Fake Dating My Ex's Favourite Hockey Player novel Chapter 145

There’s no anger in her voice. Just exhaustion.

I nod, but my chest feels heavier than before. I reach for Em’s hand, link our fingers, and give her palm a light squeeze. She looks up at me, eyebrows raised just enough to ask silently, Are you okay? Should I be worried? I shake my head slightly – later, I’ll tell her everything. Right now, I just want her to feel safe.

Julie steps forward, calling out to the girls with her usual light tone. “Alright, let’s not keep everyone standing around. Come inside, the food’s getting cold.”

The girls perk up immediately and head toward the porch, their voices overlapping. I hang back a little with Emilia, letting her catch her breath. Before she can even ask, I lean in, murmuring, “You’re doing great. Just stay by me, yeah?”

She nods, grateful, and I keep her hand in mine as we follow the rest of them inside.

EMILIA

“Diana Vanderbilt. Twenty–two years old. Stanford graduate at twenty, dual degrees in business management and software development. At fifteen, she pitched the integration of predictive Al algorithms into Vanderbilt Holdings‘ financial analytics suite – a move that slashed risk margins by 38% and tripled profits in under two years. Only recognised child of Genevieve and Andrew Vanderbilt. Heir to their billion–dollar empire. Spends her time between golf clubs, tech summits, and black–tie galas. Owns six Range Rovers, vacation homes on every continent, and is allegedly already done with her PhD.”

Lexhale. “All that’s missing is her blood type, coffee order, and the name of her pet snake.”

“A positive. Venti iced white mocha, extra caramel drizzle, vanilla sweet cream cold foam, five pumps of white mocha, four toffee nut, two hazelnut, topped with whip and cinnamon dolce. sprinkles. Blonde espresso shot. Oat milk. Light ice. And Vixi.”

I pull the phone away from my ear and just stare at it. “Jesus, Kara. I was joking.”

A pause. Then, deadpan: “Oh.” Kara is Adrian’s friend from grad school–which means, fortunately, she’s also somehow in my life now. And if Adrian’s awkward, Kara’s basically a sentient. algorithm. Same tone. Same fixation on irrelevant details. “But why do you want Diana looked into? Adrian said she wasn’t suspicious.”

–

I open my mouth to respond then wince as two different. songs start blaring outside Liam’s room. Both at full volume. Both coming from opposite sides of the hall.

Maya warned me this would happen. “Eliza’s dragging Lucille into her emo era,” she’d said. “It’ll be over before our parents get back.”

The Calloways had been… exactly what I expected and nothing like it. Once I got over the fact that they all looked like clones same blonde hair, same blue eyes – it was easier to realise they were actually really sweet.

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