The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Chapter 89

ARIA’S POV

The notification stayed on my screen far longer than it should have.

One hundred thousand dollars.

2255 vouchers

I read it again. And again. As if the numbers would rearrange themselves into something smaller, something less deliberate. But they didn’t.

They stayed exactly the same. Heavy. Intentional.

My fingers tightened around the phone as a bitter realization crept in.

Julian. Who else could it be?

The name didn’t appear, but it didn’t need to. The source alone was enough. Vance Corp. That was all the confirmation I needed.

A slow, humorless breath slipped past my lips as my mind began to spiral. Why would he send me money?

No. That wasn’t the right question. Why now?

My thoughts moved quickly, piecing together everything I had just learned. My father’s company. The project. The shares that rightfully belonged to me.

Was this guilt? Was he trying to ease his conscience after taking something that wasn’t his?

Or worse, was this supposed to silence me?

My jaw tightened.

I thought about calling him. Demanding answers. Throwing the money back in his face and asking him what kind of game he thought he was playing.

But the moment the thought formed, it collapsed just as quickly. I didn’t have his number anymore.

I had deleted it. Deleted everything connected to him in a desperate attempt to move on, to erase what he had done to me.

And now…now I couldn’t even reach him. A bitter laugh rose in my throat, but I swallowed it down.

Of course. Of course it would happen like this.

“Is everything okay?”

Brandon’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I looked up quickly, my expression smoothing over before he could read too much into it. “Yes,” I said, a little

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12:21 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 89

too fast.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than I liked, but he didn’t push.

“I just…” I hesitated briefly, choosing my words carefully. “I need a place.”

His brows drew together slightly. “A place?”

“To stay,” I clarified. “Somewhere I can be alone. Just for a while. I need to clear my head.”

There was a pause. “And you don’t want me involved,” he said.

It wasn’t a question. I met his gaze. “I don’t.”

$5 vouche

Silence stretched between us, but it wasn’t tense. Not quite. It felt more like he was weighing something internally.

Then he nodded once. “I’ll arrange it.”

I blinked, slightly surprised at how easily he agreed. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

True to his word, it didn’t take long.

By the end of the day, he had already found a place. Everything was handled quickly, efficiently, just like everything else he did.

But when he told me the location, I frowned. “It’s not far from here,” I said slowly.

“No,” he confirmed.

I crossed my arms slightly. “Why?”

His answer came without hesitation. “Because that’s as far as I’m willing to let you stay.”

I stared at him.

“You said you wanted independence,” he continued calmly. “Not isolation.”

“That’s not your decision to make.”

“No,” he agreed. “But your safety is.”

My chest tightened slightly at the firmness in his tone.

“I still see you as my responsibility, Aria,” he added. “And I won’t have you alone somewhere I can’t reach you. Not in your condition.”

For a moment, I wanted to argue. To push back. To remind him that I wasn’t his to protect. But the words didn’t come out.

Because a small part of me understood. And another part didn’t mind as much as it should have.

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12:21 Thu, May 14 N

Chapter 89

“…Fine,” I said finally, though there was reluctance in my voice. That should have been the end of it. But it wasn’t. Because the next day, everything took another turn.

The office felt different. Heavier. Quieter. Or maybe that was just me. I had barely settled in when I heard it. Whispers. Low. Careless. Meant to be quiet, but not quiet enough.

“At this rate, anyone can become his assistant.”

A soft laugh followed. “Please. You really think she got here based on qualifications?”

I stilled.

“She’s been here for what? A few days? And she’s already that close to him?”

Another laugh.

“You know what they say…pretty girls don’t struggle for long.”

My fingers curled slowly into fists. I turned. There were two of them. Standing just a few feet away, clearly not expecting me to hear.

Or maybe they didn’t care. Their expressions shifted slightly when they noticed me looking, but not enough.

Not guilty. Not apologetic. Just amused. Something inside me snapped. Before I could think, before I could stop myself, I closed the distance between us in a few quick steps.

And then, SLAP.

The sound echoed through the room. Loud. Sharp. Unmistakable. The girl’s head snapped to the side, her hand flying to her cheek as shock registered across her face.

For a second, everything went completely still. “You don’t get to talk about me like that,” I said, my steady despite the fire burning inside me.

Her shock melted into anger almost instantly. “Are you crazy?!” she snapped, stepping forward.

Her hand lifted, ready to strike back, “Enough.”

The voice cut through the tension instantly. Brandon. We all turned.

voice

He stood at the entrance, his expression darker than I had ever seen it, his presence alone enough to silence the entire room.

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