The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 178

JULIAN’S POV

I was gripping the steering wheel tightly, driving down the road toward the ice rink for team rehearsals, when my phone buzzed on the seat next to me.

I looked down. It was a text message from one of my men, the guys I paid good money to keep an eye on everything happening around Aria’s office building.

The morning was already completely messed up before I even got that text. I had woken up in a terrible mood because of a massive fight with Leonie earlier that morning.

When I first opened my eyes in my bedroom, I had found Leonie right there, actively trying to pull off my sweatpants while I was still in bed. It disgusted me.

I had instantly pushed her away from me, sat up, and told her to pack her fucking things and get out of my house immediately. Instead of listening, she had started crying and screaming at the top of her lungs.

She told me that she was my wife and that she would never leave this house because of Aria. She kept crying, saying she loved me and that I belonged to her, not my ex.

I hadn’t said a single word back to her at that moment because my anger was so hot I was genuinely scared I would physically harm her if I opened my mouth. So instead of arguing, I had just forced myself to stay quiet.

I got out of bed, changed my clothes quickly, grabbed my sports duffel bag, and headed straight out the door to go to practice just to escape her.

And now, this text message made everything ten times worse.

The moment I pulled over to the side of the road and read the words on the screen, my blood ran hot with pure anger. The message was loud and clear.

David, that young board member who was supposed to be helping Aria, had actually sent a big bouquet of flowers and a romantic dinner invite to Aria’s office yesterday afternoon.

A dark rage completely blinded me. I slammed my foot down on the gas pedal, made a sharp U–turn right in the middle of the busy road, and drove all the way to a luxury apartment complex downtown.

I knew exactly where the bastard lived because I was the one paying for his place through a corporate business deal. I parked my car with a loud screech, got out, and waited near the main doors of the lobby.

It did not take long at all. The moment David came walking out of the building elevator, looking completely relaxed and proud of himself, I marched straight up to him.

Before he could even say a single word of greeting to me, I threw a heavy, brutal punch right across his face. The raw power of the blow knocked him flat on his back against the hard tiled floor.

His lip split open instantly, and thick, red blood began to flow down his chin. I stepped over him, my chest moving up and down heavily as I looked down at his pathetic body. “Is taking flowers to Aria part of your damn job description now?” I shouted, my voice echoing dangerously through the empty lobby.

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Instead of being sorry or scared, the idiot wiped the blood away from his mouth and let out a breathless, mocking laugh. He looked up at me with pure arrogance. “Aria is incredibly hot, Julian. I’ve been working close to her for days. I just couldn‘ t help myself.”

Hearing her name come out of his bloody mouth made me completely lose my mind. I dragged him up from the floor by his shirt collar and beat him into a bloody pulp right there in the lobby.

I didn’t stop hitting him until he was gasping for air, covered in deep bruises, and crying out in pain.

I reached down into his pocket, aggressively snatched his car keys out, and threw them across the room.

“Pack your bags and get out of this luxury apartment by sunset,” I growled, wiping his blood off my knuckles. “You’re done here.”

David coughed, spitting more blood onto the floor as he glared up at me with pure hatred. He cursed me loudly, his voice shaking with pain.

“You think you still own her, Julian? Wake up. Ari

another guy. Have you seen the internet today? Successfully unlocked!

tall anymore. Besides, she is already fucking

with him.”

I gnashed my teeth so hard my jaw ached, knowing exactly who he was talking about. Brandon. The reminder of that man touching what used to be mine sent a final wave of crazy fury through me.

Chapter 17R

I grabbed David’s arm, twisting it ruthlessly until a loud, sickening snap echoed through the room. He let out a loud scream of pure agony. I left him crying on the floor, turned around, and drove away from the building furiously.

By the time I got back into my car, my hands were shaking from the intense anger. I was in no condition to skate on the ice with the team.

I ended up completely skipping team rehearsals for the day. I didn’t care about the coach, the team rules, or the media backlash. I drove straight to a quiet, low–key bar on the edge of the city just to drown the loud thoughts in my head.

I sat in a dark corner booth, ordering glass after glass of hard liquor. I was deep in my thoughts, staring blankly at the drink, when a shadow fell over my table.

I looked up and saw an audacious, pretty lady who worked there as a stripper and daytime waitress. She was leaning against the table, looking at me with a smirk.

“Well, look who it is,” she said, her voice full of playful sarcasm. “What is the almighty Julian Vance doing so drunk and miserable in a place like this at ten o’clock in the morning?”

I didn’t answer her at first. I just stared at my glass, the alcohol making me desperate for answers. I raised my eyes to look at her. “Tell me something,” I muttered, my voice rough and full of pain.

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