Just My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires by Esther Pen novel Chapter 275

Chapter 275

ARIA’S POV

The warmth of Brandon’s chest against my back was the only thing keeping me grounded.

We were standing together in his makeshift office inside my home, looking out the large glass window at quiet garden. Down below, the morning sun was burning off the thick fog, casting a gentle, golden glow c the soft green grass.

A tiny blue bird fluttered onto one of the garden benches, completely at peace. But inside my head, everything felt heavy and messy again.

I held my phone tightly in my hands, my thumbs pressing so hard against the cold glass edges that my ski turned white. The screen was dark now, but the text message Chloe had sent hours ago was burned into m brain word for word.

Julian wants to meet. No lawyers. Just a private sit-down.

Brandon’s arms tightened around my waist, pulling me an inch closer to his chest. His warm chin rested against the side of my head, and I could hear the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.

He didn’t rush me. He didn’t try to make the decision for me, nor did he bark out orders like he did in his t corporate meetings. He just stood there like a solid iron wall, letting me take all the time I needed to think.

“I think I should do it,” I said softly. My voice was barely above a whisper, but in the quiet office, it sounded like a heavy rock falling into a quiet pond.

Brandon went completely still. I felt the sudden tension instantly rise in his strong muscles, the protective instinct in him flaring up like a bright flame.

His grip on my waist grew tighter, but when he spoke, his tone was carefully controlled and calm. “Are you sure, Aria?” he asked quietly, his deep voice vibrating against my spine.

“You don’t have to face him. He has no legal leverage over you anymore. The court gave you full custody, and Amelia made her choice clear to the judge. You owe Julian nothing.”

“I know,” I said. I turned around slowly in his arms so I could look up into his dark, intense eyes. His jaw was set tight, a faint shadow of worry hidden deep in his gaze.

“I know I don’t owe him anything,” I continued, resting my hands flat against his broad chest. “But if I keep hiding behind your guards and behind my lawyers, he’s never going to stop. He’s going to keep spiraling out of control, keep reaching out to my legal team, and keep living in this crazy fantasy that Leonie was the only reason we broke up. He thinks I’m just trapped by your money.”

I reached up, placing my warm palms against Brandon’s rough, stubbled cheeks. I looked straight into his eyes so he could see every bit of truth in my heart.

“I need to look him in the eye and tell him it’s over myself,” I said, my voice growing stronger with every single word. “Not through Chloe. Not through long legal letters. I need him to hear it directly from my mouth, so he finally understands that there is no future for us. I need to close that door forever so we can

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12:32 Mon, Aug 10

My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires

move on with our lives.”

Brandon stared down at my face for a long, heavy moment. He searched my eyes, looking for any sign of doubt, or leftover feelings for Julian. But all he found was pure, unshakable resolve. Slowly, the tight line his jaw relaxed just a tiny bit.

“Alright,” Brandon agreed softly. He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against mine, a lingering, war kiss that filled my whole body with courage. “If you do this, it happens entirely on our terms. Not his.”

“What terms?” I asked, leaning into his touch.

“No private apartments. No quiet, secluded places where he feels in control,” Brandon said, his eyes turnin cold, sharp, and calculated.

“You meet him in a neutral, public space. The private dining room at the Grand Regency Hotel downtown. My security team will clear the entire floor first. I’ll have two plainclothes guards inside the room with you, standing right at the door.”

I listened carefully, nodding my head with every point. “And where will you be?”

A small, ruthless smirk touched the corner of Brandon’s lips, making him look dangerously handsome. “I’ll in the building. I’ll be sitting in the private monitoring room right down the hall. But I won’t step into that dining room unless he steps out of line or tries to touch you. This is your moment to shut him down for good, Aria. I won’t take that away from you.”

A huge, heavy weight that had been sitting on my chest for months suddenly lifted away. I wrapped my arm tightly around his neck, pulling him down into another deep, full kiss that tasted like pure trust and love.

“Thank you,” I breathed out against his lips. “Thank you for trusting me to handle this.”

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