Chapter 284

ARIA'S POV

The sleek black SUV rolled smoothly to a stop right at the edge of the sprawling construction site in the heart of downtown.

Through the tinted windows, the steel skeleton of Brandon’s new corporate headquarters rose high into the gray afternoon sky, cutting an impressive silhouette against the clouds.

For months, Brandon had quietly orchestrated the massive relocation of his business operations from across the country directly into my city, anchoring his entire empire right where my roots were.

The heavy door opened, and Brandon stepped out first, offering his hand to help me down. As soon as Amelia’s feet hit the pavement, her eyes went wide, staring up at the towering steel beams with absolute awe.

"Is this where you work, Daddy?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with pure wonder as she tilted her head all the way back, her little pink coat brushing against her knees.

Brandon walked over, crouching down to her eye level with a warm, easy smile. He reached out to adjust the collar of her jacket.

"It is, princess," Brandon said softly, his deep voice carrying a quiet pride. "This is going to be my new office. We have about two more months of construction before it's completely finished. And once the doors open, all my businesses will be right here, permanently."

Amelia beamed, clapping her gloved hands together. "Does that mean you're never going away on airplanes again?"

"Never again," Brandon promised, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her beanie. "I'm right here to stay."

I stood a few feet away, watching them with a deep, full ache in my chest. This was the life we were building, rooted, stable, and completely safe inside the grand estate my parents had left me.

The old mansion, with its sweeping stone staircases and sprawling gardens, had finally become a true home for the three of us.

My phone buzzed sharply inside my coat pocket, breaking the quiet moment. I pulled it out, unlocking the screen. A high-priority news flash from a national sports network glared back at me:

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: NHL BOARD SUSPENDS JULIAN VANCE INDEFINITELY FOLLOWING ON-ICE ASSAULT AND OFF-DUTY MISCONDUCT.

ALL ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS TERMINATED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

I stared at the bold black lettering, my breath catching in my throat.

Attached to the article was a thumbnail image of Julian, not the polished, handsome co-captain the media had adored for years, but a man with wild, bloodshot eyes, his jersey half-ripped off as he shoved his own talent manager against a concrete wall in the arena tunnel.

Before I could process the image, Brandon’s encrypted phone buzzed in his inner jacket pocket. He looked down at the display, his brow furrowing slightly.

"It's Henderson," Brandon noted, his voice dropping into a tight, serious register.

He answered immediately, stepping a few paces away to keep his voice low, though the quiet afternoon air allowed his sharp replies to filter back to me.

"Henderson," Brandon said smoothly. "I just saw the press release."

"It’s an unmitigated disaster, Brandon," Henderson’s voice came grating through the speaker, raspy with anger and exhaustion.

"I had to personally step in and pull the plug before the league board forced my hand. The guy went completely feral. He nearly gave an opposing forward a concussion with a dirty elbow, and when the linesman stepped in to separate them, Julian laid hands on the official. He was screaming like a maniac."

Brandon’s posture went rigid. "Did he say anything?"

"That’s the worst part," Henderson grunted sharply. "His manager, Dave, tried to corner him in the tunnel to do damage control. Julian pinned Dave against the concrete wall and started screaming about you, about Aria, and about his kid. The entire corridor heard him blustering about how he didn't give a damn about the team or his contract anymore. I had no choice. I voided his co-captaincy, revoked his facility privileges, and terminated his team agreements under the moral turpitude clause. He’s done in this league, Brandon. Permanently."

"Understood," Brandon said, his face an impenetrable mask. "Keep your media team tight. Make sure my name stays completely out of the team’s public pressers."

"Already handled," Henderson replied before hanging up.

Brandon pocketed his phone and turned back toward me, taking in my pale face and wide eyes.

"You heard?" he asked quietly.

"I heard," I murmured, a cold wave of shock washing over me. "His contract... his team... everything he spent his whole adult life building is gone. Henderson washed his hands of him completely."

"He destroyed it himself," Brandon said, his voice flat and icy. "When my legal team boxed him in, his ego couldn't take the pressure. He chose to burn his own house down."

I looked up into Brandon’s dark eyes, a faint, cold shiver running down my spine. "A man who has something to lose is predictable, Brandon. He worries about his career, his money, and his reputation. But Julian has nothing left now. No contract, no sponsors, no public clean slate. A cornered animal is far more dangerous."

Brandon’s expression hardened, his jaw setting into a tight, impenetrable line. He wrapped his arm securely around my shoulders, pulling me firmly against his side.

"He won't touch you, Aria. My security team has double-guarded the estate gates, and Marcus has round-the-clock eyes on every entrance to Amelia’s world. He cannot reach you."

I let out a long, quiet breath, the tension slowly leaving my shoulders as I leaned into his solid strength. "I know. I trust you."

Before Brandon could answer, the sharp, cheerful sound of Amelia’s voice cut through the cool air as she skipped over to us, clutching a small pebble she had found near the curb.

"Mommy. Daddy,” Amelia chimed brightly, tugging on the hem of Brandon's coat to get his attention. "You guys remember, right?"

Brandon knelt down beside her again, a soft smile instantly replacing the hard edge in his eyes. "Remember what, sweetheart?"

"My birthday,” Amelia beamed, holding up six fingers proudly in the air. "I'm going to be six years old soon. We're going to have a big party at the mansion with ponies, right?"

A genuine, warm laugh escaped my throat, melting away the last lingering chill of Henderson's call. I knelt down beside them both, brushing a stray dark curl from Amelia's forehead.

"Of course we are, baby," I whispered, kissing her cheek. "The biggest party ever.”