Chapter 234 · My Hockey Roommate’s Filthy Desires

Chapter 234

BRANDON'S POVThe afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long, sharp shadows across the concrete floor of my secret construction site.I stood on the unfinished third floor of the building, checking my watch. The workers were busy below me, moving pieces of steel and pouring concrete. This project was moving quickly, and that was exactly how I needed it.I pulled out my tablet from my jacket pocket to review the latest security uploads. The screen displayed a live, highly encrypted security grid with multiple camera angles.My tech team had just finished installing an independent surveillance network around the perimeter of Aria’s property. It did not tap into her house's existing system at all.I wanted a completely separate, untraceable feed that went straight to my personal device, away from any potential hackers or corporate spies.Through the clear lenses of the new cameras, I could see every angle of the estate. The front gates were completely visible, the long gravel driveway was clear, and even the thick treeline surrounding her property line was under constant watch.A heavy sense of relief washed over my chest as I swiped through the feeds. With Marcus Sinclair’s multi-million dollar investment officially locking down her company’s deficit, her professional life was secure.And now, with my men having installed the cameras, her physical surroundings were completely covered. I felt like I had built an invisible wall around her."The perimeter is totally locked down, Mr. Brandon," my lead tech specialist said, stepping up the concrete stairs and adjusting a wireless transmitter on the wall. "Nothing moves within fifty yards of her property without triggering a silent alert on your phone. We tested the motion sensors twice.""Good," I rumbled, shutting off the screen and tucking the tablet securely into my suit jacket. "Keep monitoring the frequencies from the main hub. If so much as a stray dog approaches those gates, I want a notification about it instantly.""Understood, sir. We are on it," he said with a respectful nod. I took off my yellow hard hat, handed it to the project manager who was waiting by the scaffolding, and walked down to my car.The new company headquarters was located right in the middle of the city, in the tallest glass skyscraper downtown. Because of that, I usually had to drive through a lot of heavy downtown traffic to get back to the quiet residential district where Aria lived.Today was no different. The streets were packed with cars, and horns were honking as people tried to get home after work.But I didn't care about the distance or the annoying traffic. I just needed to get back to Aria's house. Every minute I spent away from her lately felt like a risk, even with all my security measures in place.When I finally pulled into her driveway, parked the car, and unlocked the heavy front door, the atmosphere instantly changed. The stress of the city melted away.The rich, savory scent of garlic, rosemary, and roasting meat hit me immediately from the hallway. A soft, melodic laugh echoed from the kitchen, lifting a weight off my shoulders. It was Aria.I walked into the dining room and paused, a genuine smile breaking across my face. The grand wooden table was beautifully set with the fine china and white candles.Aria was standing near the head of the table, adjusting a vase of fresh flowers. Her face was completely radiant.The terrible stress and exhaustion that had clouded her beautiful features yesterday during the Sterling drama were entirely gone. She looked alive, confident, and victorious. This was the woman who could conquer any boardroom."Brandon! You're back," she cheered, her eyes lighting up the moment she noticed me standing in the doorway. I met her halfway as she walked toward me, wrapping my arms securely around her waist and pulling her against my chest.I buried my face in her neck, breathing in her familiar, calming scent of vanilla and rain. "What is all this, beautiful?""A celebration dinner," she said, looking up at me with bright, glowing eyes, her hands resting on my chest. "Marcus Sinclair’s team finalized the wire transfers this afternoon. The board of directors is completely silent, the expansion project is fully funded, and Thomas Sterling's name has been officially erased from our corporate registry. The lawyers finished the paperwork an hour ago. I wanted to celebrate a true victory with the people I love.""You deserve every bit of it, my queen," I murmured, my heart swelling with pride. I leaned down and pressed a deep, lingering kiss against her lips, feeling her relax completely in my arms. "You fought hard for this.""Uncle Brandon. Look at my dress!" I pulled away with a chuckle as Amelia came bursting into the dining room from the hallway. She was wearing a bright pink frilly dress and spinning around in circles until she nearly lost her balance and tumbled onto the rug.Right behind her was Sarah, walking with her usual quiet, graceful steps. Sarah had a gentle, incredibly sweet smile on her face, her eyes downcast