All Chapters of Dumped On Live TV, Claimed By The Hockey King: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

CHAPTER 21AVALiam left the bedroom, allowing me get up properly. The remnants of the dream clung to my skin like mist, I forced myself out of bed. I stood under the cascade of the shower, letting the hot water wash away the chill.When I stepped out and made my way to the main living area, I expected the heavy, brooding silence of the penthouse. Instead, the smell of fresh coffee and toasted brioche drifted down the hall. Sitting at the marble kitchen island, sipping from a delicate china cup, was Olivia.She looked up, her expression softening into a warm, welcoming smile. "Good morning, Ava. I hope I'm not intruding….well, technically I am, since I let myself in with the spare key Liam’s father makes me keep, but someone had to check on the two of you."I managed a tight smile, sliding onto a stool beside her. "Morning, Olivia. You're definitely a welcome sight compared to the usual quiet around here."Before Olivia could reply, heavy footsteps echoed from the upper hallway. Liam

CHAPTER 23AVAFor a second, we just lay there in the center of the vast, silent rink, chests heaving. Then, a sudden bubble of nervous laughter burst out of me."Well," I wheezed, pressing my hands against his chest to push myself up. "That is definitely one way to learn physics."“Everything is physics to you huh?”"Okay, lesson over!" I announced, pulling off my helmet with flushed cheeks. "You clearly need to focus on your actual practice, and I have things to do."Liam sat up, resting one arm on his knee, watching me with an amused, knowing smirk. "Running away so soon, Ava?""I'm going to study," I lied smoothly, shuffling back toward the rubber mat on my wobbly skates. "Don't slack off just because I'm leaving!"Without waiting for his reply, I hurried off the ice, stripped off the heavy gear, and practically bolted out of the arena.The crisp afternoon air hit me the moment I stepped outside the athletic building. I took a deep, grounding breath, trying to steady my racing hea

TWENTY 25AVAThe morning light filtering through Emily’s dorm window felt too bright. I reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand, intending to check the time, and froze.Twenty-three missed calls. All of them from Liam."What? Did I steal from him?" I muttered aloud to the empty room, staring at the screen in disbelief.My heart hammered against my ribs, a chaotic mix of panic and lingering anger from the night before. I couldn't dwell on it. I dragged myself out of bed, got ready alongside Emily, and together we headed out toward campus, my mind racing through a hundred different worst-case scenarios.The moment we stepped through the main campus gates, I spotted Liam pacing back and forth near the entrance like a caged tiger, his jaw clenched, his dark eyes scanning the crowd of students as if hunting for someone.As soon as he saw me, his expression shifted instantly. The frantic tension in his shoulders vanished, his eyes lit up, and he crossed the distance between us in lo

CHAPTER 27AVAWe spent the next hour wandering around, playing quirky little carnival-style games at local arcade stops, and eventually settled down at a weathered wooden table outside a small community cafe that happened to have a worn, permanent chess board etched into the surface.The vendor handed us a set of heavy wooden pieces, and we set them up, starting a casual, unhurried game. The ambient chatter of the town hummed softly in the background.As I moved my bishop to threaten his knight, my fingers lingered on the carved wood, and my mood suddenly shifted. The playful lightness in my chest curdled into a quiet, aching heaviness.Liam noticed instantly, his dark eyes meeting mine across the board. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, his thumb tracing the rim of his coffee cup.I stared down at the checkered squares. "Have you ever wondered how I actually started playing chess?""No," Liam replied, leaning back in his chair. "Do you have a reason?""Yes, I do," I answered, a bitt

CHAPTER 29LIAM"When did you get here? I've been searching the whole school for you," Ava blurted out, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and panic."Well, just now," I replied smoothly, ignoring the open door of the chess hall and the lingering, pathetic presence of Arnold standing right behind her. Without missing a beat, I reached out, wrapped my hand securely around her warm fingers, and said, "Let's go."She didn't pull away. She let me lead her out of the building, across the bustling quad, and straight to my parked car.I had just overheard Arnold confess his feelings to her. But why had she turned him down? I’m sure Arnold would have found a way to make things work. Could it be… that she likes me?. The thought alone tugged a smile onto my lips.Well, that’s definitely a good sign. Still, I don’t trust Arnold one bit. I’d better keep a close eye on him. Who knows what he and Brittany are plotting behind the scenes.As soon as she climbed into the passenger seat and shut the doo