Chapter 3

_Lyra's POV_

I had been called many things in my life. Some people said that I was stubborn. Others said I was too honest or far too curious for my own good. I could not deny any of it.

But if someone had told me yesterday that I would wake up as the supposed girlfriend of Frostfang Hockey Team captain Ryder Kane, I would have laughed in their face.

Yet that was exactly what had happened.

As I walked toward the sports complex, my phone would not stop buzzing. Every few seconds, another notification lit up my screen. News articles, gossip pages and fan accounts all seemed obsessed with the same story.

Ryder Kane's Mystery Girlfriend Revealed!

Who Is Lyra Storm?

Fans Divided Over Hockey Captain's New Romance.

I let out a tired sigh and rubbed my forehead.

"This is insane," I muttered.

I had not even gone on a single date with the man. We had not shared a meal. We barely knew each other. The only things we had done were argue, spill coffee on each other and sign a fake relationship agreement. Now the entire country believed we were in love.

A message popped up from an unknown number.

"Good luck. The fans already hate you."

I frowned. Before I could even block the sender, another message arrived.

"Stay away from Ryder. He deserves better."

Then another.

"Gold digger."

I let out a slow breath and shoved my phone into my bag. "I really need a new job," I whispered.

The automatic doors slid open and I stepped inside. The sports complex was already busy. Staff members hurried through the halls carrying boxes and cameras. Players walked past with gym bags over their shoulders. Everyone seemed to have somewhere important to be.

The moment I walked inside, the conversations around me grew quieter. People turned to look at me as I passed. Some smiled politely while others simply stared.

I kept walking as if I did not notice them but I could still feel their eyes following me. It made me uncomfortable.

It was only my third day at Frostfang, yet it already felt like everyone knew my name.

After this morning's news, maybe they did.

"Morning, Lyra."

I turned to see Evan walking toward me with a clipboard tucked under his arm. "You survived social media?" he asked.

I laughed weakly. "Barely."

He winced. "I wouldn't read the comments if I were you."

"Too late."

"They'll calm down."

"When?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Eventually."

That was not very comforting. He glanced toward the hallway behind me.

"He's waiting."

My stomach tightened. "Already?"

Evan nodded. "He doesn't like people being late."

I looked at the clock. "I am five minutes early."

"To Ryder, that's late."

I sighed. "Wonderful."

Evan smiled with obvious pity. "Good luck."

I followed the hallway until I reached a small conference room. The door was already open. Ryder stood beside the large window with his back to me. He wore black training clothes today. His hands rested inside his pockets as he looked out over the empty ice rink below. He did not turn around when I entered.

"You kept me waiting."

I frowned. "I just got here."

"You should have been earlier."

"I was."

Finally, he looked at me. His gray eyes met mine and for some reason my heartbeat became uneven again.

"You argue a lot," he said.

I folded my arms. "You start it."

For a second, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth twitch. It disappeared so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it. He walked toward the conference table.

"We need rules."

I closed the door behind me. "Rules?"

"If this arrangement is going to work."

"I thought fake dating was already ridiculous enough."

"It is."

His answer surprised me. He pulled out a chair but remained standing.

"I don't like this any more than you do."

"Then why agree?"

His expression hardened. "Because I don't always get what I want."

Something about the way he said it made me pause. For just a second, he did not sound cold. He sounded...tired. Before I could ask anything, he spoke again.

"Rule number one."

His voice became sharp once more. "You do not touch me unless I tell you."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good."

I narrowed my eyes. "You know, most people say hello before making strange demands."

"I am not most people."

"I noticed."

He ignored the comment. "Rule number two. You don't ask personal questions."

I raised an eyebrow. "So I'm supposed to pretend to be your girlfriend without knowing anything about you?"

"Correct."

"That's impossible."

"You'll manage."

I let out a quiet laugh. "You really don't make things easy."

"I don't intend to."

I stared at him for a long moment. "Has anyone ever told you that you're difficult?"

"Frequently."

"And you're proud of that?"

"I don't care."

His answers were so calm that they almost annoyed me more than if he had shouted. He continued.

"When cameras are on, you smile."

"I can do that."

"When cameras are off, stay out of my way."

I laughed again. "This fake relationship is sounding less romantic every second."

"It isn't supposed to be romantic."

"I know."

Silence settled between us. The room suddenly felt much smaller than before. I noticed how still he stood. How carefully he watched me. It felt less like he was looking at me and more like he was studying me.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"Anything else?"

"Yes."

He stepped a little closer. "You follow my lead."

I crossed my arms again. "I'm your fake girlfriend."

"Correct."

"I'm not your employee."

"No."

"Then why should I follow your orders?"

His eyes never left mine. "Because if you don't, the media will destroy both of us."

I wanted to argue. Instead, I sighed. "I still think you're acting like this is some military mission."

His expression did not change. "To me, it is."

Something about those words made me stop smiling. He believed them completely. There was no joke hidden behind his serious face.

I looked at him carefully. "What happened to you?"

The question slipped out before I could stop myself. His entire body became still. For a brief moment, I thought he might actually answer. But instead, he looked away.

"I told you not to ask personal questions."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Right."

Another awkward silence filled the room. Then his phone rang. He glanced at the screen before slipping it back into his pocket.

"They're ready."

"For what?"

"The press conference."

My confidence disappeared. "So soon?"

"The announcement has already gone public."

I swallowed. "I've never spoken to this many reporters before."

"You'll survive."

"Easy for you to say."

He opened the door. Just before walking out, he looked back at me. There was something different in his eyes. I could not explain what it was. It was not kindness or warmth. He looked uncertain for just a moment before the feeling disappeared.

