The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176

ARIA’S POV

That night, I had the best sleep I had experienced in months. I literally went to bed smiling sheepishly up at my ceiling, my fingers tracing my lips where the warmth of Brandon’s kiss still lingered.

It had been a very long time since I felt that beautiful, giddy feeling of butterflies swirling around in my stomach.

Falling asleep felt effortless, and for once, the constant nightmares about my past didn’t chase me. The next morning, however, reality came knocking the moment I stepped into the corporate headquarters.

I had scheduled an early board meeting to review our new financial balance, but as ! sat at the head of the long table, I noticed a prominent empty seat.

David wasn’t present. We were already fifteen minutes into the budget presentation when the heavy doors opened. David strolled in casually, without a single word of apology to the room.

He didn’t even look at me with his usual respect. Instead, as the meeting progressed, he actively went out of his way to pick on my proposals on purpose, questioning my data and cutting me off in front of the other executives.

I found his sudden shift in attitude incredibly demeaning and unprofessional. The moment the meeting was adjourned and the other board members filed out, I closed my laptop with a sharp snap and confronted him before he could leave. “David, wait,” I said, my voice tight as I walked over to him. “What was that about? You completely picked apart my report on purpose.”

Instead of apologizing, David turned to face me, his expression cold and distant. He shrugged his shoulders, his tone even more rude than before.

“I was just doing my job as a board member, Miss Aria. We can’t let sentimental feelings blind our corporate growth, can we?” I stared at him, stunned. He didn’t wait for my

response. He just grabbed his folio and walked out. I stood there, trying to process his cold behavior, before letting out a slow breath.

I just let him be, assuming he was probably paranoid, bitter, or upset because of yesterday’s event when Brandon had aggressively claimed his territory right in front of him.

But David’s attitude wasn’t the only storm brewing that day. Just when I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with the suffocating stress of the paparazzi for a while, Chloe walked into my office and handed me her tablet.

My heart sank. Right there on a popular entertainment blog was a high–definition photograph of Brandon and me leaving the luxury hotel restaurant hand in hand from our date last night.

The headlines were already running wild with speculation about our romance. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a massive headache coming on.

Later that afternoon, I decided I needed a break from the office walls, et Chloe in charge and drove to a quiet high–end supermarket downtown, opting to shop for a few personal groceries to clear my mind.

I was carefully picking out some fresh fruits in the produce aisle when a shadow fell over my cart. I looked up and ran into a young, exceptionally pretty lady.

She was elegantly dressed and gave me a warm, dazzling smile the moment our eyes met. “Hi! You’re Aria, right?” she asked, her voice bright.

“Yes, I am,” I replied politely, a bit guarded.

“I knew it,” the lady clapped her hands together softly. “I’m sorry to burst in on your shopping, but I just had to introduce myself. I’m a close friend of Brandon’s. I saw the online news today, and I just wanted to congratulate you on your growing relationship. He really deserves to be happy.”

I forced a polite smile, but inside, I found the entire interaction incredibly strange. Brandon and I talked almost every single day, and he barely ever spoke about any female friends. I thanked her briefly, and after a few more polite words, she waved goodbye and walked away.

When I finally finished shopping and got home later that evening, the heavy mood from the supermarket instantly evaporated the moment I unlocked the front door.

A deep, deep baritone laugh echoed from the living room, mixed with the sweet, high–pitched giggles of my daughter. I walked into the space and found Brandon right there on the rug, completely caught up in playing a silly game with Amelia. Seeing him throw his corporate seriousness away just to make my daughter laugh sent a warm ache through my chest.

Chapter 176

40 Voucher

After Amélia ran off to her room to fetch another toy, I walked over to Brandon, crossing my arms as he stood up from the floor

“You’re here early,” I smiled, before my expression turned slightly curious. “By the way, I ran into a young lady at the grocery store today. She introduced herself as your friend and congratulated me on us.

Brandon paused, looking up at me: “Qh? What did she look like?”

After I described her, a look of recognition flashed across his handsome face. “Ah, that’s Sarah. She’s an old friend from high school. We completely lost contact for years, but we actually just bumped into each other and reunited a few days ago at Julian’s cousin’s wedding.”

I arched an eyebrow, a small twinge of insecurity hitting me. “A wedding guest? I thought we were still keeping our relationship completely low–key, Brandon. Does she know everything about us?”

Brandon chuckled softly, stepping closer and wrapping his hands around my waist. “Aria, heave a sigh of relief. I promise you it’s nothing like that. She only found out because she was teasing me at the wedding for still being a stubborn single bachelor, so I told her I was officially off the market. That’s all.”

I let out a genuine breath of relief, resting my forehead against his chest for a second. I was so glad. For a moment, I honestly thought I was going to have to get ready to fight another dramatic, obsessive girl like Leonie.

“See? Nothing to worry about,” Brandon whispered against my hair.

Right then, Amelia’s little footsteps pounced back into the living room. “Mommy, look at my new doll.”

Brandon quickly distracted Amelia, pointing toward the window. “Whoa, Amelia, look over there. Is that a bird on the balcony?”

The moment the innocent little girl turned her head around to look, Brandon used that split second of distraction to lean down and steal a quick, firm kiss right from my lips.

“Brandon.” I gasped, my face turning bright red as I quickly smacked his arm. “You are so silly. She’s right there.” Brandon just grinned, his eyes sparkling with pure mischief as he picked Amelia up and tossed her gently into the air, making her squeal with joy.

He ended up staying for dinner that evening. The three of us shared a wonderful, loud meal at the table, full of Amelia’s stories from school.

By the time we finished eating and cleaned up the kitchen, Amelia was yawning heavily. Brandon carried her upstairs to her room, gently tucking her into bed and kissing her forehead before slipping out.

When he walked back down to the living room, he checked his watch. A loud clap of thunder suddenly shook the windows, followed by the heavy, aggressive sound of rain pouring down outside.

“Well, it’s getting late, Aria,” Brandon said, looking out the glass window at the dark, wet driveway. “I should probably leave now so you can get some rest.”

I looked out the window, then back at his face. The storm was getting worse by the second. “Brandon, no, it’s way too late,” I told him, stepping closer.

“I really don’t want you driving out there in this weather. Plus, it is raining heavily right now. The roads will be completely dangerous.”

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