All Chapters of My Hockey Ex Rigged the Dating Show?: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

~Kiara~I made it back to my room before anyone else woke up.Nobody had noticed I’d been gone all night, and thankfully, there were no questions waiting for me at the door.I took a quick shower, scrubbing away the lingering scent of Zane’s cologne that still clung to my skin.Nora, Maya, and Tinsley eventually woke up, and we spent some time talking like girls usually did. We chatted, laughed, and caught up on everything before everyone started getting dressed.One by one, they left the room, leaving me alone.I had just stepped out into the hallway when the intercom suddenly crackled to life somewhere down the hall."Good morning, ladies. Breakfast is being served on the main terrace. Please make your way down at your earliest convenience."I dressed quickly, still turning Zane's unanswered question over in my mind… “you can come back” and headed toward the terrace with my hair still damp. I felt the whispers before I heard them.Two contestants I barely knew went quiet the second

~Kiara~I blocked Zane's number on the third call.I told myself it was because I couldn't handle his questions right now.I turned my phone face-down, curled into myself on the bed, and let the tears come without trying to stop them anymore.That was how my roommates found me.The door opened, and Nora was the first one through it.She didn't ask any questions. She just crossed the room and wrapped both arms around me, holding on tight while I fell apart against her shoulder.It reminded me of those times when we hugged each other through the hard moments, fought for each other, had fun together, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. Maya sat down on my other side, rubbing slow circles against my back.Even Tinsley, who I'd never once seen express open affection toward anyone, perched on the edge of the bed with a hand resting gently on my ankle."We're not going anywhere," Nora murmured into my hair. "Take whatever time you need."I didn't get much time.A production assistant k

~Zane~The hours leading up to the evening masquerade were a complete torture.I hadn’t even slept a wink.I was so tired. Worrying about Kiara’s well-being while dealing with my own physical state had become completely overwhelming.On top of that, I had files to handle at my family’s company. And, by the way, I was supposed to fly back to meet Victoria because I had heard that my father was finally out of his coma after four long months.The heavy oak door swung open, and Marcus strode in. He held a tablet, and the look on his face instantly made my stomach drop."Boss. You need to see this," Marcus said cautiously, stepping aside as if bracing for an explosion. "The production team delivered the care packages and the network statement to the contestants just like you asked. But... something else happened on set."I didn't look up from my desk. "Spit it out, Marcus.""Alexei Romanov showed up."I froze, my pen hovering over a contract. Slowly, I raised my head, my dark eyes narrowin

~Kiara~ I didn’t know how he did it, but the room plunged into sudden darkness as he flicked off the light, the swift motion making me pull away in a startled gasp. “What are you doing?” I demanded, my voice trembling as I fought desperately to maintain control. I tried to mentally list every single reason why I shouldn’t be here, why I shouldn’t be letting him touch me. But right at that moment, every ounce of common sense swept far away, evaporating from the reasoning neurons in my head. “You feel more comfortable when it’s dark,” he murmured. He wasn’t entirely right… but he wasn’t wrong, either. The truth was, I was hopelessly shy of my own nakedness in front of a man especially him. He was the one who had taken my virginity, the only man I had ever truly known intimately. No matter how many times we had shared this in the past, that shyness never faded. It made me blush like a teenager experiencing her very first crush, my cheeks burning even in the shadows. “W

~Kiara~When he was finally done, he slowly climbed on top of me again, his body settling against mine as he leaned down and pressed soft kisses all over my face.“Zane…” I breathed, trying to catch my breath. “It’s getting late.”Another call came through before he could answer.I glanced at my phone, then at him. Part of me wanted to pick up because I knew they were waiting for me. But another, more dangerous part of me was hoping Zane would give me a reason to stay even after answering the call. I answered the call.“Hello?”“Kiara.” Nora sounded impatient. “What have you been doing? We’re waiting for you. We’ll be leaving soon, and you know you’re an important character. We can’t start without you.”I glanced at Zane.“I…I’ll be with you in two minutes.”Before the voice on the other end could respond, Zane suddenly spoke.“She’s busy and probably not coming.”My eyes widened. “Zane!”He reached over and ended the call. I stared at him in disbelief for a second before slapping hi