Hearts Don't Lie

The harsh fluorescent lights of the detective agency conference room felt particularly grating tonight.

"Enough betting!" Decker's sharp voice cut through the air, pulling you back to the grim reality of the situation. He stood before the whiteboard, his presence a familiar irritation on your night off. You had just lost five thousand dollars and an ice cream coupon to him in a poker game at your favorite bar, only to find out it was money for a job.

Brooklyn and Denzin, your colleagues, were squirming, sensing the storm brewing. Decker finally revealed the assignment: go undercover on the reality TV show 'Hearts Don't Lie' to investigate the death of a contestant, Kacey Grail, which the police had ruled an accident.

The twist? You were going in as a contestant.

Your chair scraped loudly as you shot to your feet, the absurdity of the situation, and Decker's smug amusement, fueling your already short fuse.