Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival
Sports journalism student Iris Bennett’s life unravels when she catches her famous hockey-star boyfriend, Mason Hart, kissing another woman after a championship victory. A video capturing her reaction goes viral, turning her heartbreak into a nationwide spectacle.
After refusing to reconcile with Mason, Iris suddenly loses the scholarship that has funded her education for years. Convinced the decision is connected to Mason’s powerful father, she takes on multiple jobs to stay enrolled, including an internship with the rival university’s hockey media department.
Things become even more complicated when Mercer Athletics offers her a modeling contract. The company’s most recognizable ambassador is Dean Mercer, captain of the rival hockey team and heir to one of the most influential sports dynasties in the country.
As Iris and Dean are repeatedly thrown together through work and hockey-related commitments, a cautious friendship begins to form. Over time, that friendship grows into something deeper. While Iris fights to rebuild her reputation and uncover the truth behind her scholarship revocation, Dean struggles under mounting pressure from his father to embrace a future that no longer feels entirely his own.
When long-standing tensions between the Hart and Mercer families resurface, Iris and Dean find themselves caught in a battle fueled by money, influence, loyalty, and public image.
Together, they must decide whether love is worth the risk of standing up to the powerful people determined to shape their futures for them.
Leer
Chapter: Chapter 26: Almost Two hot chocolates. The phrase lodged itself in my head with absurd persistence, as if my brain had decided this was the detail worth circling back to while everything else moved on. Ryan had already forgotten it, Dean hadn’t reacted at all, and yet it lingered, quietly rearranging something I hadn’t realized was unsettled. When I looked at Dean, he met my gaze with the same steady calm he always had, like nothing had shifted, like nothing had been revealed, and that somehow made it worse. “Can we talk?” I asked, my voice coming out drier than I intended. “Sure.” No hesitation, no edge, no sign that I’d inconvenienced him. Just an agreement, simple and immediate, like it cost him nothing. It should have eased the knot in my chest. It didn’t. “I just need to finish editing a few things first,” I added, gesturing vaguely toward the media room as if that explained anything. He nodded once. “I’ll wait.” “You don’t have to.” “I know.” A faint pause, then, “I’ll wait.” There wasn
Última actualización: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 25: Mixed Signals I dropped my bag the second I got into my dorm and let it hit the floor harder than necessary. My shoulders felt heavy in that dull, lingering way that comes after a long day that wasn’t bad, just… full. I crossed to my bed and fell onto it face-first, pressing my cheek into the pillow like I could sink into it and disappear for a minute. I stayed there, breathing in the faint smell of detergent, letting everything from the morning come back in pieces instead of forcing it into something neat. My phone buzzed beside me. I didn’t need to look, but I did anyway. AVA CALLING. Of course. I answered without moving, my voice muffled into the pillow. “Hi.” “Well?” I rolled onto my back, a laugh slipping out before I could stop it. “Hello to you too.” “No,” she said, already halfway into interrogation mode. “I’ve been waiting all day. I want everything.” “You’re exhausting.” “And you’re avoiding.” “…Fine.” I stared up at the ceiling and started from the beginning, walking her thr
Última actualización: 2026-06-29
Chapter: Chapter 24: Off The Record“Yeah.” It came out too fast. I heard it as soon as I said it and almost wanted to grab it back, like I’d answered a question I hadn’t fully understood yet. Dean paused just long enough to check if I meant it. “I mean…” I lifted my notebook, half laughing at myself. “The interview’s technically done. I’ve got enough for the feature.” He gave a small nod. “Good.” The hallway settled into a quiet that wasn’t awkward so much as aware, distant voices, the hum of overhead lights, the weight of my notebook still in my hands like it mattered more than it did. Dean checked his watch, then looked back at me. “Have you eaten?” I blinked. “What?” “Breakfast.” He adjusted the strap of his bag, already moving forward in his own logic. “There’s a diner a few minutes from campus. Good food. It’s quiet.” He didn’t ask me to come. He didn’t need to. The invitation was already there, steady and unforced, like he’d simply made room for me in whatever came next. “I’d like that,” I said, surprisin
Última actualización: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 23: Beyond The Captain By the time warmups wrapped, I had already filled two pages, though none of it would impress an editor looking for clean stats or structured observations. Instead, it was a collection of small, telling details—the kind you only notice when you stop trying to prove something and pay attention. Dean thanked every trainer he passed, not loudly or for show, but in a way that suggested he meant it. He returned equipment without being asked, listened fully when someone spoke instead of waiting for his turn, and somehow managed to move through a crowded rink without ever pulling attention toward himself. The labels people used for him—captain, leader, ambassador—felt heavy when I considered them. Dean didn’t. “You’ve been staring at the same page for five minutes,” he said, breaking into my thoughts. “I’ve been thinking,” I replied, though the defensive edge in my voice softened when I saw the faint amusement in his expression. “I can tell.” “How?” “You tap your pen against your note
