Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 107: Matchmaker Summit Opening Night – Let the Games Begin!

Chapter 107: Matchmaker Summit Opening Night – Let the Games Begin!

The Sakura Grand Ballroom was a masterpiece of elegance, blending modern luxury with the timeless beauty of Japanese tradition. Massive crystal chandeliers bathed the space in a soft, golden glow, while walls of shoji screens and delicate cherry blossom arrangements gave the room a tranquil, ethereal feel. The scent of fresh sakura petals and expensive perfume filled the air, mixing with the subtle richness of aged sake and expertly crafted hors d’oeuvres.

Ava took a deep breath as she and Ryan stepped through the grand entrance, their heels clicking against polished marble floors. Hundreds of elegantly dressed attendees filled the ballroom—matchmakers from all over the world, high-profile clients, business moguls, and curious elites eager to see what the Global Matchmaker’s Summit had to offer.

Ryan let out a low whistle, adjusting the lapels of his tailored black tuxedo. "I gotta admit," he murmured, "they know how to throw a party."

Ava, clad in a sleek crimson gown that hugged her figure in all the right places, smirked. "Enjoy it while you can. Knowing Mei, there’s about to be a storm of chaos."

As if on cue, a familiar cackle rang out over the soft hum of jazz music.

"Ava, darling!"

Ava closed her eyes briefly, bracing herself, before turning to see Mei and Harold sweeping into the ballroom like royalty.

Mei was draped in an elegant silk kimono, the deep emerald fabric embroidered with golden cranes, while Harold—ever dramatic—wore a deep navy suit with an ascot, looking like he had stepped out of a period drama.

"I feel like we should bow," Ryan muttered, amused, as they approached.

Ava sighed. "Don’t encourage them."

Mei beamed, clasping Ava’s hands. "Look at you! Tokyo agrees with you." Then, she eyed Ryan with a knowing smirk. "Or maybe it’s just your fiancé’s attention that agrees with you."

Ryan grinned shamelessly, slipping an arm around Ava’s waist. "I do try."

Ava elbowed him lightly, fighting a blush.

Harold, sipping from a sake cup he had somehow already acquired, hummed in approval. "A toast, then! To a night of victory and romance!"

Ryan tilted his head. "You do realize we haven’t won anything yet?"

Harold waved a hand dismissively. "Details. I can already feel it in my soul—tonight will be... eventful."

Ava groaned. "That’s exactly what I’m afraid of."

Enter Madam Hoshino – A Living Legend

Before Mei could further ignite the chaos, the room quieted slightly as a new presence entered the ballroom.

Ava turned, immediately recognizing the woman everyone was whispering about.

Madam Hoshino.

The most powerful traditional matchmaker in Japan.

Dressed in an exquisite pale gold kimono, her silver-streaked hair pinned elegantly, she walked with a quiet but commanding presence. Her sharp, intelligent gaze swept over the room as matchmakers and elites alike inclined their heads in respect.

Mei, of course, was completely unfazed.

"Ah, Hoshino-san," Mei greeted with an easy smile. "Still running Tokyo’s matchmaking world with an iron fan?"

Madam Hoshino’s lips quirked slightly, though her expression remained impenetrable. "And you, Mei-san, are still as unpredictable as ever."

Ava stood straighter, feeling the weight of Madam Hoshino’s assessing gaze settle on her.

"You must be Mei’s granddaughter," Madam Hoshino finally said, her voice smooth, calm, but impossibly sharp beneath the surface. "Ava Lee."

Ava inclined her head in polite respect. "It’s an honor to meet you, Madam Hoshino."

The older woman’s gaze flicked over Ava before settling on Ryan.

"And you are?"

Ryan offered a polite nod, though there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Ryan Kim. Lawyer, fiancé, and occasional matchmaking assistant."

Ava stifled a groan at the twinkle of amusement in Madam Hoshino’s gaze.

"Fiancé?" she mused, watching Ryan with keen interest. "Mei-san never mentioned you were engaged."

Ryan flashed a slow grin, resting a hand on Ava’s lower back. "We’re keeping it exciting."

Madam Hoshino let out a quiet hum, something unreadable passing through her expression. "Interesting."

Then, turning back to Ava, she said, "Your reputation precedes you. Let’s see if you live up to it."

Ava barely had time to process that ominous statement before a new disturbance entered the ballroom.

Julian’s Grand Entrance – And His New Toy

The doors swung open with deliberate flair, and Ava already knew before she even turned.

Julian Ashcroft.

He strode in like he owned the place, dressed in a perfectly tailored navy suit, his expression oozing smug superiority.

And, of course, Ethan Chase followed a few steps behind, looking far too amused for Ava’s liking.

The room murmured as Julian’s team set up a sleek, high-tech presentation screen near the front of the ballroom.

Ryan let out a low groan. "Oh, for the love of—he’s doing a tech demonstration at a gala?"

Ava sighed. "This is Julian. Of course, he is."

Julian flashed a brilliant, insincere smile at the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed matchmakers, and industry pioneers, I give you—"

A dramatic pause.

"The future of matchmaking."

The screen behind him lit up, displaying a sleek interface with graphs, compatibility percentages, and an AI-generated relationship prediction system.

Ava barely managed to keep her face neutral, but Ryan?

Ryan snorted loudly.

Julian twitched but continued. "With cutting-edge AI analysis, we can now predict long-term compatibility with 98.7% accuracy."

Ethan, standing slightly to the side, sipped his whiskey, looking like he was barely holding back laughter.

Mei, on the other hand, made a loud, unimpressed noise. "Bah. 98.7%? Love isn’t an algorithm."

Julian’s smirk wavered slightly, but he kept his voice smooth. "Emotions are unpredictable. Data is not. This technology removes human error."

Ava finally crossed her arms, stepping forward. "And what about human connection?"

Julian turned to her, smirk firmly in place. "That’s the beauty of it. You don’t need intuition anymore. The system does it for you."

Ava exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to throw her champagne at his smug face.

Ryan, ever the agent of chaos, leaned down and murmured, "Want me to challenge him to a matchmaking duel?"

Ava snorted, but before she could respond—

Mei clapped her hands once, drawing all eyes back to her.

"Since Julian is so confident in his calculations," Mei said, far too sweetly, "why don’t we put it to the test?"

Julian’s smug expression slipped for a split second. "What?"

Mei grinned wickedly. "A challenge. Your algorithm vs. a traditional matchmaker."

The room buzzed with excitement, matchmakers leaning in.

Ava sighed. "Oh no."

Ryan perked up. "Oh yes."

Julian’s jaw tightened, but he plastered on his PR smile. "Fine. Let’s settle this with data."

Mei beamed, patting Ava’s shoulder. "You’ll do great, darling."

Ava glared at her. "You’re the worst."

Ryan smirked, squeezing her waist. "I don’t know, I’m kind of enjoying this."

Ava exhaled. "You would."

Ethan, still lurking in the background, lifted his glass toward her. "Hope you’re ready, Lee."

Ava met his gaze, fire in her eyes. "Oh, I was born ready."

The war had officially begun.

---

The gala continued in full swing after Julian’s overly dramatic tech demonstration, but the tension still buzzed in the air.

Ava wasn’t in the mood for any more of Julian’s arrogance, so she steered Ryan away from the main stage, letting the hum of soft jazz and the gentle clinking of glasses drown out her irritation. The scent of sandalwood and cherry blossoms lingered in the air as waiters moved between guests with trays of meticulously arranged appetizers—mini sushi rolls, golden tempura bites, and delicate wagashi desserts.

Ryan smirked as they stepped toward one of the open-air balconies, where the Tokyo skyline stretched endlessly before them. The city glowed—a mesmerizing sea of neon and lantern-lit streets.

"Well," Ryan mused, slipping his hands into his pockets, "on a scale of one to ’Julian just signed his own humiliation,’ how satisfying was that?"

Ava sighed dramatically. "Honestly? Somewhere between ’mildly annoying’ and ’I want to shove his AI program into the nearest koi pond.’"

Ryan chuckled, stepping closer. "I can arrange that."

Ava narrowed her eyes, lips twitching. "Are you offering to commit a crime for me, Counselor Kim?"

Ryan leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "I’d do a lot worse for you, Matchmaker."

A shiver ran down her spine, but before she could retort, a new voice interrupted them.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I simply must say... you are the most captivating woman in this entire room."

Ava turned, raising a brow as a stranger approached—a tall man, suave and effortlessly charming, with dark, slicked-back hair and a devastatingly expensive suit. His European accent was smooth as silk, and the knowing glint in his hazel eyes told Ava that this was a man who was used to getting what he wanted.

Ryan’s jaw ticked.

Ava, on the other hand, sighed inwardly. Of course.

The man smiled, confident, eyes flicking to Ryan briefly before settling on Ava again. "I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. My name is Lorenzo De Luca, and I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room."

Ryan bristled immediately.

Ava, amused, tilted her head. "Oh? And what exactly caught your attention, Mr. De Luca?"

