Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 250

11:46 Tue, Jul 28

Chapter 250

Chapter 250

BRANDON’S POV

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The drive to Amelia’s kindergarten was a blur of gray concrete and flashing streetlights. I drove myself, gripping the steering wheel of the blacked-out sedan so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Inside the quiet cabin of the car, the silence was deafening. My mind kept looping back to what Anthony had said. Amelia iced her out. Didn’t say a single word to her.

A heavy, suffocating ache settled deep in my chest. Amelia was a bright, intuitive little girl, but she was still just a child. She didn’t understand the complex, ugly web of my past.

All she knew was that her mother had kept her away from the father she adored, and now, thanks to Julian’s poisoned whispers, she believed her mother was the villain of the story.

I couldn’t let Aria bear the brunt of my sins. If anyone deserved Amelia’s anger, it was me. I was the one with blood on my hands. I was the one who had brought danger to their doorstep. Aria had only ever tried to protect her.

As I neared the upscale neighborhood where the kindergarten was located, the traffic began to thicken with luxury SUVs and sedans, all lined up for the afternoon pickup.

I pulled my car into a discreet parking spot across the street, a block away from the main gates where I could maintain a clear line of sight without drawing attention.”

I glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard, Ten minutes until dismissal. Right on cue, Anthony’s black SUV cruised slowly down the street, pulling into the designated pickup lane near the entrance.

He didn’t get out of the car, keeping the engine idling, exactly as we had planned. He was waiting for my signal.

I adjusted the collar of my wool coat, pulling my black cap down slightly to shadow my face. I didn’t want any of the other parents recognizing me, nor did I want to spark a scene if one of Aria’s acquaintances spotted me.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, I stepped out of the sedan into the cool afternoon air. The bell chimed in the distance, signaling the end of the school day, and a flood of children in matching uniforms began pouring out of the double doors.

My eyes immediately locked onto the crowd, searching for the one face that could completely disarm the monster inside me. My little girl.

I spotted her almost instantly. Amelia was walking a few paces behind her teacher, her head bowed, her little hands gripping the straps of her pink backpack.

Usually, she’d be skipping, her eyes scanning the crowd for Aria with an infectious, gap-toothed smile. Today, she looked small. Defeated. The bright, bubbly energy that filled my entire world was completely extinguished.

My chest tightened with a physical ache. This is what they did to my family. I kept my distance from the main gate, stepping behind the shadow of a broad oak tree just outside the school perimeter.

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When her teacher guided her toward the designated waiting area, I caught Anthony’s eye in the idling SUV. He gave me a sharp, barely perceptible nod.

“Amelia,” I called out softly. My voice wasn’t loud, but to her, it was unmistakable.

Her head snapped up. Her tear-stained eyes scanned the sidewalk, and the moment they landed on me, they went wide. The absolute sorrow on her little face instantly melted into raw, desperate hope.

“Daddy!” she gasped. She didn’t care about the rules or the teacher’s warnings. She broke into a run, her little sneakers squeaking against the pavement as she bolted past the gate straight toward me.

I stepped out from the shadow of the tree, dropping to one knee and opening my arms wide just as she collided with my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, burying my face in her soft hair.

She clung to my neck like a lifeline, her tiny fingers digging into the wool of my coat as she began to sob, her small frame shaking violently in my arms.

“Daddy, you came,” she wept into my shoulder. “You came back.”

“I’m here, baby,” I murmured, my voice thick with an emotion I rarely allowed myself to feel. I rubbed her back, holding her as if I could shield her from the entire world. “I’m right here. I’ll always come for you.”

I gently pulled back, framing her face with my hands. I wiped the tears from her red cheeks with my thumbs, looking deep into her eyes. “But we need to talk, Amelia. About your mum.”

Amelia’s face instantly fell, her lower lip trembling as she looked down at her shoes. The desperate warmth that had filled her eyes just a second ago was replaced by a stubborn, hurt defiance.

“I don’t want to talk about her,” she mumbled, her voice cracking. “She’s mean. She threw you out of the house, Daddy. She hates you.”

My heart shattered for Aria. Hearing those words

coming out of my daughter’s mouth, knowing that Aria was at her office right now, carrying the agony of this rejection, made a cold fury burn in my chest.

Not at Amelia, but at Julian for planting these toxic seeds in her innocent mind.

“Hey,” I said, my voice incredibly gentle but firm as I tapped her chin, forcing her to look up and meet my eyes. “Look at me, Amelia. That is not true. Your mum does not hate me, and she is the farthest thing from mean.”

“But she made you leave.” Amelia protested, a fresh tear spilling over her eyelashes. “She yelled at you. And… and Julian said she’s keeping us apart because she wants to punish us. He scares me, daddy.”

The mention of Julian’s name made my jaw lock. I had to consciously force my hands to remain relaxed on

her shoulders so I wouldn’t scare her.

“Julian lied to you, sweetheart,” I said, looking directly into her eyes so she could see the absolute sincerity in them. “Your mum is the bravest, most loving person in the world. Everything she does, she does to keep you safe. Do you understand me? Even when she’s angry, and even when she makes hard decisions, it’s only

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because she loves you more than life itself.”

Amelia sniffled, her tiny hands still clutching my jacket. “Then why can’t you come home?”

“Because I made some mistakes, Amelia. A long time ago, before you were even born, I did things that brought danger around us. Your mum is just trying to protect you from that danger. She’s doing exactly what a good mum is supposed to do.”

I took a deep breath, resting my forehead gently against hers. “I need you to promise me something, baby. I need you to be kind to your mum. When you get home today, I want you to give her the biggest hug you can. Don’t ice her out. Don’t make her cry. She is hurting so much right now, and she needs her little girl. Can you do that for me?”

Amelia stared at me for a long moment, processing my words. Slowly, the stubborn tension in her shoulders began to bleed away. She nodded softly.

“I promise, Daddy.”

“That’s my girl,” I murmured, kissing the top of her head. She giggled softly before she kissed my cheek.

“Will you come here tomorrow, Daddy? I want to see you.” Her eyes searched mine with hope and then I nodded. Aria always said I spoiled Amelia rotten ever since she was born.

How couldn’t I? She was my little girl. “I will. I’ll bring chocolates for you and a new teddy.” She smiled and kissed my cheek again.

I stood up, holding her hand as I walked her over to the idling SUV. Anthony immediately stepped out, opening the back door with a respectful nod.,

“Go on,” I said, giving her a small nudge. “Go home to your mum.”

Amelia climbed into the back seat, looking back at me one last time. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, princess.” I shut the door and tapped the glass. Anthony put the car in drive, pulling away from the curb and merging into the afternoon traffic.

I stood on the sidewalk, watching the vehicle disappear around the corner. My expression instantly hardened, the warmth in my eyes vanishing completely.

The time for being a father was paused. Now, it was time to be the monster they all feared. I pulled out my phone and dialed Dominic.

“Dominic,” I growled into the receiver. “Tell me you have everything on Julian’s father’s company. It’s time to tear his world apart.”

“I have the complete shareholder list of Vance Enterprises,” Dominic’s voice crackled through the receiver. sounding thoroughly satisfied. “And it looks like Christmas came early for us, boss.”

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