Chapter 315
ARIA’S POV
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The rain washed down the tinted glass of the rear window, making the city lights outside look like smeared yellow dots.
I leaned my head back against the soft leather seat, watching the windshield wipers move back and forth in a slow, tired rhythm.
My head was pounding from looking at spreadsheets all afternoon, but the heavy weight in my chest had nothing to do with numbers or corporate files. It was the feeling of being trapped.
Every time I looked out the glass, I saw them. Two heavy black SUVS rode right behind us, and another one cleared the street ahead.
There were eight armed men surrounding my car just to take me across town. It felt less like protection and more like a rolling cage.
I picked up my phone, found Brandon’s name, and hit the call button. He answered on the very first ring, his voice coming through the speaker tight and sharp.
“Aria,” Brandon said, the background noise of his study quiet behind him. “Sweetheart, is everything alright? Did Antonio report a problem on the road?”
“No, babe,” I said, letting out a long, quiet sigh into the receiver. “Everything is fine. The road is clear. But I need you to do something for me. I need you to call your main security team back to the house.”
There was a sudden, heavy pause on the other end of the line. I could hear the faint sound of paper rustling as he stood up from his desk.
“What are you talking about?” Brandon asked, his tone dropping into that hard, unyielding register he used when he was stressed. “The motorcade stays with you until you are inside the gates. That was the agreement we had, my love.”
“I am asking you to pull the extra SUVs back,” I insisted, keeping my voice calm and steady. “I do not want six guards walking me into my daughter’s school yard. I want Antonio to drive me to pick up Amelia myself. Just Antonio and the lead car.”
“Aria, no,” Brandon said instantly, his voice rising with clear frustration. “We just got confirmation two hours ago that Julian broke his house arrest. He escaped from his parents‘ estate, and he is somewhere in the city right now. He has no money, he has nothing to lose, and we know he is talking to Gabriel.”
“I know Julian is out, Brandon,” I replied softly. “Antonio told me. But having an army around me every second of the day is not making me feel safe. It is making me feel suffocated.”
“It is not about making you feel comfortable right now,” Brandon argued, his words coming fast and hard. “Gabriel is out there, Aria. He is watching our routes. He is waiting for us to lower our guard for five minutes so he can make a move. I cannot just pull the men back because you do not like the extra cars.”
“Brandon, please,” I whispered, holding the phone closer to my ear. “Antonio is right here with me. He knows
17:15 Wed, Sep 9
My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires
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what he is doing. He can handle getting me and Amelia back home safely. Please, just give me a little bit of space to breathe.”
The line went completely silent for a long five seconds. I could picture him standing by the grand window in his study, pinching the bridge of his nose, torn between his intense fear for my life and his desire to make me happy.
“Okay,” Brandon finally said, his voice softer now, though still heavy with concern. “I will tell Dominic to fall back with the primary team. But Antonio stays in the driver’s seat. You go straight to the school, you pick up Amelia, and you come right back to the estate.”
“Thank you, Brandon,” I said, feeling the tight knot in my shoulders relax just a little bit.
“Be safe, Aria,” he said quietly. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I replied, and then I hung up the phone.
A moment later, our sedan pulled over onto the wet shoulder of the road under a highway bridge. Through the back window, I watched the two heavy black SUVS pull past us, their dark windows staying shut as Dominic signaled with his lights and drove on ahead toward the main estate road.
The front driver’s door opened, letting in a cold gust of damp air. The junior guard stepped out into the rain, and Antonio slid smoothly into the driver’s seat, pulling the heavy door shut with a solid thud. He adjusted the rear–view mirror, his dark eyes catching mine in the glass.
“Where to now, Miss Aria?” Antonio asked, setting his hands firmly on the steering wheel.
“I want to make a quick stop before we get to the school, Antonio,” I said, leaning forward slightly against the armrest. “I want to get Amelia that strawberry ice cream she likes from the shop on Fifth Street.”
Antonio nodded slowly, his face showing no surprise at all. “Yes, Miss Aria. We can do that.”
He put the car into gear and turned off the main highway, taking the quiet, tree–lined avenue that led down toward the lower shopping district and the private academy. The rain was slowing down now, turning into a fine grey mist over the asphalt.
I sat in the back, watching Antonio in the mirror. He drove with smooth, practiced movements, but his eyes never stopped moving.
Every three seconds, his gaze flicked from the main road to the side mirrors, checking every parked car. every alleyway, and every pedestrian walking along the sidewalk.
But there was something else in his face today, a heavy, quiet thought he seemed to be holding back. “Antonio,” I spoke up, breaking the quiet hum of the car engine. “You look like you want to say something to me.”
Antonio did not turn his head, but his dark brows lifted slightly in the glass. “It is not my place to speak about personal matters, Miss Aria.”
“It is fine,” I told him gently. “We have been through enough together. You can say what is on your mind.”
17:15 Wed, Sep 9
My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires
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