Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 249

Chapter 249

Chapter 249

BRANDON’S POV

“She made you promise what?” My voice wasn’t just loud. It was a guttural, lethal roar that vibrated against the walls of my hotel suite.

I gripped the phone so tightly the screen groaned under the pressure of my thumb. The sheer, unadulterated rage coursing through my veins made my vision blur around the edges.

“She made me promise not to tell you, Mr. Brandon,” Anthony’s steady voice came through the receiver, though I could hear the slight edge of tension in his tone. “She was terrified of what you would do to him. She said she didn’t want Julian’s blood on her hands.”

“I don’t give a damn what she wants when it comes to her safety,” I slammed my fist down onto the arm of the leather couch, the heavy thud echoing in the quiet room. “He put his hands on her, Anthony. He forced himself on her in her own damn office, and you let him walk out of there on his own two feet?”

“I handled him, boss. I pinned him, and I threatened him. If he comes back, the security detail outside the building has orders to take him down. But Miss Aria was completely falling apart. If I had executed Julian right there, it would have broken her completely.”

I closed my eyes, my chest heaving as I fought to control the violent beast thrashing inside me. Anthony was right. If I sent a hitman to paint the pavement with Julian’s brains today, Aria would never look at me again without seeing a monster.

She was already terrified of my past; she didn’t need me dragging her into a bloody present.

But the thought of Julian’s fingers digging into her skin, of his pathetic mouth trying to touch hers…. it made me want to burn the entire city to the ground.

“Listen to me, Anthony,” I growled, my voice dropping to a low, lethal promise. “You do not leave her side. Do you hear me? You watch her door, you watch her driveway, and you watch her back. If Julian so much as breathes in her direction again, you don’t call me-you end him. I’ll deal with the fallout later.”

“Understood, boss. I’m on it,” Anthony replied immediately. Then, he paused. The silence on the other end of the line stretched out, heavy and hesitant.

“What is it?” I demanded, sensing there was more.

“Miss Aria… she isn’t herself, Mr. Brandon,” Anthony said softly, his voice carrying a rare note of genuine pity. “She looks completely hollowed out. She’s putting up a strong front for the office, but when she thinks no one is looking, she looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world. The fight today… it took whatever little strength she had left.”

The anger in my chest suddenly collapsed, leaving behind a cold, agonizing void. I leaned back against the plush cushions of the hotel couch, letting my head fall back as I closed my eyes.

A heavy, suffocating guilt pressed down on my chest. I hated this. I hated that my past, my secrets, and my chaotic world were causing her so much pain. I had wanted to be her shield, her protector.

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Chapter 249

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Instead, I was the very storm that was tearing her life apart. She was drowning in heartbreak, and I couldn’t even hold her hand to keep her afloat.

“And what about Amelia?” I asked, my voice barely more than a rough whisper, the raw vulnerability of a father bleeding through my armor. “How is my little girl?”

Anthony sighed heavily on the other end. “It’s not good, boss. On the ride to school this morning. Amelia wouldn’t even look at Miss Aria. She iced her out completely. Didn’t say a single word to her, didn’t say goodbye when she got out of the car. It broke Miss Aria’s heart. Amelia is angry, and she’s taking it all out on her mother.”

My heart clenched violently in my chest.

Amelia. My sweet, bright little girl, turning her back on the mother who loved her more than life itself. Julian’s poison was working. He was using Amelia as a weapon to destroy Aria from the inside out, turning her own child against her.

I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling of the suite. The pain of being exiled from Aria’s side was nothing compared to the agony of knowing my family was fracturing in my absence, and a viper was waiting just outside their gates to catch the pieces.

“I’m going to her school,” I commanded, my voice cutting through the heavy silence of the room. “Tll talk to Amelia myself. She needs to understand that none of this is her mother’s fault.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, Mr. Brandon?” Anthony asked cautiously. “If Miss Aria finds out-

“She won’t. Not yet,” I interrupted. “You’ll meet me at the school gates, pick her up from me after we talk, and take her home. Act like nothing happened. Aria has enough on her plate without worrying about this.”

“Understood, boss. I’ll make sure she’s delivered safely back to the estate.”

“Good. Keep your eyes open.” I ended the call, lowering the phone to my lap. For a long, silent moment, I stared at the blank screen, the quiet of the hotel suite absolute.

My mind spun, calculating, stripping away the anger until only cold, hard strategy remained.

Julian. He thought he could use my past to destroy my present.

He thought he could corner Aria, put his hands on her, and threaten to steal my daughter away under the guise of being a ‘safe’ alternative. He wanted to play games with me.

But he had forgotten one very simple rule: you do not play games with a devil in his own playground.

A small, dark smile graced my lips-a razor-sharp expression devoid of any warmth. I picked up my phone again and dialed a familiar number.

It rang twice before a deep, gruff voice answered. “Brandon. I was wondering when I’d hear from you.” “Henderson,” I said, my voice smooth and level. I need to talk to you about the players. We have a situation.” Henderson, the head of the athletic commission who had known me long enough to know exactly what lay

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Chapter 249

beneath my billionaire philanthropist facade, paused. “Did Julian do something? He’s been acting like he owns the place lately.”

“Aria found out,” I said flatly. “Julian delivered the old reports. She knows about my past. She knows about the Mafia.

On the other end of the line, I heard Henderson curse loudly, his professional composure shattering. “That miserable, backstabbing coward. He actually did that? Brandon, I am incredibly sorry. I should have kept a tighter leash on him.”

“It’s not your fault, Henderson. But it’s time to handle it.”

“Say the word,” Henderson said, his voice turning livid. “Pull your sponsorship. Crash the team’s funding. Without your money, the club collapses, and Julian’s career is dead in the water. I’ll make sure he’s blacklisted from every league in the country.”

“No,” I replied instantly, my voice cool. “The other players are innocent. They’ve worked too hard for this season, and I won’t ruin their careers just to swat a fly. We keep the sponsorship.”

“Then what’s the play?”

“I’m going to target his father’s company,” I said, a deadly chill in my tone. “I’m going to strip Julian of every safety net, every dollar, and every bit of influence he thinks protects him. I want him completely ruined before I deal with him physically. As for the team, I want you to go to the players. Tell them that I am adding more advantages to my sponsorship-better facilities, higher bonuses, whatever they need. Make sure they know their future is secure with me.”

“And Julian?” Henderson asked.

“Julian will watch his teammates thrive while he is systematically stripped of everything he has ever known.” I murmured. “Exclude him from every single benefit. Make him an outcast in his own locker room.”

A grim chuckle came from Henderson’s end. “Consider it done, Brandon. I’ll deliver the news to the boys and their coach today. Take care of your family. I’ll handle the club.”

“Thanks, Henderson.” I hung up, the pieces of the trap already falling into place. I turned my head toward the door, where Dominic stood like a silent shadow, holding his tablet. He had been listening quietly, waiting for

his cue.

“What do we have on Leonie?” I asked.

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