The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Chapter 129

ARIA’S POV

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I walked into the small roadside cafe on 4th Avenue, the rusty bell above the door giving a dull chime.

It was a simple place with faded linoleum floors, plastic chairs, and a strong, heavy smell of cheap coffee beans. It was completely different from the fancy, glass–walled restaurants my dad used to take me to when I was growing up.

But this was exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want luxury right now. I wanted a place where we could just be two ordinary people talking, completely away from the corporate world.

Mr. Ford was already sitting at a small corner table by the window, tapping his fingers nervously against a paper cup. The moment he saw me walk in, he stood up so quickly he almost knocked his chair over backward.

He tried his best to flash a warm, welcoming smile, but I could see the sheer panic hiding in his eyes.

“Miss Aria! My goodness, it is so incredibly good to see you,” he said, quickly stretching his hand out across the table. “You look wonderful. And this beautiful little angel must be your baby. She looks just like your mother, God rest her soul. Please, sit down! Can I get you a coffee, a tea, or maybe something to eat?”

I didn’t take his hand, and I didn’t smile back. I just adjusted the straps of the baby carrier, ensuring Amelia was comfortable against my chest, and sat down in the plastic chair directly across from him.

“Cut the act, Mr. Ford,” I said quietly, keeping my voice cold, steady, and completely direct.

His fake smile disappeared instantly, slipping off his face like a mask. He sat down slowly, pulling his hand back and gripping his paper cup tightly as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded.

Looking at him across the table, I felt a sharp, bitter wave of anger twisting in my stomach. Before my dad died, this man was a constant part of our lives.

He ate dinner at our family house almost every single week, and he benefited so much from my dad’s immense wealth and generosity. I used to trust him completely. I trusted him enough that I used to call him Uncle Ford.

But the exact moment my dad passed away and my uncle took over the company, Mr. Ford didn’t hesitate. He quickly switched sides and started working for my uncle just to keep his high–paying job and curry favor with the new power.

I absolutely hated him for being such a coward and abandoning me when I had nothing.

But right now, as much as I despised him, I knew I needed him. He knew the inner workings of my father’s company better than anyone else alive.

“Miss Aria, please,” Mr. Ford stammered, his eyes shifting around the quiet cafe. He looked completely terrified. He already knew my uncle was sitting in a jail cell, and it was obvious he thought I had brought him here to ruin his career and destroy his life next.

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18:15 Mon, Jun 1

Chapter 129

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“I know exactly what you must think of me. You think I am a traitor and that I am only out for revenge.”

He leaned forward across the scarred table, his hands shaking so much that a little bit of coffee spilled out from the lid of his cup.

“I only did it because I felt I had absolutely no choice,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

“My daughter, Chloe, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition and needed a transplant. The medical bills were completely burying my family. Your uncle offered to pay off all her medical debt and get her to the top of the donor list, but only if I stayed and ran the company for him. I was a desperate father, Aria. I did what I had to do to save my little girl.”

He wiped a layer of sweat from his forehead and looked directly into my eyes, pleading for mercy.

“And I swear to you on her life, I really thought your uncle bought the company legally. He showed me signed papers and legal transfers. I didn’t know it was all a giant lie. I had absolutely no idea that he murdered your family.”

I stared at him without showing a single ounce of emotion. A part of me wanted to believe his tragic story about his daughter, but the tough, painful life

I had been living for the past few months made me skeptical of everyone.

In the business world, everyone always has a sad story to tell the moment they get caught on the losing side.

But whether he was lying or telling the truth didn’t actually change my reality. The facts were still the same: I needed his help. I couldn’t run a massive, multi–billion–dollar company all by myself while taking care of a newborn baby and trying to heal from my severe trauma.

“I’m not out for revenge, Mr. Ford,” I told him calmly, watching his expression carefully. He blinked at me in absolute surprise, completely stunned by my words.

“I want you to be the acting CEO of the company right now,” I explained, leaning in slightly so no one else could hear us. “You will handle the daily workload, run the board meetings, and quietly get rid of all my uncle’s loyalists in the upper management.”

Mr. Ford’s jaw dropped open. “Acting CEO? Miss Aria, I… I don’t even know what to say. After everything I did…

“Don’t thank me just yet,” I interrupted sharply, cutting him off before he could get comfortable.

“This is a test. If you do a good job, run the company honestly, and protect my father’s assets, you will get to keep your old executive office when I finally return. But hear me clearly: if you fail, if you misuse your power, or if you try to steal even a single dollar from me, I will personally make sure you end up in a jail cell right next to my uncle. Do you understand my terms?”

He nodded his head quickly, swallowing hard. “Yes, absolutely I understand completely. I won’t fail you, Miss Aria. I swear it.”

“There is one more thing,” I said, my voice dropping even lower. “No one in that corporate building can know that I am the new owner and boss. To the public and the media, you are the face of the company. I will give you all your orders from the sidelines in total secrecy. You will call me on a private, encrypted line every

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Chapter 129

single night to report exactly what happens.”

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