respectfully as she stopped near the edge of the kitchen doorway, smoothing down her clean white apron."You look absolutely beautiful, princess," I said, catching Amelia in my arms before she could fall. I lifted her high into the air, making her squeal and giggle with pure delight."Sarah helped me pick it out from my closet for Mommy's big party," Amelia giggled, pointing her small finger back at the nanny.I set Amelia back down on her feet and looked over at Sarah, giving her an appreciative, warm nod. "Thank you, Sarah. For everything you do around here.""It's my absolute pleasure, Mr. Brandon," Sarah said softly, her voice smooth, innocent, and entirely polite. She crossed her hands neatly in front of her. "Miss Aria has worked so hard lately. I wanted to make sure the house felt special and happy for her tonight. I'll start bringing out the hot dishes from the kitchen now."We all sat down at the table, and the atmosphere was lighter than it had been in months. Aria sat at the head, talking animatedly about her upcoming logistics timeline, her voice full of the passion and intelligence that made me fall in love with her in the first place.Amelia was busy eating her food and telling me a long, funny story about a butterfly she saw on the playground at school. Meanwhile, Sarah moved silently and efficiently around the table, pouring fresh water into our glasses and serving the food with total, flawless precision.Watching Sarah carefully cut up a piece of chicken into small bites for Amelia, I felt a deep wave of gratitude. In a dangerous world where my private investigators were constantly fighting off threats from people like Leonie and Julian, this house felt like a perfect, untainted sanctuary."Oh, Miss Aria," Sarah said casually as she cleared away an empty salad plate, her tone perfectly light, friendly, and conversational."I wanted to ask you about this upcoming weekend. There is a special children's charity festival happening at the botanical gardens on Saturday morning. They have pony rides, outdoor puppet shows, face painting, and a lot of outdoor activities Amelia would love. I was thinking it might be a wonderful, relaxing day trip for her."Amelia’s eyes instantly went wide, and she dropped her fork on her plate. "Ponies? Mommy, please! Can we go see the ponies? Please, Sarah can take me!"Aria smiled warmly at her daughter's excitement, looking over at me before turning her attention back to Sarah. "That sounds like an amazing idea, Sarah. God knows she’s been cooped up in the house too much with all the chaos and security issues lately. Thank you so much for finding that and looking out for her.""Of course, ma'am. I just want her to be happy and have some fun," Sarah replied sweetly, giving Amelia a gentle, loving pat on the shoulder before heading back into the kitchen with the dirty dishes.A strange, subtle flicker went off in the back of my mind. My protective instincts suddenly stirred, a small alarm bell ringing faintly in my chest. The botanical gardens were wide open, crowded, and completely outside my secure perimeter.It was a public space where anything could happen. But I quickly shook the bad feeling off, mentally chastising myself for being paranoid.Sarah was just being a thoughtful, attentive nanny, and Amelia deserved to have a normal childhood without being locked in a fortress all day. I decided I would simply double the undercover security detail following their car that morning to ensure total safety.Later that night, after Amelia had been put to bed and Aria had fallen asleep in our bedroom, exhausted from the long week but finally happy, I stepped out onto the dark balcony with a glass of scotch.The night air was cool, and the house behind me was completely still. Suddenly, my phone vibrated roughly in my suit pocket. I pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It was my head of security.I swiped the screen and brought the phone to my ear. "What do you have for me?" I whispered into the receiver, keeping my voice low and deep so I wouldn't wake Aria through the open balcony doors."Boss, we have a major update on that five-million-dollar wire transfer that went to Thomas Sterling," the investigator reported, his voice sounding tense and hurried."We still haven't fully cracked the encryption on the blind trust itself, but our cyber team just isolated a hidden digital signature from the initial transaction point."I took a slow sip of my drink, my eyes darkening into dangerous slits as I stared out into the pitch-black yard. "And? Where did it come from?""It’s a local digital footprint, Mr. Brandon. The money didn't originate from an international corporate rival or an overseas account. Whoever funded the massive bribe to destroy Aria's company is operating right here in this city. The enemy is much closer than we initially thought."A cold, lethal stillness settled over my bones. I gripped the stone balcony railing with my free hand, my eyes scanning the dark, quiet driveway below."Keep digging," I ordered, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I want that name by tomorrow morning.”

Chapter 234