Matchmaker Mayhem
Chapter 114: Julian’s Smug Spectacle – The “Perfect Match AI” Unveiled

Chapter 114: Julian’s Smug Spectacle – The “Perfect Match AI” Unveiled

Tokyo’s evening skyline shimmered in the distance as the next segment of the matchmaking summit unfolded inside an opulent, high-tech event hall. Unlike the previous challenges set in picturesque traditional settings, this was Julian’s domain—a sleek, corporate arena with polished black floors, towering LED screens, and a sense of unnecessary dramatics that only Julian could pull off.

Ava stepped into the room, already feeling the distinct shift in atmosphere. The air was buzzing—not with excitement, but something... off.

Ryan, standing beside her in his usual mix of effortless confidence and suspicion, let out a slow whistle. "Well, this feels like a setup."

Ava sighed, scanning the massive digital displays that were already flashing Julian’s name in pretentious, golden cursive letters.

Julian Ashcroft, CEO of Apex Matchmaking, Presents: The Future of Love.

Ryan snorted. "Wow. Subtle."

Ava rubbed her temples. "Why do I feel like I’m about to get a migraine?"

"Because you are," Ryan said dryly. "And because Julian only invites people to an event when he thinks he’s already won."

Ava’s stomach twisted at that thought.

She had spent years trusting her instincts when it came to matchmaking—reading between the lines, understanding unspoken chemistry, and believing in connections that algorithms could never predict.

And Julian?

Julian wanted to erase all of that.

The lights dimmed.

A soft electronic chime echoed through the hall, and suddenly, all eyes turned toward the center stage.

Then, in true Julian fashion, he made his entrance.

With fog machines.

Ava almost choked on her drink. "Oh, come on."

Ryan, barely holding back laughter, muttered, "Does he think he’s a tech messiah or something?"

Apparently, yes.

Julian strode onto the stage like he was unveiling the next iPhone, his sleek navy suit tailored to perfection, his signature smug grin firmly in place.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, voice dripping with manufactured charm, "welcome to the future of matchmaking."

The audience oohed on cue.

Ryan leaned toward Ava, whispering, "Are they paid to do that?"

Ava exhaled. "Wouldn’t be surprised."

Julian smirked, clearly enjoying the theatrics. He gestured behind him, and the giant LED screens flickered to life, revealing a glowing, sleek, and utterly dystopian interface.

"Introducing... the Perfect Match AI."

A hush fell over the room.

Julian snapped his fingers, and the screens filled with hyper-advanced facial recognition graphics, color-coded relationship patterns, and scarily detailed compatibility matrices.

"This," Julian continued, "is not just a dating app. It is a revolution in human connection. A system designed to predict perfect matches with 100% accuracy."

Ava’s gut tightened.

100% accuracy?

That was impossible.

Julian’s eyes glittered with triumph as he continued, "For centuries, matchmakers have relied on outdated intuition. Guesswork. Gut feelings. Imprecise and flawed."

Ava’s teeth clenched.

Ryan nudged her. "Breathe, Matchmaker."

She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm.

Julian paced the stage like he was delivering a TED Talk on romance as if he hadn’t been personally humiliated by Ava multiple times before.

"But with Perfect Match AI, human bias is eliminated. Our system considers every detail—psychological profiling, genetic markers, behavioral analytics—to predict the most optimal lifelong partners."

Ava blinked.Wait. Genetic markers?

Ryan’s jaw tightened. "Did he just say—"

"Yes," Ava muttered. "Yes, he did."

Julian continued, clearly thriving on the dramatic tension.

"To prove our system’s superiority, we have run compatibility scans on hundreds of individuals—including those of you in this very room."

Ava froze.

Oh, hell no.

Ryan’s expression darkened. "What the hell does that mean?"

Julian snapped his fingers again, and suddenly—names started appearing on the massive screens.

"Using the most advanced AI available, we have created predictive pairings—unbiased, perfect, irrefutable!"

The screen flashed.

Ava’s stomach dropped.

Because right there, in front of everyone...

Her name appeared.

Next to Julian’s.

Ryan stiffened beside her.

Julian smirked, tilting his head. "Fascinating, isn’t it?"

Ava narrowed her eyes. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Julian shrugged, feigning mock innocence. "I assure you, Ava, this was purely scientific. The algorithm has determined that you and I are, in fact, the most compatible match in this competition."

The room buzzed with murmurs.

Ryan, however, was terrifyingly silent.

Ava gritted her teeth. "Your AI is broken."

Julian’s smirk widened. "Or maybe... you’re just afraid it’s right?"

Ryan finally spoke.

His voice was calm. Too calm.

"Tell me, Julian."

Julian turned, visibly pleased that Ryan was engaging. "Yes?"

Ryan smiled. It was not a friendly smile.

"How does your AI account for the fact that you are, in fact, a raging asshole?"

The audience gasped.

Julian blinked. "Excuse me?"

Ryan continued, completely unfazed. "I mean, you keep saying it’s based on ’unbiased’ data. But tell me—did it factor in things like you being insufferable? Or is that a glitch?"

Ava snorted before she could stop herself.

Julian’s smile twitched. "That’s very mature of you, Kim."

Ryan shrugged. "I try."

Julian, clearly irritated, pivoted back to the audience. "Regardless of personal opinions, the data speaks for itself. Perfect Match AI will redefine the industry. And soon, we will render traditional matchmaking... obsolete."

Ava exhaled slowly.

She had seen plenty of tech-driven matchmaking trends come and go. But this?

This was dangerous.

And she wasn’t about to let Julian erase the human element from love.

Ryan leaned toward her, voice low and dark.

"I don’t trust him," he murmured.

Ava nodded. "Neither do I."

Julian had played his trump card.

But Ava wasn’t going down without a fight.

And if Julian thought for one second that he could claim she was his ’perfect match’—

Ryan was about to make sure he regretted it.

---

The moment Julian smugly declared himself as Ava’s ’perfect match,’ the tension in the air was so thick it could be sliced with a katana. A hush had fallen over the event hall—attendees whispering, journalists furiously scribbling notes, and a few tech investors looking intrigued by the so-called "future of love."

Ryan, however, was not amused.

Not one bit.

His jaw was set tight, and his hands were shoved into his pockets—a controlled but simmering storm brewing beneath the surface. He wasn’t the type to make a scene (unless it was absolutely necessary), but right now? He was one smug remark away from throwing Julian into his own algorithm.

Ava, standing firm with her arms crossed, met Julian’s gaze with all the force of a woman who had just been insulted on a molecular level.

"You honestly believe I’d trust an AI over my own instincts?" she said, voice level but sharp.

Julian sighed dramatically. "Ava, you’re taking this too personally. It’s science."

Ryan finally spoke, his voice calm but undeniably dangerous. "Then your science is full of shit."

Julian turned to him, smiling tightly. "How charming."

Ryan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "No, really. Tell me, Ashcroft, does your AI factor in basic human decency? Or does it automatically rank sociopaths as the ideal partner?"

A ripple of laughter from the nearby crowd.

Julian’s eye twitched.

Ava barely suppressed a grin.

Julian cleared his throat. "Look, this isn’t about emotions or petty grudges. The fact remains—Perfect Match AI has determined the highest level of compatibility. Whether you like it or not, Ava and I—"

Ava held up a hand. "No. Nope. Stop right there."

Julian arched a brow.

"I refuse to let my name be associated with... whatever dystopian dating nightmare you’re pushing." Ava exhaled sharply. "You can sell your ’perfect match’ narrative all you want, but love isn’t about cold calculations. And it’s certainly not about genetic profiling."

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder. Some people nodded in agreement, while others seemed intrigued by Ava’s challenge.

Julian, sensing the shifting atmosphere, chuckled, feigning amusement. "Alright, Ava. If you think my system is flawed, prove me wrong."

Ryan’s muscles tensed. Ava knew that look—he was one step away from tackling Julian out of pure principle.