Lorenzo grinned, clearly sensing her teasing tone but choosing to play along. "Your beauty, of course—but also your reputation." He took a slow sip of his wine. "The infamous Ava Lee, the woman who defied Paris’ matchmaking elite. A legend in the making."

Ava snorted. "I think you’re exaggerating just a little."

Ryan, still standing directly beside her, cleared his throat loudly. "She’s also engaged."

Lorenzo glanced down at Ava’s hand, noting the ring, and then smirked in clear amusement. "Ah, of course. A lucky man."

Ryan smiled pleasantly—the kind of lawyer smile that usually came before he absolutely destroyed someone in court. "I like to think so."

Lorenzo didn’t seem remotely threatened. In fact, he looked entertained.

"You must be Ryan Kim," he mused. "The famous divorce lawyer."

Ryan’s smile didn’t waver. "And you must be another overconfident businessman who thinks he can flirt with my fiancée in front of me."

Ava bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Lorenzo simply grinned, lifting his glass in mock toast. "Just appreciating good taste, my friend. No hard feelings."

Ryan’s arm slipped around Ava’s waist, pulling her against him as he spoke—his voice low and possessive. "Glad we’re clear."

Ava, amused beyond belief, decided to stir the pot just a little.

She glanced up at Ryan, eyes sparkling with mischief, and murmured, "Jealous?"

Ryan didn’t hesitate. "Not even a little. I know exactly where you’ll be ending the night."

Lorenzo chuckled, clearly enjoying their dynamic, before inclining his head. "A pleasure meeting you, Ava." Then, to Ryan: "And best of luck... keeping up."

And with that, he vanished back into the crowd.

Ryan exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I hate that guy."

Ava, laughing, leaned into him. "Oh, come on. He was harmless."

Ryan’s grip tightened. "Harmless is when a man doesn’t look at you like he’s picturing ways to steal you from me."

Ava grinned, looping her arms around his neck. "Hmm. And if I told you that no one could steal me from you?"

Ryan’s gaze darkened, his fingers tracing slow, lazy circles against her lower back. "Then I’d say you have about five seconds before I remind you exactly why."

Ava tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Only five seconds?"

Ryan growled lowly, leaning down to brush his lips against hers. "Alright, we can start with five... and see how long you last."

Ava barely had time to respond before his mouth claimed hers, the kiss slow but dangerously deep, his grip firm but achingly controlled.

She sighed into it, melting against him, fingers tangling into his hair as he backed her against the balcony railing, pressing their bodies together.

The distant murmur of the gala faded, the music nothing more than a faint hum in the background.

Ryan kissed her like he had all the time in the world, like he wanted to erase every single moment another man had dared to flirt with her.

And Ava?

She let him.

She loved it.

Just when things were getting deliciously out of hand, a sharp voice shattered the moment.

"Ava! Ryan! Enough with the smoldering—there’s an announcement!"

They jerked apart, blinking dazedly as Mei stood near the ballroom entrance, looking far too entertained for Ava’s liking.

Ryan sighed deeply. "You have the worst timing."

Mei grinned unapologetically. "I have perfect timing. Now move your lovebird nonsense inside before you miss something important."

Ava groaned, but Ryan smirked, pressing one last, lingering kiss against her temple before pulling her hand into his.

"Later," he murmured.

Ava’s breath hitched. Oh, she was in trouble.

They re-entered the ballroom just as the lights dimmed, and the stage was illuminated once more.

The coordinator stepped forward, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the official challenges begin tomorrow," he announced.

The room buzzed with excitement.

Ryan leaned toward Ava, whispering, "Ready to wipe the floor with Julian?"

Ava smirked. "Oh, absolutely."

The coordinator’s next words, however, made her pause.

"Our first challenge: The Omiai Traditional Matchmaking Test."

Ava straightened.

A hush fell over the crowd as the event details were displayed on the grand screen.

"The first matchmaking test is a traditional omiai event where intuition must be balanced with Japan’s strict criteria for compatibility."

Ava’s pulse quickened.

She knew traditional omiai matchmaking was an intricate, deeply cultural process. There were rules, hierarchies, and expectations.

Ryan smirked, leaning closer. "Let me guess... you’re already overthinking it?"

Ava exhaled sharply. "This is serious, Ryan."

Ryan’s fingers brushed along the small of her back, a reassuring touch. "I don’t need luck when I already know who I’m meant for."

Ava’s heart stuttered, but before she could recover, Julian’s smirk from across the room told her one thing:

Tomorrow was going to be a battle.