The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102

BRANDON’S POV

That night, I could not stay in the hospital anymore.

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The room felt too heavy. Every time I looked at Aria lying there without moving, it felt like something was squeezing my chest tighter and tighter.

I was scared. And I hated that feeling more than anything.

I stood beside her bed for a long moment before finally speaking. “You better wake up,” I said quietly. “Because I don’t know how to do this again.”

She stayed still. I looked away quickly and walked out before my thoughts could get worse.

The drive home was quiet. For once, I did not make any calls. I did not yell at anyone. I did not think about the truck or the attack.

All I could think about was her. And another woman.

By the time I got home, my head already felt heavy. I loosened my tie and walked upstairs slowly before stopping in front of a door I had not opened in months.

Maybe even years. I stared at it for a few seconds before finally pushing it open. The room smelled the same. Clean. Untouched. Frozen in time.

My jaw tightened. “Damn it,” I muttered quietly. I walked toward the shelf beside the bed and picked up the picture frame carefully.

Sophia.My wife. Five years later and the pain still felt fresh sometimes. My thumb brushed over the picture slowly as I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.

“You would laugh at me right now,” I said bitterly. The woman in the picture smiled back at me silently. “You always said I worried too much.”

I let out a dry laugh before reaching for the bottle sitting on the table nearby. I poured myself a drink immediately.

Then another. And another. The alcohol burned my throat, but I barely felt it. “She’s pregnant too,” I said quietly, staring at the picture. “And she’s lying in a hospital bed because of me.”

The memories came back immediately after that.

Sophia, screaming in pain. Doctors rushing around. Blood. Too much blood. Then silence.

I shut my eyes tightly and drank again.

“I couldn’t save you,” I whispered roughly. “And if Aria dies too…” My voice cracked slightly before I laughed bitterly at myself. “I won’t survive that.”

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12:25 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 102

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Because guilt never left. It stayed. It followed you into every quiet moment and every sleepless night. I leaned back against the bed, staring at the picture in my hand.

“I still remember what you said before they took you into surgery,” I murmured quietly. “Take care of our son if something happens to me.””

My grip on the bottle tightened. “And then both of you died.” The room fell silent after that.

I drank until my thoughts blurred together. Drank until the fear inside me became dull enough to breathe through.

At some point, exhaustion finally won. The bottle slipped from my hand onto the carpet as sleep dragged me under.

My phone ringing woke me up the next morning. I groaned slightly and grabbed it blindly from the floor. “What?” I muttered tiredly.

“Mr. Brandon?” a doctor’s voice answered quickly.

My eyes opened immediately. “What happened?”

“The operation was successful.”

I sat up instantly. “What?”

“Miss Aria survived the surgery,” he continued. “And the baby was delivered safely.”

For a second, I could not speak. Then finally, “The baby?”

“A girl,” he said.

Something strange tightened in my chest. “A daughter,” I repeated quietly.

“She’s premature, so we placed her in the incubator immediately. We’re monitoring her closely.”

I rubbed my face slowly, trying to process everything at once. “And Aria?”

“She’s stable,” he replied carefully. “But she still hasn’t regained consciousness.”

My chest tightened again immediately. “What does that mean?”

“It means we wait,” he answered. “We’re doing everything we can to bring her out of the coma.”

I shut my eyes briefly. “Fine.”

There was a short pause before the doctor spoke again. “There’s something else.”

My expression hardened instantly. “What now?”

“The driver who brought her in…” He hesitated slightly. “He passed away last night.”

12:25 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 102

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Silence filled the room. I lowered my head slowly.

Derek. I remembered the way Dominic described it. The way he had thrown himself over Aria to protect her.

He died doing his job. No. He died protecting someone important to me. My jaw clenched tightly. “When?”

“A few hours ago.”

I exhaled slowly through my nose. “Thank you for informing me,” I said quietly before ending the call.

The room became silent again. Then suddenly, anger hit me so hard that I stood up abruptly and kicked the chair beside me across the room.

“Damn it!” The crash echoed loudly through the house. I dragged both hands through my hair roughly, breathing hard.

“They keep dying,” I muttered bitterly. “Everybody around me keeps dying.”Derek had been loyal for years. He was not just another employee.

My men were family in ways my real family never managed to be. And now he was dead because somebody wanted me gone. That thought alone made my blood boil.

I grabbed my jacket quickly and headed for the door. On my way to the hospital, my phone rang again. This time, it was Dominic. I answered immediately. “What?”

“We found the man who drove the truck.”

My grip on the steering wheel tightened instantly. “Where is he?”

There was silence for a second. Then Dominic spoke carefully. “He’s dead, boss.” I froze.

“What?”

“We found him this morning,” he explained. “He consumed a large amount of toxic substances.”

I laughed bitterly immediately. “How convenient.”

“We think he killed himself right after the attack.”

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