The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 25

ARIA’S POV

The last person I expected to hear from after what happened at the hospital was Luca’s mother.

The last time we had spoken, she had practically thrown me out of the room like I was some kind of disease. Like my presence alone was enough to ruin her son.

So when my phone first rang and I saw her name on the screen, I assumed she was calling to insult me again. To blame me. To remind me that Luca was lying in that hospital bed because of me.

That was why I ignored the call. Once. Twice. Even the third time. But then Julian had told me to answer it. And now I wished I hadn’t. The offer she made hung in the air like something heavy and suffocating.

I’ll buy the cafe. I’ll make you the owner. You won’t have to work under anyone anymore. My fingers tightened around the phone. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

Owning that coffee shop… wasn’t just about money. It meant stability. Security. Freedom. That little café had been the one place where I felt safe after everything that had happened with Luca.

The smell of roasted beans, the early morning rush, the small tips customers left behind, it had become my small world. And now she was offering to give it to me.

Just like that.

But I knew better. I knew exactly what this was. A trap. They wanted to use me. Use me to make Luca eat. Use me to make him recover. And when he was better… They would throw me away again.

Just like before. My lips trembled slightly as the thoughts tangled inside my head. For a moment, temptation crept in. Owning the café meant I would never have to struggle again.

No more late shifts. No more counting coins to make sure rent was paid. No more worrying about the future. It was all right there. One yes away.

Slowly, my eyes lifted. And met Julian’s. He hadn’t said a word. He was just watching me. Patiently. Calmly. But there was something intense in his gaze. Something sharp.

Something that made my heart beat a little faster.

He was waiting. Waiting to see what I would choose. And suddenly, I realized something. Accepting that offer wouldn’t just

affect me.

Luca’s family hated Julian. Everyone knew that. If I accepted money from them, if I accepted something so big from them… It would feel like betrayal. The realization settled heavily in my chest.

I took a slow breath. Then another. Before finally speaking. “I’m sorry.” My voice was soft but steady.

“I can’t accept that”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then Luca’s mother spoke again. Her voice was more frantic now. “Aria, please listen…”

“I understand you’re worried about Luca,” I said gently. “But using me to control him won’t help.”

“I’m not using you!” she cried. “I’m trying to save my son!” My chest tightened at the desperation in her voice.

But my answer didn’t change. “I hope he gets better,” I said quietly. “I truly do. But I can’t be part of this.” Another pause.

1/3

Chapter 25

Then her voice came again.

More desperate than before. “I’ll give you more.” My brows knit together.

“What?”

“I’ll buy the cafe and give you extra money,” she continued quickly. “We can even find you a bigger location. A better one. You can expand the business…”

“I’m sorry,” I repeated firmly.

She didn’t stop. “I’ll double the offer.” My throat tightened. “Please just come see him once. Just once! If he eats and takes his medication, that’s enough! I swear!”

For a moment, guilt stabbed through my chest.

Because I could hear the fear in her voice. She wasn’t just being manipulative. She was a mother who was terrified of losing her son.

But still…I couldn’t do it. “I hope Luca recovers,” I said softly. “But I can’t come.” And before she could say anything else…I ended the call. The room fell silent. The only sound was my uneven breathing.

Slowly, I lowered the phone from my ear. When I looked up, Julian was still watching me. Something had changed in his expression. Something softer.

Something… relieved.

I noticed it immediately. The tension that had been sitting on his shoulders earlier was gone. He hadn’t realized it. But I saw it. And somehow, that made my chest feel warm.

A few seconds passed before he finally spoke. “Do you want the café?”

My eyes widened. “What?”

His gaze didn’t waver. “If you want it,” he said calmly, “I can buy it for you.” For a moment, I just stared at him. Was he serious? “You could run it the way you want,” he continued. “No interference. No conditions.”

My heart skipped. Because a part of me wanted to say yes. Owning that café had always been a dream. The idea of walking in there and knowing it was mine, the idea of building something for myself… It was tempting. Dangerously tempting.

But then another thought followed right after. I had always been independent. Everything I had ever owned, every single thing, I had worked for it myself. No handouts. No favors. No strings attached.

And I knew Julian well enough to understand something. Even if he said there were no conditions, nothing given by someone as powerful as him would ever truly be free.

If I accepted it, a part of my life would belong to him. And that thought made something inside me tighten. I didn’t want to feel owned. I didn’t want to feel like I owed him something.

So I bit the inside of my cheek. Hard. Then I shook my head. “No.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify