‘Heated Rivalry’ Theory Makes Devastating Prediction About Ilya’s Future

[Warning: The below contains spoilers for Heated Rivalry and The Long Game by Rachel Reid.]

Heated Rivalry is only just getting started, as is Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov’s (Connor Storrie) romance. Their love story plays out over about a decade in author Rachel Reid’s books about them, Heated Rivalry and The Long Game. The latter gives Hollanov the happy ending they deserve — but a new fan theory has us wondering whether their future could take a tragic turn.

Before we get into it, let’s revisit where Shane and Ilya end up in The Long Game. They undergo some trials and tribulations, of course, but their journey’s conclusion couldn’t be more picture-perfect.