Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 224

09:03 Thu, Jul 20

Chapter 224

Chapter 224

ÁRIA’S POV

The reporters clapped as I introduced myself and thanked them for making out time to talk. Behind me, I could feel Brandon’s soothing presence as I cleared my throat and then started my speech.

“Our main goal for this quarter is to focus on sustainability and expanding our reach into global markets,” I said smoothly

to the microphone, my voice echoing clearly through the packed media hall.

looked down at my notes, feeling a strong sense of pride. The press conference was going perfectly. In the front row. Brandon was watching me with a steady, proud smile.

The reporters were all taking notes, and the camera lights were blinking softly. I felt like I was finally doing justice to my father’s memory. But suddenly, the entire mood in the room changed.

It started with a low buzz. One by one, the phones of every reporter in the audience began to vibrate at the exact same time. People started whispering loudly

shifting from their screens up to me.

The quiet, professional atmo row stood up abruptly, no

“Miss Aria!” he shouted Internal financial dog father’s legacy is by these allegations

The words edges of

Sudd

voi

in an instant, replaced by a heavy, suffocating tension. A reporter in the second e called on.

rough the room. “A massive leak just went live on every major news outlet. data files from your company have been made public. The reports claim your udulent numbers and that you are entirely unfit to lead. How do you respond to

1. The air left my lungs completely. “What?” I breathed out, my hands gripping the eep myself steady.

ers erupted into total chaos. They all stood up, thrusting their microphones forward, their errifying roar.

is failing?”

financial records?”

own as CEO?” Flashlights from the cameras began to blink aggressively, blinding my vision. I stood en, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

everything he had built with his bare hands, was being dragged through the dirt on live television. Before le floor, Brandon was on the stage.

ask of pure, terrifying rage. He stepped directly in front of me, shielding my body from the cameras, and outing crowd. “This press conference is over,” he commanded, his deep voice easily cutting through the

for

ving ther question. He

chaos behind th

ight back to the co ahead, while P

ressed to

my waist and guided my shaking body off

d was completely numb. I sat at my desk.

ands to his elite security and tech teams. “Trace the upload. ow,” Brandon ordered before slamming his phone down.

of my chair, taking my freezing hands in his warm ones. “Aria, look at oing to destroy them. I promise you.”

O

09:03 Thu, Jul 9 d

Chapter 224

I couldn’t even cry. The pain in my chest was too heavy for tears. A little over an hour later, the door to my office opened. Brandon’s chief security officer walked in, looking incredibly grim.

He handed a printed document to Brandon, gave me a pitiful look, and quickly walked back out.

Brandon looked down at the paper. In an instant, his entire body went completely rigid. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break, and his dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

“What is it, Brandon?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Who did it?”

Without a word, Brandon walked over and slowly slid the document across my desk. I looked down at the paper. It was digital tracking report. My eyes scanned the lines of code until they landed on the final summary at the bottom.

The leaked files had been downloaded and uploaded directly from a private residential network. The account name on the network belonged to Julian Vance.

I stared at his name, and for a few seconds, I couldn’t breathe. Julian. The father of my child. The man who just a few days ago had sworn to his entire team that I was the love of his life.

He had used his old access to my father’s business files to destroy me. He would rather see my father’s entire legacy burn to the ground than see me happy and successful without him.

Something inside me snapped. The deep heartbreak and the lingering pain of our past suddenly froze over, turning into a cold, unbreakable numbness.

my

from up The final emotional tie I had to Julian Vance was completely severed right then and there. I stood

desk. my

face completely expressionless. “Where are you going?” Brandon asked, his voice full of dark concern as he stood up with me.

“To finish this,” I said coldly. I left the office and drove straight to Julian’s house. I didn’t care about the consequences. I didn’t care about anything anymore. I slammed the front door open and walked into the living room.

Julian was sitting on the sofa, a glass of liquor in his hand, looking disheveled and miserable.

Leonie was standing near the kitchen, a a smirking look on her face. When Julian saw me walk in, he stood up quickly, his eyes widening. “Aria…” he started, his voice shaking.

“Did you do it?” I asked, my voice dead and completely empty of any emotion/ Julian looked down at his glass, then looked back at me. There was no remorse in his eyes.

Instead, a dark, twisted look took over his face. He looked completely unhinged. “You made me your enemy, Aria,” Julian said, stepping closer to me.

He let out a bitter, crazy laugh. “You chose to stand with Brandon. You chose to humiliate me in front of my team. If you don’t come back to me with Amelia, I will do even crazier things. This is just the beginning”

I looked him dead in the eye. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t cry. He looked like a complete monster to me now,

“You are a pathetic excuse for a man, Julian,” I said, my voice completely steady and freezing cold.

“You are married to another woman, yet

are still begging for my on. Look at yourself. You are completely dead to

1. Do not ever speak my name, or ther’s name, ever again.

I turned around on my heels and walked out of the house, ignoring his shouts behind me. When I got back to my office, Brandon was waiting for me. He saw the cold look on my face and stepped forward.

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