Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 240

Chapter 240

Chapter 240

BRANDON’S POV

The gray light of dawn was just beginning to bleed through the cracks of the heavy curtains, cutting pale lines across the pink carpet of Amelia’s bedroom.

I didn’t blink. I sat motionless in the small armchair by her bedside, my forearms resting on my knees, my eyes fixed on her A) tiny, peaceful face.

I had been sitting here for hours, ever since I killed the engine of my car and walked past the suffocating silence of the foyer. The quiet in this room was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Outside these walls, my mind was a chaotic storm of suspects, accusations. She thought I was paranoid.

Crypted security logs, and the lingering sting of Aria’s

She thought my hatred for Julian was warping my judgment. But as I watched Amelia slowly stir under her pink blankets, my jaw clenched tightly.

Amelia wasn’t my biological daughter. She didn’t share a single drop of my blood, a fact that Julian loved to throw in every chance he got. But blood didn’t mean a damn thing.

my

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I would gladly burn this entire city to the ground before I let anyone put a single finger on her again. She was mine to protect.

Her small eyelashes fluttered open, blinking against the faint morning light. She rubbed her eyes with a fist, turning her head until she noticed me sitting in the dark corner.

“Uncle Brandon?” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” I greeted her softly, my harsh voice dropping to a gentle, quiet tone I only ever used with her.

She blinked a couple more times, a small smile appearing on her face. Without hesitation, she tossed her blankets aside, climbed down from her bed, and walked over to me on her tiny bare feet.

I leaned forward, and she wrapped her small arms tightly around my neck, burying her face into my shoulder. I held her close, feeling the steady, fragile beat of her heart, and the cold armor around my chest cracked just a little.

When she pulled back, she looked up at me with curiosity. “Why are you sitting here?”

“I wanted to watch you sleep,” I said, offering her a faint, genuine smile.

Amelia smiled brighter, nodding her head. “Like you always do.”

“Like I always do,” I echoed softly.

She reached out, her small hand patting my arm in a way that felt entirely too mature for her age. “I’m safe now, Uncle Brandon. You don’t need to worry.”

A heavy weight pressed on my chest. She was trying to comfort me. “I know, Amelia. I know.”

She hesitated, her small fingers twirling the edge of her nightshirt as she looked at me with serious, wide eyes. “Uncle Brandon? I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead, sweetheart. Anything.”

She swallowed hard, looking down at her feet before looking back up at my face. “Do you… do you think it’s my trying to take me away from my mum?”

dad that’s

14:03 Fri, Jul 17 MJ

Chapter 240

The question caught me completely off guard, hitting me right in the gut. I looked at her innocent face, realizing how much of the adult world she was already absorbing despite our best efforts to shield her. I wanted to tell her yes.

I wanted to tell her that Julian was a desperate, unhinged man who would use her as a pawn. But looking into her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to poison her mind entirely without absolute proof.

“I don’t know, Amelia,” I told her honestly, my voice quiet. “I’m not sure.”

Amelia’s lower lip trembled slightly, and she shook her head firmly. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to stay here with you and Mum.”

A fierce, protective warmth flooded my veins. I leaned down, a genuine smile breaking across my face as looked directly into her eyes. “You don’t have to go anywhere. I will protect you and your mum for as long as I can. No one is taking you away from here. I promise.”

Amelia looked at me for a long moment, the fear fading from her expression, replaced by absolute trust. “I love you, Uncle Brandon.”

My heart squeezed painfully, a profound sense of pride washing over me. “I love you too, Amelia.”

Right then, the soft click of the brass door handle broke the silence.

The door pushed open, and Aria walked into the room. Her hair was slightly tangled from a sleepless night, and her eyes were rimmed with red, her expression instantly softening as she saw us together.

“Mum!” Amelia gasped. She immediately let go of my arm, turned around, and ran across the pink carpet as fast as her little legs could carry her, throwing herself straight into Aria’s waiting arms.

Aria sank to her knees on the plush rug, catching Amelia in a tight embrace and burying her face in our daughter’s hair. She held her close for a long moment, closing her eyes as she inhaled the

sweet, familiar scent of her child.

Over Amelia’s small shoulder, Aria’s gaze drifted up to meet mine. The anger from last night had burned out, replaced by a hollow, aching exhaustion.

She looked at me sitting in the small armchair, taking in my wrinkled jacket and the dark circles under my eyes. “Did you stay in here all through the night?” Aria asked quietly, her voice thick with emotion.

14:03 Fri, Jul 17 M

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