Última actualización: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 22: Dean Six in the morning should be illegal. The sky hadn’t even committed to being morning yet, stuck in that gray in-between like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, and I stood outside Easton’s training facility with a cup of hot chocolate warming my hands, trying to convince myself this was a reasonable life choice. It wasn’t coffee, I’d tried that once and immediately regretted every decision that led me there, but hot chocolate had never betrayed me, and at this hour, loyalty mattered. My phone read 5:57 a.m. Three minutes left. I shifted my weight, watching my breath fog in the cold, already certain that Dean Mercer would be here before the clock hit six. He had that kind of presence, disciplined, precise, the sort of person who arrived early to make sure he could be early. I muttered something about never agreeing to another six a.m. assignment again, mostly to the cup in my hands, when a voice cut in from behind me. “You didn’t have much of a choice.” I turned too quickly
Última actualización: 2026-06-28
Chapter: Chapter 21: Behind The Jersey I stopped just outside the conference room door, my fingers still hooked around my camera strap like I’d forgotten what I was doing there in the first place. “You can’t keep avoiding me forever, Melissa.” Lucas Mercer’s voice carried through the door, softer than I expected. Not sharp. Not heated and just worn down, just a way that made me shift my weight without meaning to. I shouldn’t have been standing there. That part was obvious. This wasn’t my conversation, and I knew better than to linger outside closed doors like some kind of eavesdropping cliché. Still, I didn’t move right away. Something about the quiet in his voice held me there for a second longer than it should have. Melissa didn’t answer immediately. The silence stretched just enough to make me uncomfortable. Okay. That was my cue. I turned to leave, already halfway down the hall, when another door opened somewhere behind me. Footsteps echoed, quick and purposeful, and instinct kicked in before logic could catch
Última actualización: 2026-06-28
Chapter: EpilogueSix months later:“Ethan, don’t touch that.”“I’m not touching it.”“You’re about to.”“I’m standing.”I turn from the counter and look at him.He’s standing exactly where he shouldn’t be. Too close to the stove. Too interested in something that does not concern him.“Move,” I say.“I live here.”“That doesn’t mean you supervise.”He smiles, but he moves anyway.Good.The kitchen is warm. Not from anything special. Just… used. Lived in. The scent of garlic and herbs lingers in the air, mixing with the faint salt breeze drifting in from the open patio doors. There’s something on the stove, something in the oven, and something I’m probably forgetting.Sunny runs past us, nails clicking against the floor, then slides slightly and keeps going like nothing happened.Ethan watches him.“That dog has no balance.”“He has confidence,” I say.“That’s worse.”I check the pot, stir once, then step back.“Set the table,” I tell him.He doesn’t argue.That’s how I know we’ve grown.A few minutes l
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
Chapter: Chapter 140I wake up before anyone calls my name.Not because I’m anxious. Not because something is pulling me out of sleep.Just… awake.The room is quiet in that early kind of way where the day hasn’t fully started yet. No movement outside the door. No voices. No rushing. Just stillness.I lie there for a moment, staring at the ceiling.Today.The word feels simple. It should feel heavier. Bigger. Like something I need to prepare for.It doesn’t.It just settles.I sit up slowly, letting my feet touch the floor. The air feels cool against my skin. Grounding. Real.For a second, I don’t move.I just sit there and let myself feel it.Not excitement. Not nerves.Something steadier.The dress is exactly where it was left last night.I walk over to it, fingers brushing lightly over the fabric. It feels softer than I expected. Less intimidating.This is not my first wedding.That thought comes, and for a brief moment, I pause.Not in discomfort. Not in regret.Just acknowledgment.The first time was
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
Chapter: Chapter 139The first thing my mother does when she sees my hand is grab it.Not gently. Not carefully. She just takes it like she has every right to, like she has been waiting for this moment and is done pretending she hasn’t.“Let me see.”I laugh, but it comes out softer than I expect.She turns my hand toward the light, angling it slightly, her thumb brushing over my fingers as she studies the ring like she is trying to understand something beyond what it looks like.“It’s beautiful,” she says.“It is.”I’m not even looking at the ring anymore. I’m looking at her.Her face. The way her expression shifts slowly. Pride first. Then something quieter. Something that looks a lot like relief.“You look different,” she says.I tilt my head slightly. “Different how?”“Happier,” she replies.She says it like she is still testing it. Like she wants to believe it fully but is giving herself a second to be sure.I don’t rush to answer.I just nod.Because I am.Not in a loud, overwhelming way. Not in a w
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
Chapter: Chapter 138Mara’s voice is still in my head the next day.Not loud. Just… there.Are we getting an actual wedding this time?She said it like a joke. Like something to laugh about over drinks and forget on the drive home. But it stayed. Followed me into sleep. Sat with me while I opened the café in the morning. Slipped into quiet moments when I wasn’t doing anything important.An actual wedding.I don’t know why that feels different now.Maybe because this time, it wouldn’t be about fixing anything. Not proving a point. Not surviving something.Just choosing.My phone lights up while I’m wiping down the counter.Ethan.I don’t open it immediately.I finish what I’m doing. Rinse my hands. Dry them. Then I pick up the phone.Ethan: Are you free?I stare at it for a second longer than necessary.Me: Depends.The reply comes quickly.Ethan: On what?I lean against the counter.Me: Where you’re taking me.There’s a pause. Not long. Just enough for me to picture him reading it.Ethan: You’ll like it.
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
Chapter: Chapter 137The house won’t leave my head.Not in a dramatic way. It’s not consuming me or anything like that. It just keeps showing up in small flashes. The kitchen mostly. The light in that space. The way it didn’t feel like a display, like something waiting to be admired and left alone. It felt… usable.Which is a strange thing to fixate on.But I do.“Okay, I’m about to drag it out of you.”Mara drops into the chair across from me like she’s been rehearsing this moment all day.I blink, coming back properly.“Drag what out of me?”She leans forward, elbows on the table, eyes sharp.“What happened.”“Nothing happened.”She stares at me.Long enough that I feel like I should add something.“We saw the house,” I say.“And?”“It’s nice.”She freezes.Actually freezes.Then slowly leans back like she needs space from me.“Nice.”I nod.“Yes.”⸻lMara presses her lips together like she’s trying not to say something offensive.“You disappeared for hours. Came back looking like you’ve just… I don’t e
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
Chapter: Chapter 136It starts with my phone refusing to be quiet.Not one notification. Not two. It keeps going like something is trying to get my attention and won’t take no for an answer.I’m at the counter, pretending to focus on something small and unnecessary, wiping a spot that doesn’t exist anymore. My hands are busy, which usually helps. Keeps my thoughts from wandering too far.The phone buzzes again.Then again.I ignore it.Mara doesn’t.“You’re not going to check that?”“I will.”“You’ve said that three times.”“I mean it this time.”She doesn’t respond, which usually means she’s watching me instead.The phone buzzes again.I exhale, drop the cloth, and reach for it.The screen lights up with stacked notifications. Too many for something normal. Too many for something small.I open one.A headline.I don’t react immediately. I just read it.Then I read it again, slower this time.“Ethan Cole Expands to Miami, Establishing Independent Venture Beyond Family Holdings.”I blink.Scroll.Another h
Última actualización: 2026-03-29
What We Pretended To Be
Maria Walker has spent her entire life under the weight of expectations in a world where reputation trumps happiness. As the daughter of the respected Walker family, every choice—including her relationship with kind, loyal Noah Bennett—is judged by high society, who see him as far beneath her standing.
Daniel Rothfield faces a different pressure. The powerful, emotionally guarded CEO of Rothfield Holdings has avoided relationships since a devastating breakup left him unwilling to risk love again. Yet his parents and business partners insist a man of his status needs to project stability—and a serious relationship is the perfect image.
When Maria and Daniel unexpectedly arrive together at a prestigious charity auction, a fleeting moment ignites rampant speculation. Within hours, social media explodes with rumors that the billionaire CEO and the Walker heiress are secretly dating.
Rather than deny it, Daniel proposes a solution: pretend the rumors are true.
A fake relationship solves both dilemmas. Maria’s parents would stop pressuring her about Noah, while Daniel’s family and associates would see him finally settling down. It’s meant to be simple, temporary, and strictly controlled.
Rules are set:
No real feelings.
No crossing boundaries.
No forgetting it’s just an act.
But pretending to be in love proves far more complicated than planned.
As they appear together at events, family gatherings, and public functions, undeniable chemistry emerges—shifting from performance to something dangerously authentic.
Meanwhile, Noah grapples with quiet jealousy fueled by headlines and photos, Daniel’s past resurfaces to threaten the facade, and their carefully built lie begins to crumble.
In a society that measures love by status and appearances, Maria and Daniel face an undeniable truth: the relationship they pretended to have may be the most real thing either of them has ever felt.
Leer
Chapter: EpilogueMaria:Three months after our daughter, Amerie, was born, I finally understood why parents turned into those people who shoved baby pictures at strangers. It wasn’t even about showing her off. It was more like trying to keep up with her. Every day she looked a little different. Every day she figured something out. A new sound, a new expression, a new way of staring at the world like she was already forming opinions about it. It felt unfair, honestly. I had spent years building something steady, something predictable, and she came along and quietly rearranged everything without asking.Daniel took it further. Of course he did.I found him by the paddock, holding Amerie against his chest like she belonged there, like she had always belonged there. He was talking to her in that low, serious tone he used when he was pretending something was very important. She stared up at him like she understood every word.I stepped closer, folding my arms. “What are you two discussing?”He glanced at m
Última actualización: 2026-06-23
Chapter: Chapter 132Maria: I had reached the stage of pregnancy where everyone around me seemed to believe my body was now a community project. Victoria had called three times that week to ask if I was resting enough. My mother had called four times to make sure I was eating properly. Ada somehow managed to do both, often in the same conversation. At this point, I was convinced motherhood came with an invisible board of directors. Most evenings, I ended up in the reading nook beside the window without really deciding to. Daniel had built it overlooking the farm, and somewhere along the way it had become my favorite place in the house. From there, I could see the property stretching into the distance, the steady progress on the animal shelter, and the life that seemed to be growing around me faster than I could keep up with. A stack of books sat beside my chair. Shelter blueprints were tucked underneath them. Construction photos were scattered across the table. Outside, workers moved between partiall
Última actualización: 2026-06-19
Chapter: Chapter 131Maria:The first thing that surprised me was how unimpressive the land looked.After months of sketches, meetings, spreadsheets, permits, contractor discussions, fundraising plans, and enough paperwork to make me question every life choice that had led me there, I had expected something more dramatic. There was a visible sign that all those late nights and endless revisions had transformed an idea into reality.Instead, reality looked suspiciously ordinary.Several acres of dirt stretched beneath a clear morning sky. A temporary site office sat near the entrance. Survey stakes dotted the ground. Construction equipment waited in neat rows. Three men were already arguing over measurements with the intensity of people negotiating a peace treaty rather than discussing concrete details.I stood beside Daniel at the edge of the property and took it all in.“Well.”Daniel glanced at me. “Well?”“I think I expected it to look more impressive.”“It will.”I laughed because that answer was pure
Última actualización: 2026-06-01
Chapter: Chapter 130: Lily And MarcusLily:The worst thing about hope is how sneaky it is. You can spend months shoving it into a corner, convincing yourself you’ve made peace with reality, and then it strolls back in like it owns the place.I’d spent three months preparing for every possible version of Marcus’s answer.If he wanted friendship, I could do friendship.If he needed distance, I’d survive that too.If he decided there was nothing left between us, I’d figure out how to keep moving.None of those plans survived the moment he smiled at me across Maria’s picnic table.Three months of emotional self-improvement collapsed in an instant. It was honestly embarrassing.Around us, the picnic carried on at full volume. People laughed. Someone dropped a plate. Maria’s mother and Victoria had somehow launched into a serious discussion about baby names despite the fact that Maria had barely announced her pregnancy.Charles had appointed himself honorary grandfather before anyone could stop him.Daniel looked increasingly
Última actualización: 2026-05-31
Chapter: Chapter 129Maria: The housewarming picnic was Lily’s idea. Of course it was. Three days after Daniel and I moved into the farmhouse, she showed up at my clinic carrying a notebook, two iced coffees, and the determined look she got whenever she decided other people’s lives needed improving. I should have known I was doomed the second she opened the notebook. By the end of lunch, she’d planned an entire event. By the time the day arrived, the farm looked like it belonged in one of those expensive lifestyle magazines people left on coffee tables and never actually read. Long wooden tables sat beneath strings of lights, cream blankets were spread across the grass, fresh flowers appeared on every available surface, and someone had tied ribbons to the stable doors. Lily. There wasn’t even a mystery there. Nobody else would look at a horse stable and think, You know what this needs? Decorative ribbon. The afternoon sun washed everything in gold as guests started arriving down the driveway. I stayed
Última actualización: 2026-05-31
Chapter: Chapter 128Maria: The first thing I noticed was how exhausted I was. Not the usual kind of tired that came with moving into a new house, running a clinic, and planning a shelter. This felt different. It sat deep in me, stubborn and heavy, as my body had quietly decided it was done cooperating. At first, I ignored it. Then I blamed the move to the farm, then the unpacking, then Daniel. That last one wasn’t remotely fair, but I was running out of suspects. Three days after we moved into the farmhouse, I found myself standing in front of the refrigerator staring at a carton of eggs. The sight of them made my stomach twist, which was ridiculous because the day before, I’d wanted eggs badly enough to consider making them twice. I closed the refrigerator, opened it again, looked at the eggs, and closed it. “You’re losing an argument with breakfast.” I glanced over my shoulder. Daniel stood in the doorway with a mug of coffee in one hand, hair still damp from his shower, sleeves rolled neatly to hi
Última actualización: 2026-05-30
INICIAR SESIÓN
