The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 171

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Chapter 171

Chapter 171

ARIA’S POV

When I arrived at the office the next morning, the heavy tension in the air was palpable.

I barely had time to put my handbag down before Chloe hurried into my office, her face pale and her fingers nervously clutching a folder against her chest

“Miss Aria, we have a major problem,” Chloe said, her voice laced with anxiety. “Fred, the former acting CEO… he’s completely on the warpath.”/

I sat down heavily in my executive chair, my morning coffee suddenly tasting bitter. “What is he doing now, Chloe?”

“He’s threatening to withdraw every single one of his shares from the company,” she explained rapidly, opening the folder to show me the legal notices.

“Not just that, he’s also preparing to sue the company for impromptu dismissal, clairning wrongful termination despite serving this firm for a very long time. His lawyers are already drawing up the paperwork.”

I felt a headache blooming behind my eyes. I looked up at her, trying to keep my voice steady. “How bad is the situation, honestly?”

“It’s quite bad, ma’am,” Chloe said, looking at me with genuine concern. “If he pulls his shares out abruptly and files a massive, high-profile lawsuit, it will completely destabilize our current market value. It’ll put the company on the map for all the wrong reasons, right when we are trying to reassure our investors that everything is stable after your father’s passing.” My heart began to hammer against my ribs. I was completely out of my depth, and Fred knew it. He was trying to bully me out of my own father’s chair.

But just as the panic began to tighten around my throat, a sharp notification sound echoed from my laptop. I blinked, looking down at my screen.

An urgent email notification had just popped up in my inbox. I clicked it open, my eyes scanning the text rapidly. “Wait… “I murmured, leaning closer to the screen. “Chloe, look at this.”

It was an official letter from a massive, highly reputable investment firm. The email stated that they were willing to buy all of Fred’s withdrawn shares behind the scenes.

Also, they were officially expressing an immediate willingness to invest a huge, unprecedented amount of capital directly into our company.

Chloe leaned over my desk, reading the email over my shoulder. Her eyes widened, and a massive wave of relief washed over her face.

“Oh my goodness, Miss Aria! You need to accept this offer immediately. This is incredible news. They would completely cover the gap Fred left, and this cash influx will make the company unshakeable.”

I let out a breath I felt like I’d been holding since yesterday. “You’re right. Send a confirmation email. Tell them we are absolutely thrilled to partner with them.”

“Right away,” Chloe said, a bright smile finally breaking through her previous panic.

Γ

A quiet knock on my office door interrupted us. The glass door slid open, and David, the sharp young board member who had saved me the day before, stepped into the room.

He looked as neat and composed as always, holding a sleek leather folio. “Good morning, Miss Aria,” David said politely, his eyes flicking between me and Chloe.

“I apologize for dropping in unannounced, but I have some urgent information regarding Fred. I request a quick conversation with you, if you have the time.”

I nodded immediately, grateful for his presence. “Of course, David. Chloe, please step out for a moment and handle that

email.”

“Yes, ma’am, Chloe said, bowing her head slightly before slipping past David and closing the door firmly behind her. David walked over and took a seat in the chair across from my desk. He didn’t waste any time beating around the bush, I’m assuming you’ve already heard about Fred’s plan to sue the company for wrongful termination?”

“I just found out a few minutes asp,” I admitted, !s through the mud.”

Successfully unlocked!

desk. “He’s trying to drag my family’s name

David leaned forward, a calculating, brilliant spark in his eyes. “He is. But I wanted to come up here and suggest a few legal ways you can completely counter his attack and get back at him. You don’t have to sit back and take his threats, Aria.”

Chapter 171

“What do you mean?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Think about it, David said, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. “Fred didn’t just run this company poorly. He used this building as his personal playground. If you can quietly instruct the IT and security department to pull the internal CCTV footage of his various…escapades and intimate encounters in the executive office areas, you will have all the leverage you need. You can counter sue him for gross misconduct, breach of fiduciary duty, and highly unethical activities in a professional workspace.”

A slow, victorious smile spread across my face as his words sank in. It was absolute genius.

“With that footage in your hands,” David continued smoothly, “his lawsuit will completely disintegrate before it even reaches a courtroom. He’ll be forced to drop everything just to save his own reputation. That way, you’ll beat him at his own game.”

I let out a breathless, amazed laugh, looking at the young board member with immense gratitude. “David, that sounds like a really, really good plan. Thank you so much. Seriously, you are absolutely God-sent to me right now.”

“I’m just happy to see the company in the right hands-” David started, beginning to stand up from his chair.

But before he could finish his sentence, the heavy wooden door of my office burst open without a single warning knock. My breath hitched. Brandon walked directly into the room.

He was dressed in a pristine, dark grey three-piece suit, his towering frame dompletely dominating the entryway. But it wasn’t his clothes that made the air in the room instantly turn freezing cold, it was his face.

The moment Brandon’s eyes landed on David standing close to my desk, his expression darkened into a terrifying, icy scowl.

His jaw was clenched so tightly a vein was throbbing in his neck, and his chest heaved with a dangerous, possessive

energy.

David paused, sensing the sudden, suffocating shift in the room, but he kept his professional composure. He looked at Brandon, then turned back to me with a polite nod.

“I’ll leave you to your guest, Miss Aria. Let me know if you need help.”

“I will. Thank you, David, I murmured. David walked past Brandon, giving him a tight, courteous nod, which Brandon completely ignored, staring him down until the door slid shut behind him.

Once we were completely alone, the heavy silence stretched out between us. I stood up from my desk, letting out a soft sigh as I looked at the rigid, angry posture of my boyfriend.

“Brandon, what is the issue?” I asked, walking around the desk toward him. I could see the blazing territorial fire in his eyes, and it was impossible to miss.

“Don’t look at me like that. You’re jealous, aren’t you?” A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of my lips, trying to lighten the heavy mood. I reached out, gently placing my hands on his broad chest.

“You really have nothing to worry about. I was just having a business discussion with David. He’s just a board member who is trying to help me navigate Fred’s legal threats. He’s practically a lifesaver today.”

Brandon didn’t smile back. He wrapped his large hands around my wrists, pulling my hands away from his chest, though

ľ his grip was gentle. He looked down at me, his eyes dark and intense.

“I don’t like the way he looks at you, Aria,” Brandon said, his voice a low, possessive rumble. “And I don’t like him being in your office with the doors closed.”

I rolled my eyes playfully, but then a realization hit me, and my expression turned serious. I looked past him at the clock on the wall, then back at his face.

“Wait… Brandon, why are you always showing up here in the middle of the week anyway?” I asked, pulling my hands back. “You have a massive corporate empire to run in your own city. You can’t just keep abandoning your duties to fly down here every single day.”

“I already put things in place at my firm, Aria,” Brandon said, his tone softening just a fraction as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

“My managers can handle the daily operations for a while. I just wanted to be around you. I can’t help it. Every time I’m away from you, I’m constantly worried.”

1 sighed deeply, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion. His protectiveness was comforting, but right now, it was starting to feel a little suffocating.

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