All Chapters of Her Hockey Stepbrother, Her Worst Enemy, Her Beloved: Chapter 41 - Chapter 49

MAXTON'S POV: The way Talia had slipped out of Bambi’s room like she hadn’t just committed grand theft. The whole thing was almost comical, but my brain wouldn’t stop buzzing with one question: what the hell did she want with Bambi’s phone?For a second when I caught her stealing the phone earlier and she left the room after telling me to shut the hell up, I nearly called her back to drop the phone. But I swallowed them. If she was bold enough to take it, I wanted to see what game she was playing. Curiosity always did have me in a chokehold. At first I found it weird that she let Bambi stay in the house until evening. Knowing Talia, that was mercy she would never hand out, at least not without a reason. I had told myself she was just being unpredictable, but after seeing her sneak out of Bambi’s room, phone in hand? Yeah, that explained everything.“Hand over the phone, Talia.” My voice came out firmer than I expected.I tried to act like I hadn’t seen anything, but who was I kiddin

Talia's pov I soaked in every word, every compliment that slipped from their lips. God, it had been forever since I felt this good, this seen.“Thank you. Seriously, it means a lot,” I said, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt. The way they spoke about me with so much respect, it lit something inside me. A little fire whispered about making sure this project works by all means so I can have a chance to go to Harvard, about building the future I wanted, about finally becoming that woman I always pictured myself to be.Wild how a single moment can flip a switch like that, right? Make you crave more.Still, I couldn’t help the nerves that practically clung to me. No matter how kind they were, I couldn’t shake the tension. My hands felt stiff, my heart racing too fast. A smile could only cover so much. Social anxiety was really a bitch. “I will be right back,” I said, forcing a calm tone as I excused myself. The bathroom was the only place I could think to breathe, to pull myself together be

TALIA'S POV:Bambi’s mother walked towards my direction with so much confidence like she owned the place and everyone in it. Her red silk dress shimmered under the lights, every fold catching the glow like fire. The hem sparkled with what looked like diamonds, tiny flashes of wealth announcing themselves with every step she took.Luxury. Power. Money. She didn’t even have to say a word, her presence screamed it all.I had always wondered what Bambi’s mother looked like, and now that she was here, she didn’t just meet the picture in my head, she shattered it. She was everything I expected: classy, polished, intimidating and every bit the glamorous witch I knew she would be.Her eyes cut across the room before staying on me, it was cold and had no emotions. “And this?” she said, voice carrying with disgust she didn’t bother to hide . “This is the girl you want to throw my daughter out for?”The words stayed in the air, it was degrading and poisonous.She let her gaze travel slowly from

MAXTON'S POV “Else what?” Zeke shouted, his voice basically shaking the atmosphere between us. His jaw tightened, veins pressing against his neck as he glared at me like I was his worst enemy.To be honest right now I might be.. My fingers curled so tight my nails bit into my palms. God, it took every ounce of control not to swing at him. Not here. Not with Talia standing right there, watching us.I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t let him pull her away from me. He was letting her drink, he didn’t stop. I was watching it all! And maybe I looked pathetic, lurking in the shadows, watching them since he arrived at the party, slipping into their orbit like some ghost that wouldn’t leave. Yeah, I had been spying, hanging back, trying to figure out if he wanted to harm her or do something bad to her since . But I couldn’t stop. Not when it came to her.Bambi had even tried to make a move on me earlier when Zeke was busy introducing Talia to his dad. Same old routine, fake smiles, too

MAXTON'S POV He paused, letting his words sink in like some kind of heavy stones. “We are over… if Maxton takes you home.”Talia stopped walking, freezing in place.. I could tell her mind was racing ,probably trying to figure out if she had actually heard him right. Her eyes flickered between disbelief and confusion, and then a small laugh escaped her lips. “You are joking, right?”“No. I am not joking,” he said, his voice loud and clear . “If you walk out that door with him, it is done. I mean it. I can’t… I won’t.”Her face turned serious, more serious than before . For a moment, she just stood there, her hands hanging limply at her sides. Her lips trembled as she bit down on her bottom lip, trying to hold back tears that threatened to roll down . Her eyes glistened red i, but there was no hesitation in what she said next.“Then you can consider it done. Let’s go, Maxton.”And just like that, she turned and walked toward the door. She didn’t wait for another word. Her heels clicked