The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

ARIA’S POV

20 90ucher.

Some days later, I was sipping coffee in the new apartment when my phone suddenly rang, shattering the quiet,

It was the man I had left completely in charge of running my late father’s company. Mr Fred.

The moment I swiped the screen and answered, his frantic, high–stress voice came rushing through the speaker, completely destroying any hope I had of finding a moment of peace.

“Miss Aria, we have a massive problem on our hands, and it’s spreading fast,” he said, skipping any sort of greeting or pleasantries.

“The major shareholders are suddenly pulling out their investments one by one, and the company’s stock prices are dropping rapidly on the market. It’s causing a total panic, and if we don’t check it right now, we are going to face a complete collapse.”

I rubbed my temples, a sharp, throbbing headache instantly blooming behind my eyes as I listened to him. “Then fix it,” I told him, forcing my voice to stay steady even though my heart was beginning to race.

“That is exactly why I put you in charge to head the operations in my stead. You know the business inside and out. You need to handle the board and calm them down.”

“Miss Aria, listen to me, if I could fix this crisis on my own, I would have done it already,” he replied, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh through the receiver that made my stomach drop.

“But the board members and the top investors are completely refusing to deal with an acting CEO anymore. They don’t want to talk to a middleman. They need to meet you. They want to look their actual, official CEO in the eyes and have your personal word on the future of the company before they put another single dime into this business. Please let me know your décision, Miss Aria.

The moment the call ended and the line went dead, a wave of cold, suffocating panic washed over my chest. I stared down at my hands, realizing they were trembling all over again, just like they used to.

I hadn’t intended to go back to our old city so soon. I had literally just moved into this secret, hidden apartment specifically to escape Julian and the endless drama, and now my past was forcing me right back into a tight corner.

Why did things always have to turn out this way? Why couldn’t the universe just give me a single moment to breathe and figure things out?

I sat down heavily on the edge of the unpacked couch, completely lost on what my next move should be. For a split second, my instincts screamed at me to reach out and consult Brandon.

He was always my anchor in a storm, the one person who knew exactly how to handle difficult corporate situations and fierce business politics. But I stopped myself, my fingers hovering frozen over the phone screen.

I couldn’t do that to him anymore. It would be incredibly selfish and unfair.

After ghosting him for days, leaving him completely in the dark about where we went, and ignoring his incredibly sweet email, calling him now just because I suddenly needed his professional help was terribly insensitive.

I couldn’t keep running back to him only when it was convenient for me, using his kindness as a shield. I took a deep, shaky breath, steeling myself as I dialed Fred’s number.

“Call them back and tell the board I’m coming,” I said, my voice hardening into something sharp and determined. “Set up the meeting. I will be there.”

1

Chapter 149

20 vouchers

Maybe it was high time I stopped running away. Maybe it was finally time to stop hiding in the shadows, pretending I could disappear, and finally take full, unyielding responsibility for my father’s legacy.

Trying to clear the fog from my mind, I grabbed my car keys and drove across town to pick up Amelia from her new kindergarten.

When I walked through the front office, her new classroom teacher spotted me and walked over with a warm, incredibly reassuring smile.

“Ms. Aria, I am so glad I caught you,” the teacher said kindly, leaning in slightly.

“I just wanted to let you know that Amelia is doing absolutely wonderful in her new class. Especially for a child who just transferred, she’s adjusting so quickly, making friends easily, and she is an absolute joy to have in the room.”

A massive, heavy weight lifted off my shoulders, and I felt a genuine smile touch my lips for the first time all day. “Thank you so much,” I replied, my voice softening. “Hearing that means the absolute world to me right now.”

When Amelia came running out of the classroom moments later, her face completely lit up at the sight of me, and she jumped straight into my arms, hugging my neck tightly.

To celebrate her great report and give her a little bit of comfort in the middle of all this moving stress, I drove her straight to a nearby parlor and got her a huge, double scoop of her absolute favorite ice cream.

As we sat in the parked car and she happily licked her melting ice cream in the passenger seat, she suddenly paused, looking over at me with big, curious, innocent eyes. “Mommy? Can we go see Uncle Brandon today? I really miss him.”

My chest tightened painfully at the mention of his name, a fresh wave of sharp guilt hitting me square in the gut. I reached over, offering her a soft, reassuring smile as I gently patted her knee.

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