Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 195

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Chapter 195

Chapter 195

ARIA’S POV

I stared at the glowing screen of my phone, watching the view count on the leaked video tick upward with terrifying speed.

The comment section was already a war zone of speculation, judgment, and high-society gossip. I let out a deep, internal groan, rubbing my temples as a pounding headache began to form behind my eyes.

The quiet, peaceful walk I had taken to clear my head was completely ruined, shattered by the reality of the Vance family’s reach and the public’s endless appetite for drama.

Before I could even lock my phone and shove it back into my pocket, the device vibrated violently in my hand. The incoming caller ID flashed across the screen, making my chest tighten.

It was Brandon. I pressed the phone to my ear, my voice shaking slightly as I spoke. “Hello?”

“Aria,” Brandon’s deep, commanding voice boomed through the speaker, though it was laced with an undeniable undercurrent of intense worry.

“I just saw the news alerts. The video from the restaurant is everywhere. I was already in my car heading straight to your office to pull you out of there when Anthony called me. He told me he didn’t leave you at the building-he said he drove you straight back home after the incident.”

I let out a ragged breath, leaning my shoulder against the rough bark of the oak tree above me. “Yeah, he did. I couldn’t handle the office after that, Brandon. But I’m not inside the house right now. I’m just taking a walk around the estate. I really needed to clear my head after what his mother did.”

“Stay right where you are,” Brandon ordered softly, his tone shifting from frantic to completely protective. “I’m already entering the estate gates. I’m coming to find you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

I stood under the shade of the trees, watching the quiet neighborhood road until a familiar, luxury vehicle rounded the corner and pulled up along the curb.

Rhe door threw open immediately, and Brandon stepped out. He didn’t care about the quiet neighborhood or who might be watching; his dark eyes were locked entirely on me.

He strode across the grass with long, urgent paces, and the second he reached me, he reached out and pulled me fiercely against his chest.

He wrapped his massive, strong arms around my waist, burying his face in my hair as he held me so tightly I could barely breathe. But I didn’t care. I leaned into his warmth, absorbing his strength as the lingering tremors from the restaurant confrontation finally began to fade.

After a long moment, he pulled back just enough to look down into my face, his hands cupping my shoulders securely. “How are you holding up, beautiful?” he asked, his rugged features tight with concern. “What did she say to you?”

I just shook my head, unable to find the words to repeat the ugly accusations Julian’s mother had thrown at me in front of my potential investors. The embarrassment and anger were still too fresh, sticking like a thick lump in my throat.

Understanding my silence without needing an explanation, Brandon slid his hand down to grip my fingers tightly. He didn’t force me to go back into the house just yet.

Instead, he gently led me down a paved pathway toward a quiet, secluded park area near the edge of the estate, where a dark wooden swing hung beneath a canopy of leaves.

We sat down together on the swing, the chains creaking softly beneath our weight. Brandon kept one arm draped securely over my shoulders, pulling me against his side, while he reached into his jacket pocket with his free hand and pulled out his phone.

“Look at this,” Brandon said, unlocking th

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ecure messaging application. “Someone

Successfully unlocked!

Chapter 195

messaged me early this morning from an encrypted account. They sent me a massive batch of files-videos, flight logs, financial transactions, and club records-all proving exactly how completely absent Julian has been from Amelia’s life over the past few years.”

I blinked, leaning closer to look at the screen. The files showed detailed timelines of Julian partying, traveling international borders for leisure, and ignoring any semblance of domestic responsibility while I was away raising our daughter alone.

“Aria, you know this evidence wouldn’t have been hard for my legal team to dig up on our own,” Brandon explained, his eyes scanning the digital files. “With my resources, I could have eventually tracked down his schedule. But whoever this person is, they just made everything a hundred times easier for us. They package- delivered his entire ruined reputation right to my fingertips.”

I stared at the messages, a strange sense of unease washing over me. “Who sent it? Is there a name attached to the account?”

Brandon shook his head, his jaw tightening slightly. “That’s the catch. The number and the server they used are completely untraceable. My security team tried to ping the IP address, but it’s completely locked down. I have no idea who is working behind the scenes to help us.”

I looked up at Brandon’s sharp profile, letting out a soft sigh as I gently pushed his phone away. “Honestly, Brandon, right now it doesn’t even matter who sent it. Anonymous ally or not, all that truly matters to me is keeping Amelia with us. I don’t care about the mystery as long as my daughter stays safe in my arms.” Brandon nodded slowly, acknowledging my words, and placed the phone directly into my lap. His expression grew deeply solemn, the weight of the upcoming legal battle settling over us.

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