The Ultimate Test

The tension in the grand ballroom of the L'Amour Élite Matchmaking Summit was thick enough to slice with a knife.

Ava stood at the center of the ornate stage, dressed in an elegant but powerful black dress, microphone in hand. Across from her, Julian Ashcroft sat in a sleek leather chair, his calculating gaze locked onto her.

This was it. The Showdown on stage.

The live matchmaking challenge was the ultimate test—a head-to-head showdown between Ava's intuition-driven matchmaking style and Julian's data-driven algorithm.

Ryan, standing just offstage, crossed his arms. "No pressure, Matchmaker."

Ava exhaled slowly, smirking just slightly. "Oh, I thrive under pressure."

Margaux Duval, the host of L'Amour Élite, stood between them, her poised French accent carrying through the grand hall.