The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Chapter 64

ARIA’S POV

It wasn’t Julian.

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The hope that had flared so brightly inside me died just as fast, leaving behind something hollow and heavy.

Because the woman standing at the entrance was someone I recognized instantly. Mrs. Vance. Julian’s mother.

Even if I had seen her before when I was younger and at that party Julian took me to, I still felt her aura and the power she exuded.

Everything about her screamed power, wealth and control. She was dressed impeccably, every detail of her appearance polished to perfection.

From the tailored outfit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe to the way she carried herself, straight-backed, chin lifted, eyes sharp.

She looked like someone who didn’t ask for things. She expected them. And got them.

My fingers tightened slightly around the glass in my hand as my heart began to race again, but this time, not from hope.

From unease. How did she find me? I had only gotten here last night. A thousand thoughts hit me all at once.

Did Julian tell her? Was she watching me? Did she already know everything? My chest tightened as she walked toward me, each step calm. Measured. Controlled.

Like she had all the time in the world. Like she already knew how this would end. She stopped right in front of me.

“Hello, Aria,” she said. Her voice was smooth. Refined. It was not warm, not cold. It was just certain and devoid of any emotion whatsoever in

I swallowed slightly. “Mrs. Vance.”

“May I?” she gestured toward the seat across from me. It wasn’t really a question. Still, I nodded stiffly.

She sat down gracefully, placing her designer bag on the table before folding her hands neatly in front of her. For a moment, she just looked at me. Studying me. Assessing. Like I was something to be evaluated.

I resisted the urge to shift under her gaze. “I’ll get straight to the point,” she said finally. Of course she would. “Julian was not born for an ordinary life.”

My brows pulled together slightly, but I said nothing. “He is the sole heir to the Vance empire,” she continued. “Everything he does, every decision he makes, it matters.”

Her eyes held mine. “And the woman by his side matters even more.” There it was. My grip tightened around

12:14 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 64

the edge of the table.

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“She needs to be someone who understands that world,” she added calmly. “Someone who belongs in it.”

Silence stretched between us. Heavy.

Uncomfortable. I still didn’t speak. Because I already knew where this was going.

“You’re a smart girl, Aria,” she said, her tone almost gentle. Almost. “You’ve just graduated. Your life is just beginning.”

Her hand moved, opening her bag with practiced ease. “And I think you’re capable of making the right decision for yourself.”

My heart began to pound harder as she pulled out a cheque book. No. No way. She wrote something down, smooth, quick, effortless.

Then she tore the check out and placed it in front of me. I stared at it. $10,000,000. Ten million.

For a second, I thought I was seeing things.

“You’ll need stability,” she continued, like she hadn’t just placed a price on me. “A job. Security.”

My throat tightened. “I own a boutique in another city,” she added. “You can manage it. You’ll live comfortably. You won’t have to struggle.”

My fingers curled slightly. “All I ask…” she paused, her gaze sharpening just a fraction, “is that you leave Julian.”

There it was. Clear. Simple. Transactional.

“And,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “convince him to move forward with Leonie.”

Leonie. Of course. My chest felt tight. Too tight. But I didn’t say a word. I just stared at the check in front of me. Ten million. A job. A new life. Everything laid out so neatly.

So easily. Like what I had with Julian could be reduced to numbers on a piece of paper. Slowly, I reached for the glass beside me, poured another shot and downed it in one go.

The burn didn’t help this time. Nothing did.

Without a word, I picked up the check. For a second, I just looked at it.

Then I stood up, turned and walked away. I didn’t need to stay there any longer than I already had. Mrs. Vance didn’t move, she didn’t stop me. She didn’t need to.

Because in her mind, she had already won. I turned and walked away. Step after step. Each one heavier than the last.

I didn’t look back. Didn’t say a word. I just lifted the glass again, finishing what was left as I walked out of the lounge.

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12:14 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 64

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