She placed a hand on Ryan’s arm, a subtle but clear "I got this" gesture.

Then she turned to Julian, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Gladly."

Game on.

---

Fifteen minutes later, Ava and Ryan were walking briskly through the sleek marble-floored hallways of the hotel, far away from Julian’s smug grin and the circus that had erupted over his so-called revolutionary AI.

Ava exhaled sharply, shaking off the residual irritation. "He is insufferable."

Ryan, still looking murderous, muttered, "You’re being too generous."

Ava stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. "You okay?"

Ryan let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. "He literally put your name next to his on a giant screen and called it ’fate.’ No, Ava, I am not okay."

Ava smirked, stepping closer. "Jealous?"

Ryan huffed, jaw tightening. "Of him? Hell no."

Ava’s fingers grazed his collar, straightening his already-perfect suit. "Then why do you look like you’re two seconds away from throwing Julian into Tokyo Bay?"

Ryan’s hands found her waist, tugging her in. "Because he doesn’t get to act like an algorithm knows you better than I do."

Ava’s breath hitched.

There it was.

That possessive edge in his voice.

She leaned in, teasing. "And what exactly do you know that Julian doesn’t?"

Ryan’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous smirk. "Oh, sweetheart. Where do I even start?"

Ava shivered as his fingers traced slow, lazy circles against her lower back.

Ryan’s voice dropped lower. "I know that when you’re frustrated, you drink chamomile tea, even though you hate the taste. I know that you get distracted when you’re working, but you’ll never admit it. I know that when you’re nervous, you fiddle with your rings—"

Ava immediately stilled her fingers, which were, indeed, fidgeting with the ring Ryan had placed on her finger in Paris.

Ryan chuckled, smug. "—and I know that right now, you want me to kiss you."

Ava’s breath caught in her throat.

Okay, so he wasn’t wrong.

But she refused to let him win this easily.

She arched a brow. "Cocky, aren’t you?"

Ryan’s thumb brushed against her bottom lip. "You tell me."

Ava was about to fire back a witty comeback—except Ryan’s mouth was already on hers, capturing her in a slow, deep kiss that sent every thought scattering.

His lips moved against hers with a mix of teasing and possessiveness, like he was staking his claim all over again.

Ava melted into it, fingers tangling in his hair as his hands tightened around her waist, pressing her closer.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew they were still in the middle of a public hallway.

But Ryan clearly didn’t care.

And honestly?

Neither did she.

When they finally broke apart, Ryan’s forehead rested against hers, both of them slightly breathless.

Ryan smirked. "Still thinking about Julian?"

Ava let out a breathless laugh. "Who?"

Ryan chuckled, pressing one more lingering kiss to her lips.

"Exactly."

The Chaos Continues

Of course, their moment of peace didn’t last long.

Because just as Ava was about to suggest heading back to their suite, a familiar voice echoed down the hallway.

"There you two are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

Ava groaned. "Oh no."

Ryan sighed. "Oh no."

And then, rounding the corner, Mei and Harold appeared—both looking far too excited.

Harold was holding a clipboard.

Mei?

A suspiciously knowing grin.

"You’re going to love this," Mei chirped. "We have a brilliant plan."

Ava pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh God."

Ryan muttered, "We’re doomed."

Mei clapped her hands together. "So, we figured since Julian is pushing his AI matches, we need a counter-strategy."

Ava narrowed her eyes. "What kind of counter-strategy?"

Mei’s grin widened.

Harold handed Ryan a folder.

Ryan opened it... then immediately closed it.

"Absolutely not," he said flatly.

Ava, now concerned, snatched the folder.

She opened it... then stared in horror.

"...Mei," she said slowly, "Are you trying to set up a matchmaking reality TV segment?"

Mei blinked innocently. "I prefer the term ’interactive matchmaking experience.’"

Ryan muttered, "This woman is unhinged."

Ava sighed.

Tokyo was about to become even more chaotic.

And Julian?

He had no idea what was coming.