapter 172

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The day had dawned with gray clouds heavy in the sky, casting a shadow over the city, matching the turmoil brewing in my heart.

I'd called meeting with Stella, Scarlett, and Timothy. It was time to set things straight, to address it all and potentially put an end

to all of this.

We decided to meet in Scarlett’s office, a relatively warm and inviting room. It did little to calm my nerves, however. As I pushed

open the door to her office, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.

Inside, Scarlett was already seated behind her desk, her usually peaceful face etched with concern. The room was dimly lit, the

heavy curtains drawn against the gloomy day outside. I glanced around, taking in the familiar surroundings, the photographs of

her family on the wall, and the shelves lined with books. It all seemed so ordinary.

my surprise, her daughter was sitting on the floor in one corner of the room, surrounded by a multitude of colorful Galactic Hero

action figures. ooked up at me with wide, curious eyes, and a small smile played on her lips.

“Evie!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with innocent joy. “Look what I brought!”

Scarlett let out a gentle laugh, “She brings those everywhere.”

I smiled and crouched down beside Olive and examined the action figures with her. “Wow, these are cool,” I said. “Did you know

I used to play with. these too when I was little?”

Olive’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?”

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I nodded. “Absolutely. And guess what? I had a Galactic Hero action figure that no one else had. His name was Captain

Starblaze, and he could fly faster than anyone else.”

Olive giggled, and for a moment, the tension in the room seemed to dissipate. Scarlett shot me a grateful smile, her eyes

softening. “Man, if only I still had him,” I continued, turning to Olive. “But I gave him away to a friend. Otherwise, I would’ve given

him to you!” Olive’s eyes widened in amazement. “I wish you did. Those are really rare.”

As Olive and I bonded over Galactic Heroes, the door to Scarlett’s office burst open, and Timothy stormed in, his face flushed

with anger. Stella. followed, her expression equally enraged. They hadn't even bothered with a greeting, so absorbed were they

in their feud.

“Stella, this is ridiculous!” Timothy exclaimed, his voice raised in frustration. “We’re doing the paternity test.”

Stella clenched her fists at her sides, her eyes shooting daggers at Timothy. “You don’t get to decide when and how we do this,

Timothy.”

Scarlett cleared her throat, trying to assert some semblance of order in the room. “Can we please sit down and talk like adults?”

Timothy and Stella reluctantly took their seats, still glaring at each other across the room. Olive, oblivious to the tension,

continued to play with her newly acquired toy, occasionally making spaceship noises that brought a smile to my face.

Scarlett turned to me, gratitude in her eyes. “I’m so glad you were able to figure something out with Stella, Evie.”

Stella’s voice overrode Scarlett’s as the argument deepened with Timothy. “And I’ve told you a hundred times, Timothy, I will not

be pressured into

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anything. We'll do the test when I’m ready.”

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Their argument escalated, voices rising in anger and frustration. I had seen enough. Rising from my seat, I slammed my hand

down on Scarlett’s desk. causing everyone to jump.

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. “This has gone on for far too long, and I’m sick of it.”

Silence hung in the air, broken only by Olive, who stared at me with wide eyes, clutching Captain Kuiper tightly.

“I brought you all here because I thought we could find a way to resolve this peacefully,” I continued. “But it’s clear that neither of

you is willing to compromise. So here’s what we're going to do.”

As we all took our seats at the long, imposing conference table, I felt a knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach. I knew that I

couldn’t dance around the. issue any longer, and I couldn’t afford to mince words.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the heart of the matter. “Recent events have made me less diplomatic about the issue at

hand,” I began, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and frustration.

Stella, her face a mask of fury, cut me off before I could even finish my thought. “You're talking about the affair with Andy, aren’t

you?”

I

I met her accusing gaze head-on, refusing to back down. “Yes, Stella. And let’s not pretend that it’s a secret anymore. The truth

about your affair

with Andy would have come out eventually. It’s only a matter of time before it makes its way to the public, and we all know how

messy that could get.”

Stella’s face turned a shade darker, her eyes blazing with anger. “Did you tell Timothy?” she demanded, her voice sharp and

unforgiving.

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I leaned back in my chair, my own anger simmering beneath the surface. “No, I didn’t. But you can’t expect me to keep your

secret forever. It’s not fair to Timothy, and it’s not fair to that baby in your stomach, who deserves to grow up in a stable

environment.”

Stella kissed her teeth. “What would you know about stability? You're only involved in this because f your own stakes, not out of

the ‘pureness’ of our

heart!”:

Timothy cut her off. “You don’t get to turn this around on Evie, Stella,” he said firmly. “You really thought I was going to be the

husband that just sat around while his wife slept with his brother?”

“Stop acting like you even care!” Stella shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room. “I have my own needs, just like you do,

and Andy was there for me.”

The atmosphere in the room had shifted from tense to explosive. Stella’s confession about her affair with Andy had shaken us all,

but she wasn’t about to back down. Feeling cornered and desperate to deflect attention from her own guilt, she lashed out.

“And Evie, you’re such a da mn stalker!” Stella’s words were sharp, her voice dripping with venom. “I bet you’re the one who took

those photos in the first place.”

I felt a shock of anger and disbelief surge through me. While it was true, I wasn’t prepared to admit that truth in front of the group.

Before I could respond. Timothy spoke once more, his voice firm and unwavering.

“Stella, stop trying to shift the blame on her, Timothy growled. “You're the one who messed up here, no matter what. I refuse to

go through with the marriage knowing what you've done.”

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Stella’s eyes widened, her face contorting with anger. “This wasn’t part of the plan!” She screamed, her voice quivering with

rage. Without another word, she stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

Without hesitation, Scarlett rushed after Stella, her voice filled with urgency. “Stella, stop! This meeting isn’t over.”

I felt a pang of guilt for the turmoil I had inadvertently caused, and I turned to Timothy, my heart heavy. “I’m sorry, Timothy. I'd

hoped that things would go a bit better.”

Timothy sighed, exhaustion etched into every line of his face. “It needed to be done, Evie. We can’t keep pretending that

everything is fine.”

As we stood there, the tension in the room seemed to smother us. The air was heavy with the weight of our shattered

relationships, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was any hope left for us.

Suddenly, two loud gunshots rang out from outside the window, the sound echoing through the room. My heart leaped into my

throat, and instinctively, I rushed towards the door.

“What's going on?” cried Olive, and I looked back at her urgently.

“Nothing’s wrong, Timothy answered her before I could, attempting to block me in the room. “You two stay in here, okay? Lock

the door!” “What?” I cried out, attempting to shove him out of the way. “No, I’m going!”

He lowered his voice, still blocking my escape. “Did you not hear those gunshots? Evie, please, I need you to stay in here, and

keep her company!”

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He pointed to Olive in the corner of the room, who appeared rightfully frightened by all of the commotion. After a few deep

breaths, I backed away from Timothy. “Alright.”

“Okay.” With a relieved sigh, he shut the door behind us and I locked it promptly.

I turned to Olive and walked toward her, getting down on one knee. “Just stay put, okay? We're going to stay in here for a while.”

She nodded, clutching the action figure to her chest I stood up and made my way to the window, trying to appear casual. I lifted

the blinds and peered down below.

Achaotic scene greeted me. A crowd had formed around something on the ground, and at the center of it all was Scarlett, lying

motionless in a pool of her own blood.

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