The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181

ARIA’S POV

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The next morning, the bright sunlight felt a little warmer than usual as I got ready for the day. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick, sweet text to Brandon, telling him to enjoy his day and not to stress or worry about me or Amelia.

To be completely honest, the deep, intimate phone call we had shared the night before was still vividly etched in my brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about the rumble of his voice through the speaker or the way he openly admitted how much he missed us.

I really liked the slow, steady pace of our relationship. For the second time in five years, I had actually slept peacefully throughout the entire night just from hearing his reassuring voice before bed.

After a smooth morning routine, I drove Amelia to her kindergarten. I watched her run inside to join her friends, and then I turned my car around and headed straight to my office building because I had an early executive board meeting scheduled.

Wher. I walked into the boardroom and took my seat, I automatically scanned the room. I immediately noticed that David’s seat was completely empty.

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He didn’t show up for the presentation at all, which was incredibly strange and unprofessional for someone who was usually so eager to make an impression.

As soon as the meeting wrapped up and the other board members filed out, I turned to my personal assistant. “Chloe, please contact David right away,” I instructed, gathering my project files. “Find out why he missed the briefing.”

Chloe nodded and dialed his number right next to me on speakerphone. The call connected after a few long rings. But it wasn’t a professional voice that answered.

“What the hell do you want, Chloe?” David snapped. His voice sounded completely wrecked–hoarse, breathless, and laced with absolute venom.

Chloe blinked in shock but tried to maintain her professionalism. “Mr. David? You missed the executive board briefing this morning. Miss Aria requested an explanation for your-”

“Tell your precious CEO to go to hell.” David barked, cutting her off completely. I could hear him coughing painfully on the other end, his breathing ragged. “Don’t ever call this number again! Both of you can take your corporate files and shove them up your asses. I’m done with that miserable office.”

Before Chloe could even demand a proper explanation for his behavior, a loud, aggressive click echoed through the room. He had hung up the phone straight in her face.

I frowned deeply, staring at the dead screen. I instantly suspected that something was very wrong behind the scenes, but I just couldn’t place my finger on what it could be.

Why was he suddenly so furious, and why did he sound like he had been physically beaten? Either way, I planned to thoroughly find out what was going on later.

For now, I had more pressing personal matters to handle. I couldn’t keep relying on random babysitters or leaving my daughter’s schedule to chance while I managed a major company.

During my quiet office hours, I put out an official vacancy on several top application sites and childcare agencies for a professional nanny. I wanted someone young, qualified, and vibrant enough to properly cater to Amelia and keep up with her high energy whenever I was away at work.

While scrolling through the options, I came across a highly recommended, premium domestic agency. Their policy was

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1:23 pm

Chapter 181

M

Samque it required the parent to physically come into their main office to make a choice.

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They explained that you could personally see their top available workers, interview them face–to–face, and choose the perfect fit after a thorough personal assessment.

That approach was entirely new to me, but I actually liked the idea a lot. The agency seemed highly professional, and there were endless glowing reviews from other corporate mothers on their website.

When my lunch break finally rolled around, I grabbed my purse, left the office building, and went straight to the agency’s downtown address. I pulled open the heavy glass doors, but the exact moment I stepped through the entrance, I forcefully bumped straight into someone coming from the opposite direction.

I stumbled back a step, looking up to apologize, but the words completely froze in my throat.

Leonie.

I was absolutely not expecting to see her face here of all places. I froze, taking her in. She looked a bit older now, much more mature than she did five years ago, but her face looked incredibly stressed, haggard, and unhappy.

The youthful glow she used to flash in front of the cameras was completely gone. The moment Leonie recognized me, her eyes narrowed into slits. She scoffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, well. Look who it is.”

As usual, I had absolutely no desire to engage in her dramatic games. I kept my face entirely blank and tried to calmly walk past her to get to the reception desk, but Leonie deliberately stepped to the side, blocking my path entirely.

I let out a heavy, tired sigh, knowing full well that Leonie would never miss an opportunity to pick a fight with me. “Why can’t you just disappear for good, Aria?” she hissed, her voice trembling with sudden, raw anger.

She stepped closer, her eyes flashing with bitter resentment. “Why must you always come back to ruin everything? Why are you trying to ruin my marriage to Julian?”

I looked at her, completely unimpressed by her frantic outburst. “I don’t have any idea what you are talking about, Leonie,” I told her, keeping my voice perfectly calm, polite, and steady “I don’t have anything to do with Julian anymore, and I don’t care about your marriage. Now, please excuse me.”

I tried to step around her again, but she lunged forward slightly, her face twisting with malice. “Oh, keep on dreaming, Aria. Go ahead and play the innocent victim all you want. But let me remind you of reality. I am the one who wears Julian’s ring on my finger. I am his legal wife. You should mark my words right now, Julian will never accept you, and he will sure as hell never accept you and your little bastard back into his life.”

The word hit me like a physical blow. A sudden, dangerous spike of pure maternal rage flared hot in my chest. It was one thing to insult me, but I absolutely refused to let anyone speak about my innocent daughter that way

My eyes turned ice–cold, and I stepped firmly into her personal space, my voice dropping into a deadly, threatening whisper. “Never say that word about my daughter ever again, Leonie. Don’t you dare.”

I took a deep breath, forcing my composure back down because I refused to give her the satisfaction of causing a public scene in a respectable establishment.

I raised my chin, looking down at her stressed face with pity. “And for your information, I don’t want Julian, I have already moved on with a man who is a million times better than Julian could ever dream of being”

I didn’t wait around a single second to see her reaction or hear whatever desperate insult she was going to hurl next. I pushed right past her shoulder and walked straight into the private executive consulting rooms of the agency, leaving her standing frozen by the door.

I forced myself to completely push the unpleasant encounter out of my mind so I could focus on my daughter. The agency

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