All Chapters of My Hockey Ex Rigged the Dating Show?: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

~Kiara~The second I pushed open the door to our room, I was hit by a wall of interrogation."Okay, seriously, Kiara, where were you again?" Maya demanded, standing by the vanity with a hairbrush in hand, looking genuinely baffled. "You missed breakfast, you missed the morning wrap-up, and your bed hasn't been slept in for two nights straight."Chloe was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Yes, do tell us, Kiara. Did you manage to find another billionaire's guesthouse to crash at, or are you just sneaking around the property?"Before I could scramble for another half-baked lie about fresh air or panic-sleeping by the pool house, Tinsley stepped in sliding an arm around my shoulders with a nonchalant laugh."Relax, detectives," Tinsley drawled, rolling her eyes at Chloe. "She was with me. I forgot to mention it yesterday. Kiara crashed in one of the spare rooms on the east wing because we were up all night talking and girl drama. I l

~Kiara~Walking back to our room felt like walking into a battle.The moment the door shut, Chloe turned around, her face red with anger."You did this on purpose!" Chloe screamed, walking right up to my face. "You tricked me just to make me look stupid in front of everyone!"I didn't back down. I turned around, and looked right into her angry eyes."I didn't trick you, Chloe," I said calmly. "You walked right into it because you are too greedy."Maya gasped, and Tinsley just leaned against the door, watching with a small smile."You think you are so smart," Chloe yelled, pointing a finger at me. "You act like an innocent victim, but you came here knowing exactly who the Bachelor is. You are using your past with him to get special treatment!"My heart stopped.She knows.Chloe actually figured out that Zane and I have a history. If she tells the producers, my whole life here is over."Shut up, Chloe," I warned her, my hands balling into fists."Why should I?!" she cried, tears of ange

~Zane~"Hold still," Marcus said, for the third time in two minutes.He had a fistful of bobby pins clenched between his teeth like a man defusing something dangerous. "This wig isn't going to pin itself, and if it slips mid-dance you're going to look like a Halloween costume on live television.""It's already too tight.""It's supposed to be tight. That's the entire point of a wig, Zane."He smoothed the dark strands back from my temple, tucking the last stray inch of white beneath the cap. "Nobody in America can know their beloved Bachelor's hair colour changes on command. Bad for the brand."I stared at myself in the mirror and, for a second, genuinely didn't recognise the man staring back.Dark hair, slicked back beneath a wig so well-constructed it looked like it had grown out of my scalp instead of a production budget.No trace of the silver that made me recognizable from three hundred feet away in an arena full of screaming fans.A domino black mask covered everything from my b

~Kiara~I stood frozen, staring up at Duke Blackthorn.Every single instinct in my body screamed that it was Zane. His height…his jaw…and the heavy weight of his gaze behind the black domino mask…it was all Zane. It had to be.My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. I was ready to call him by his real name right here and to see how he would respond to that. Before either of us could utter a single word, a deafening royal trumpet blasted through the hall.The host stepped forward. “Announcing His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Cassian of Ashmere!”The ballroom doors swung wide open and every single noble in the room dropped into a sweeping bow.Even Duke Blackthorn stepped aside. The movement didn't escape me.If a man as intimidating and powerful as the Duke was compelled to step back, it meant only one thing: whoever this Prince was, he outranked him.The Prince entered, wearing the exact same midnight-blue tuxedo and black domino mask as every other gentleman in the room.There w

~Kiara~When the Prince tried to hand me a glass of spiced wine in the Royal Garden, the Duke stepped in first and silently placed a different glass into my hand.The Prince frowned."So the Duke has developed an interest in serving drinks now to his enemy now?”The Duke ignored him completely.Later, the Prince offered me his arm as we walked across a narrow stone bridge.Before I could accept, the Duke appeared out of nowhere and walked between us, forcing the Prince to fall a few steps behind.Not a word was spoken.When the Prince tried to walk me up the grand staircase, the Duke was somehow already waiting at the top.He simply held out a gloved hand to help me up the last step before disappearing again.At one point, the Prince reached for a rose growing beside the path."I thought it would suit Your Majesty."Before he could pluck it, the Duke casually broke the stem first and walked away without even looking back.I stared after him.Was... was he serious?He never explained h