Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 194

Chapter 194

Chapter 194

ARIA’S POV

Even with the entire restaurant staring and my sharp warning hanging in the air, Julian’s mother did not back down. Instead of walking away to save face, she let out a loud, mocking laugh that echoed off the high

ceilings.

She looked around at the wealthy diners and then snapped her eyes back to me, her expression twisting into something deeply malicious.

“Oh, don’t you lecture me about my family’s image, Aria!” she sneered, raising her voice on purpose so everyone could hear. “Very soon, the whole world will know exactly what kind of a heartless person you truly are. How could you be so cruel? How could you take our grandchild away and keep her completely hidden from us for years?”

Whispers instantly broke out at the neighboring tables. I could see the potential board members at my table shifting uncomfortably, exchanging worried glances.

Julian’s mother took another step closer, gesturing wildly. “You ran away for five long years and didn’t even bother to inform us that we had a grandchild. We have begged you for our grandchild, Aria. We have pleaded with you to let us be a family, and you just shut us out!”

Hearing those words, a sickening wave of clarity washed over me. I finally realized exactly what the woman was trying to do.

She wasn’t just venting her anger; she was putting on a calculated performance. She was trying to paint me as the ultimate villain of the story in front of the city’s elite, making herself and the Vance family look like heartbroken, grieving victims.

Before the woman could open her mouth to utter another lie, I snapped. I had had enough of her manipulation by then. “Keep quiet!” I ordered, my voice cutting through her dramatic speech like an ice-cold blade.

I moved a step closer to her, invading her personal space until she had to tilt her head up to look at me. The sheer rage that had been building up inside me for five years finally poured out, though I kept my voice dangerously low and controlled.

“You want to talk about cruelty, Mrs. Vance? Where was your family five years ago when I was framed and shamed by the media for sleeping with my university professor? Your family had all the wealth and power in this city to stop those fake news reports. But you didn’t lift a single finger to help me.*

Julian’s mother blinked, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to interrupt, but I didn’t give her the chance.

“In fact,” I continued, my eyes narrowing, “your precious son Julian didn’t even care about me when I needed him the most. He didn’t investigate the truth. He just believed the lies, turned his back on me, and pushed me away into the dark.”

I took a deep, steadying breath, marking my territory right there in the middle of the crowded room. “Amelia is my child, and no one else’s. She belongs to me. And I will fight with absolutely everything in me to make sure it stays that way. You will never take her from me.”

The older woman stood frozen, completely shocked by my fierce defiance.

Without giving her another second of my time, I turned back to the potential board members sitting at my table. I forced a polite, composed smile onto my face, though my heart was pounding against my ribs.

“I am incredibly sorry for this interruption, everyone. Thank you so much for the meal and for your time today. My assistant will follow up with your office tomorrow morning.”

With that, I picked up my business bag from the chair, turned on my heel, and walked out of the restaurant with my head held high.

I kept my back straight and my pace steady, refusing to let Julian’s mother, her gossiping friends, or the

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Chapter 194

investors see a single flash of my internal fear.

The heavy glass doors of the restaurant closed behind me, and the cool afternoon air hit my face. Anthony was already waiting by the curb, holding the passenger door open for me.

I practically threw myself into the back seat, the heavy leather door shutting out the noise of the street.

Anthony climbed into the driver’s seat and looked at me through the rearview mirror, his face full of quiet concern. “Miss Aria, are you alright? Do you want to go back to the office now?”

I leaned my head back against the headrest, closing my eyes as the adrenaline slowly began to leave my system. I thought about the messy scene inside, the investors, and the long list of work waiting on my desk.

But right now, the corporate world was completely meaningless. “No, Anthony,” I said softly, opening my eyes to look out the window. “Take me home. I just want to be with Amelia right now.”

“Understood, ma’am,” Anthony replied, immediately shifting the car into drive and pulling into the traffic.

The drive back to the estate was quiet and fast. When Anthony pulled up to the front of my house, I thanked him, stepped out, and hurried up the front steps.

I unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer, expecting to find a tense or awkward atmosphere. After all, this was the nanny’s very first day on the job, and I hadn’t been the one to choose her.

But the moment I closed the front door behind me, the sound of a bright, bubbly laugh echoed through the hallway.

I paused in my tracks, completely shocked. That was Amelia’s laugh. My daughter was incredibly shy around strangers and did not warm up or accept new people easily at all.

It usually took days, if not weeks, for her to be comfortable around someone new. Curious and confused, I quietly walked down the hall and rounded the corner into the living room.

I stopped and smiled softly at the sight. The new nanny was sitting directly on the hardwood floor, completely surrounded by a massive circle of Amelia’s new toys and dolls.

She didn’t look stiff or professional at all. She was actively crawling around, making funny voices for the toys. A big, incredibly warm, and genuine smile was stretched across the nanny’s face as she played along with my daughter’s wild imagination.

Amelia was leaning against her, pointing at a toy doll and giggling without a care in the world. A massive wave of relief washed over my chest, clearing away some of the suffocating stress from the restaurant.

I had originally thought that since this wasn’t the specific woman I had interviewed and chosen myself, Amelia would reject her or be miserable all afternoon.

But who would have thought that this woman would make my stubborn little girl warm up to her so quickly? I didn’t want to interrupt their sweet moment or break the magic of their playtime, so I quietly stepped backward, retracing my steps to the front door.

I walked back outside into the quiet, tree-lined streets of the estate. The afternoon air was crisp, and I decided to just take a slow walk around the neighborhood for a while.

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