Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236

ANNA’S POV

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I stood in the quiet of my small bedroom, the heavy curtains drawn to block out the morning sun. I held my secondary phone tightly against my ear, listening to the rhythmic ringing tone.

It was early, but I knew she would be awake. The line clicked open. “Tell me you have a plan,” Leonie’s voice hissed through the speaker. tight with raw anxiety and desperation.

“The arrangements are made,” I whispered back, my voice completely cold and flat. “There is a charity festival at the botanical gardens this morning. It will be crowded. I am taking Amelia there under the guise of a normal weekend trip.”

“And the men?” Leonie pressed, her breath catching.

“Your people need to be in position by the service exit near the treeline by ten o’clock,” I instructed calmly. “A black yan with tinted windows. Tell them to grab both of us. It has to look like a real kidnapping attempt where the nanny is targeted right along with the child. If I look like a victim, Aria will never look at me with suspicion.”

“Perfect,” Leonie murmured, a cruel hint of relief in her tone. “Make sure it happens cleanly, Anna. If Aria loses her daughter today, she will completely spiral.”

“Just ensure your men don’t mess up their timing,” I said, and immediately ended the call. I took a deep breath, smoothing down my dress and slipping the burner phone into my pocket.

Instantly. I wiped the coldness from my face and forced my expressions to soften into the sweet, harmless nanny persona I had perfected over the weeks.

I walked out of my room and headed downstairs. Aria was sitting at the dining table, sipping from a mug of coffee while reviewing some logistics reports on her tablet.

She looked relaxed, still riding the wave of yesterday’s successful investment. “Good morning, Miss Aria,” I said softly, stepping into the room with a polite smile.

Aria looked up, her expression instantly warming. “Good morning, Sarah. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, ma’am, thank you,” I replied smoothly. “I just wanted to inform you that I am leaving with Amelia now for that children’s charity festival at the botanical gardens. The weather is beautiful, and I want to make sure we get there early before the crowd gets too overwhelming.”

Aria smiled, setting her mug down. “That sounds wonderful. Let me get her ready. Thank you so much for doing this for her, Sarah. She really needs a fun day out.”

An hour later, the botanical gardens were absolutely packed. The morning air was filled with the cheerful sounds of children laughing, upbeat carnival music playing from the loudspeakers, and the sweet scent of cotton candy.

Everywhere I looked, families were walking around, carrying balloons and enjoying the weekend. “Look, Sarah! The ponies are over there!” Amelia cheered, tugging hard on my hand.

She was practically skipping on the grass, her eyes wide with pure excitement as she pointed toward the fenced area where children were lining up for rides.

“I see them, princess,” I said, forcing my voice into the gentlest tone. I reached down and lightly patted her soft curls, smiling warmly at her. “Let’s go get in line so you can ride the white one.”

On the outside, I looked like the perfect caretaker. But as I glanced over my shoulder, a tight knot of tension formed in my stomach.

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Chapter 236

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Right behind the crowd, blending in with the rest of the tourists, were two tall, built men in casual jackets. Their eyes weren’t on the festival; they were locked directly on us. Brandon’s undercover security detail.

Leonie had warned me that Brandon had eyes everywhere, and she wasn’t lying. Those men had been following our car the entire drive. They were professional, alert, and dangerous.

I knew that if Leonie’s men weren’t careful, Brandon’s guards would tear them to pieces. I just had to guide Amelia into a blind spot and let the chaos happen naturally.

“Sarah, can we get some popcorn first?” Amelia asked, looking up at me with pleading eyes.

“Of course, sweetie. Let’s go over to that stall near the treeline,” I said smoothly, pointing toward a less crowded area where the dense bushes provided a perfect shield from the main paths.

I led Amelia toward the quiet corner, pretending to count out some cash. My heart began to beat a little faster as I noticed a large, black van with tinted windows idling by the service exit just past the trees. The side door was cracked open. They were in position.

Suddenly, everything happened at once. Two men wearing heavy hoodies and dark sunglasses burst out from the bushes, moving with terrifying speed.

“Don’t make a sound!” one of them yelled, lunging forward. He grabbed my arm roughly, throwing me off balance to make the struggle look real, while the second man snatched Amelia straight off her feet.

“Sarah. Help me!” Amelia screamed, her small voice instantly piercing through the carnival music as she began to cry and thrash around in the man’s grip.

“Let her go. Help. Someone help us!” I shrieked at the top of my lungs, putting on an award–winning performance of a terrified nanny. I clawed at the man holding me, ensuring the surrounding crowd would see me fighting tooth and nail to save the boss’s daughter.

The man dragged me backward toward the open van, and for a split second, I thought the plan was succeeding perfectly. But we had completely underestimated the lethal speed of Brandon’s security team.

Before the kidnapper could even shove Amelia into the backseat of the van, a heavy, solid body slammed into him from the side. It was the lead undercover guard.

With one powerful, practiced movement, he ripped Amelia out of the criminal’s arms and shielded her with his own body. “Drop your weapons!” the second guard roared, sprinting into the clearing.

The man holding my arm panicked instantly. Seeing Brandon’s men draw their weapons, he shoved me violently into the dirt to create a distraction.

I hit the ground hard, scraping my palms against the gravel as I let out a sharp cry of pain. The kidnappers realized they were completely outmatched.

The guard who had dropped Amelia scrambled back into the black van, and the driver slammed on the gas, the tires screeching loudly against the asphalt as the vehicle sped out of the service exit and vanished into the city streets.

“Sarah! Sarah!” Amelia sobbed, running over and throwing her small arms tightly around my neck, her entire body shaking with pure terror.

“I’m here, baby, I’m here. You’re safe,” I whispered into her hair, wrapping my arms around her and rocking her back and forth on the ground. I looked up, my face perfectly pale and trembling with faux shock, staring at Brandon’s guards.

The lead guard immediately pulled out his phone, his face completely grim as he dialed a number.

“Mr. Brandon, we have a major code red at the botanical gardens. There was an attempted kidnapping on Amelia and the nanny. The perimeter was breached, but we stopped it. Both targets are safe, but we need extraction immediately.”

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Chapter 236

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I buried my face in Amelia’s shoulder, pretending to cry right along with her to hide the vicious anger in my eyes. The plan had completely failed. Brandon’s wall around this girl was too thick, and his men were too fast.

The drive back to the estate was entirely silent, save for the quiet, ragged breaths Amelia took as she sat curled up tightly against my side in the back of the security vehicle.

I kept my arm wrapped firmly around her small shoulders, gently rubbing her arm to maintain the image of the protective, traumatized nanny. Inside, my mind was racing, calculating how to turn this massive failure into an advantage.

The moment the SUV pulled up to the front entrance of the house, the heavy front doors flew open. Aria and Brandon ran out onto the driveway, their faces completely pale with terror.

Before the guard could even open the door fully, Aria reached in and grabbed Amelia, pulling the little girl into her arms.

“Amelia! Oh my god, baby!” Aria cried, her voice cracking with pure emotion as she squeezed her daughter tightly against

her chest.

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