Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 227

Chapter 227

ARIA’S POV

The restaurant was absolutely beautiful. Brandon had rented out the entire fop floor of one of the most exclusive, high–end restaurants in the city just so we could have a quiet family dinner.

Soft jazz music was playing softly in the background, and the massive glass windows showed a stunning view of the glittering city lights below.

“More pancakes, Mommy!” Amelia giggled, pointing her small fork at the plate of dessert crepes in the middle of the table.

“No more sweets for you tonight, princess,” I laughed, gently wiping a bit of chocolate from her rosy cheek with a cloth napkin.

“You already had ice cream. If you eat any more sugar, you won’t sleep at all, and Sarah will have a very hard time with you tomorrow morning.”

“But Uncle Brandon said I could have one more!” Amelia pouted, turning her big, innocent eyes toward Brandon.

Brandon raised his hands in the air, a deep, handsome laugh rumbling from his chest. “Oh, no, don’t drag me into this, little one. When Mommy says no, uncle Brandon obeys. She is the absolute boss of this family.”

I looked at Brandon, my heart swelling with pure contentment. Seeing him interact so naturally with Amelia, treating her like his very own daughter, made all the heavy stress of the past forty–eight hours completely melt away.

Over the last few weeks, our relationship had truly begun to shine. He wasn’t just my boyfriend. He was my partner, my protector, and the source of the absolute peace I had been searching for for five long years.

“Thank you for this, Brandon,” I said softly, reaching across the clean white tablecloth to lace my fingers through his. “I really needed a night where I didn’t have to think about business, media, leaks, or corporate drama.”

Brandon squeezed my hand tightly, his dark eyes melting with pure devotion. “You don’t ever have to thank me for taking care of you, Aria. You stood up there like a queen today and protected your father’s honor. Tonight is about letting you relax. You are safe with me. Always.”

I smiled, leaning back against my chair, feeling incredibly loved. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like everything was going to be completely fine.

We sat there talking and laughing, enjoying the delicious food and the warmth of being together. Brandon told Amelia a funny story about his childhood, making her laugh so hard she almost dropped her juice box. It was a perfect, normal family moment.

But our peace was brutally shattered a moment later. The heavy glass doors of the restaurant floor swung open, and a sharp, clicking sound of high heels echoed loudly across the polished marble floor.

I turned my head idly, expecting a staff member to walk in, but my breath instantly caught in my throat. Walking straight toward our table was Julian’s mother.

She was dressed in an incredibly expensive fur coat, her face twisted into a mask of pure arrogance and bitter hatred.

‘Well, well, well,” she loudly announced, her sharp voice dripping with venom as she stopped right at the edge of our table. Look at the happy little picture. I could smell the cheap desperation from downstairs, and I just knew it had to be you, Aria.”

Amelia’s bright smile instantly vanished. She shrank back into her seat, gripping my arm tightly with her small hands. * Mommy?” she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

‘It’s okay, sweetheart,” I murmured, my blood running cold as I tried to shield Amelia’s body with my own. I stood up. ooking at Helen with a hard, angry expression. “Helen, what are you doing here? This is a private reservation. Leave us alone right now.”

‘Private reservation? Hah” Helen laughed loudly, deliberately trying to attract the attention of the waiters standing near the entrance. “You think because you put on a fancy suit and call yourself a CEO, you suddenly belong in a place like this? You are nothing but a gold–digging disgrace, Aria. You ruined my son’s reputation, you dragged our family name through the mud with your pathetic drama, and now you are sitting here spending another man’s money.”

“Watch your mouth, Helen,” I snapped, my anger rising quickly. “Your son did this to himself. He is the one who has been spiraling out of control.”

“Don’t you dare speak about my son!” Helen shri

ressively. Her eyes suddenly locked onto

Amelia, and a wild, possessive look took over he Successfully unlocked!

“And look at this poor child. Living with a mother who sells her soul for corporate power. A Vance child does not belong with a commoner lik

you. She belongs with the Vances!”

Chapter 227

Before + could even process what she was doing, Helen reached out her manicured hand, grabbing Amelia’s small wrist an trying to physically yank her out of her chair.

“Come with me, child,” Helen demanded loudly. “You are coming home to your real family!”

“No. Mommy, help me. Let me go!” Amelia screamed in total terror, tears bursting from her eyes as she tried to pull away from the crazy woman.

“Let her go!” I shouted, rushing forward to push Helen’s hand away from my daughter. But before I could even step in, an immovable wall appeared in front of us.

Brandon stood up.

The air in the room instantly dropped to below freezing The sheer, terrifying aura radiating from Brandon was so heavy it felt difficult to breathe. In one swift, brutal motion, Brandon grabbed Helen’s wrist in a grip of pure steel, forcing her to immediately drop Amelia.

He didn’t throw a punch. He didn’t yell. But the look in his dark eyes was deadlier than any weapon. He stepped directly between Helen and our family, completely shielding us from her sight.

“If you ever touch my daughter or my woman again,” Brandon whispered, his voice incredibly low, deep, and dripping with a cold promise of absolute destruction, “I will personally run the entire Vance family legacy completely into the ground by tomorrow morning.”

Helen staggered backward, clutching her wrist where Brandon had gripped it. Her face turned from an arrogant flush to a pale, terrified white.

She looked up at Brandon, trembling slightly under his intense, deadly stare, but her bitter pride kept her from backing down completely.

“How… how dare you threaten me!” Helen sputtered, her voice shaking as she tried to fix her fur coat. “Do you know who we are? We are the Vances. My son is a superstar athlete. You cannot just assault a lady in public, Brandon. I will have the media destroy you.”

“You want to talk about the media, Helen?” Brandon asked, stepping forward one more time. He stood a full foot taller than her, his broad shoulders casting a dark shadow over her trembling form. “Let’s talk about the media. Let’s talk about exactly what your pathetic, disgusting son did yesterday.”

Helen blinked, looking confused and defensive. “Julian didn’t do anything. He is a victim of your corporate lies.”

“Your son is a criminal,” Brandon said, his voice ringing out through the quiet restaurant like a heavy gavel. “He got completely wasted on liquor, lost his mind because Aria chose a real man over him, and launched an illegal smear campaign against Aria’s father’s legacy.”

Helen gasped, her mouth opening wide. “That… that is a lie. Julian would never-”

“I have the digital footprint, the IP address, and the legal tracking documents proving it came directly from his private network,” Brandon interrupted coldly, cutting her off without an ounce of mercy.

“The only reason the police haven’t swarmed his house yet is because Aria personally begged me not to hurt him for the sake of Amelia’s memory of her father. She protected him.”

Γ ́

I stood behind Brandon, holding a sobbing Amelia tightly against my chest, smoothing down her messy curls. Hearing Brandon defend us so fiercely, exposing the raw truth without an ounce of fear, made me feel an incredible sense of safety. He was our protector.

“Let me tell you something else, Helen,” Brandon continued, his dark eyes narrowing into dangerous slits as he leaned down slightly, looking right into her face.

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