"Stay close," he said quietly.

I frowned. "I thought you wanted me to stay out of your way."

His gaze lingered on me for one strange second. "Only until the cameras start."

Without another word, he walked out into the hallway. I hurried after him. My heart was beating harder with every step.

In a few minutes, the whole country would be watching us pretend to be something we were not. I had a feeling that nothing about today was going to go according to plan.

The hallway outside the conference room was already crowded. People carrying cameras hurried past us. Staff members spoke into headsets. Someone adjusted lights while another person checked the microphones one last time.

My stomach twisted tighter with every step. "So many people," I whispered.

Ryder glanced at me without slowing down. "You'll get used to it."

"I don't think I will."

"You don't have a choice."

I frowned at his back. "Do you always know how to encourage people?"

"I don't encourage people."

"I noticed."

That almost sounded like a joke but his face remained completely serious.

A woman wearing a press badge rushed toward us. "There you are," she said. "The reporters are getting impatient."

She looked at me before offering a polite smile. "You must be Lyra."

I nodded. She adjusted the front of my jacket. "Just smile. Let Ryder answer most of the questions."

"I'll do my best."

She gave Ryder a pointed look. "And try not to scare anyone."

"I make no promises."

She sighed as though she had expected that answer. "Please."

Without another word, she opened the double doors. Bright lights immediately hit my face. Flashes exploded from every direction. For a second, I could barely see. The room was packed.

Rows of reporters filled every seat. Cameras pointed toward the small stage where two chairs waited behind a table covered with microphones.

The noise was overwhelming. Questions were already being shouted before we even reached our seats.

"Ryder!"

"Look over here!"

"Is it true?"

"When did you start dating?"

I forced myself to keep walking. Every lesson from university disappeared from my mind. My hands suddenly felt cold. Ryder quietly leaned closer.

"Smile."

I looked at him. "What?"

"The cameras."

I quickly remembered the rule. Right. I needed to smile. I took a slow breath before forcing the most natural smile I could manage. We sat down together. The room became slightly quieter. A media coordinator stepped to the front.

"Thank you all for coming. Ryder Kane and Lyra Storm will answer a few questions regarding today's announcement."

Almost every hand shot into the air. The coordinator pointed toward a woman sitting near the front.

"You first."

She stood immediately.

"Ryder, everyone expected today's press conference to focus on the recent incident during the match. Instead, the team announced your relationship. Why?"

Ryder's expression remained unreadable. "My personal life has nothing to do with hockey."

The woman smiled. "Apparently it does now."

Soft laughter spread through the room. Ryder did not laugh. The coordinator quickly pointed toward another reporter.

A young man stood. "Miss Storm, how did you two meet?"

Every camera turned toward me. For half a second, my mind went completely blank. Then I remembered why we were here. I needed to protect the team's image. I smiled.

"I was hired by the team's public relations department."

Several reporters nodded.

"The first time we met..." I continued, trying to sound relaxed, "things didn't exactly go smoothly."

A few people leaned forward with interest.

"I accidentally spilled coffee on him."

Laughter filled the room. I glanced at Ryder. His expression had not changed at all.

"He wasn't very happy."

More laughter followed.

One reporter called out, "So love at first sight?"

Heat rushed into my cheeks. "Definitely not."

Even Ryder let out a small breath that almost sounded like amusement. The atmosphere became lighter.

The next reporter stood. "Who confessed first?"

Oh no. I had not prepared for that. I looked at Ryder. He looked back at me with complete confidence as though silently telling me to deal with it.

Fine.

"You'll probably be disappointed," I said with a smile. "It wasn't dramatic."

Several reporters laughed.

"We spent time together after work. We talked a lot. We realized that we enjoyed each other's company."

I shrugged. "Everything happened naturally."

Pens moved quickly across notebooks. Someone whispered that it sounded believable. Another reporter raised her hand.

"How long have you been together?"

I kept smiling even though my heart was racing. "Long enough to know that he isn't as scary as everyone thinks."

The room became quiet. Several reporters immediately looked toward Ryder. One of them laughed.

"So you're saying the famous Ryder Kane is actually sweet?"

I turned toward him. "Sometimes."

His head slowly turned toward me. For the first time all morning, surprise appeared in his gray eyes. Only for a second. Then it disappeared.

"I didn't know that," he said quietly.

I smiled without looking away. "Now you do."

The room burst into laughter again. The tension eased even more. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several staff members smiling with relief. The strategy was working. The conversation was no longer about Ryder's fight. It was about us.

Another reporter spoke before anyone else could. "You two seem very comfortable together."

Without thinking, I slipped my hand around Ryder's arm. It felt like the natural thing to do. A girlfriend would do that. Wouldn't she?

The instant my fingers touched him, his body became rigid. His shoulders tensed beneath my hand. His breathing changed. I looked up at him. His jaw had tightened. For one strange moment, he simply stared at my hand as though he had forgotten where he was.

A strange feeling settled between us. The air suddenly felt heavier. I frowned.

"Ryder?"

His eyes met mine and something about them felt different. He looked confused, shocked and almost afraid. Before I could ask what was wrong, he quickly stepped away and gently removed my hand from his arm.

He cleared his throat. "We're here to answer questions," he said stiffly.

"Let's continue."

I blinked. That was...odd.

Had I broken one of his ridiculous rules?

I didn't think slipping my arm through his counted as something terrible. Still, something about his reaction stayed with me. It hadn't looked like anger. It had looked like he had touched a live wire.

I pushed the thought aside as another reporter stood. I was unaware that the next question was about to change everything.