Chapter 44: Happily Ever After-ish (The Bigger, Messier Beginning)

Ava was beginning to understand that "happily ever after" wasn’t the serene, rose-colored concept she had grown up believing in. It was more like controlled chaos—a whirlwind of missteps, glitter bombs (Mei’s preferred party decor), and an endless string of surprises. Case in point: Mei’s supposed retirement party.

The evening had started innocently enough. The community had come together to celebrate Mei’s long, illustrious career as the queen of matchmaking, and Ava had even begun to let her guard down. That was her first mistake.

---

Standing under the soft glow of twinkling fairy lights, Mei addressed the crowd with a calm, regal authority that belied her penchant for shenanigans.

"It’s been a joy to guide so many of you toward love," Mei said, her voice carrying across the room. "But all good things must come to an end. Tonight, I officially pass the torch to my granddaughter, Ava Lee."

The crowd burst into applause, and Ava, standing off to the side, clutched the microphone Mei had handed her like it was a live grenade.

"Go on, dear," Mei whispered, pulling her in for a hug. But then, in a tone only Ava could hear, Mei added, "Don’t get too comfortable. The real fun is just beginning."

Ava pulled back, her brows furrowing. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

But Mei had already stepped off the stage, her arm looped through Harold’s, leaving Ava to address the crowd while trying to shake off the ominous feeling that her life was about to become significantly more complicated.

Ryan sidled up to her as the applause died down, his trademark smirk firmly in place. "What did she say to you this time?"

Ava sighed, rubbing her temples. "Something cryptic. I don’t like it."

"You never do," Ryan said, handing her a glass of champagne. "But it’s always entertaining for the rest of us."

"Great. That’s what I want my legacy to be: public entertainment."

---

Later that night, after the speeches and the cake (which had mysteriously included a fortune cookie in each slice), Mei approached Ava with an envelope in hand.

"I have one last gift for you," Mei said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Ava accepted the envelope warily. "If this is another matchmaking scheme..."

"Just open it," Mei said, her tone entirely too innocent.

With Ryan peering over her shoulder, Ava tore open the envelope. Inside was a glossy, embossed invitation with elegant gold lettering:

International Matchmaking Convention: New York City

Theme: Redefining the Future of Love

Keynote Event: Intuition vs. Technology – The Ultimate Showdown

Ava’s stomach twisted. Beneath the tagline was a handwritten note: "Your instincts versus the machines."

"What the..." Ava trailed off, turning the card over as if it might explain itself further.

"It’s an opportunity," Mei said, clasping her hands together.

"For what? A public humiliation?" Ava said, holding up the card. "Why does it say ’Keynote Competition’? I’m not competing!"

"Oh, but you are," Mei said, completely unbothered. "You’re going to show the world what matchmaking should look like."

Ryan, squinting at the card, pointed to the fine print at the bottom. "’Two-person minimum.’ Does that mean...?"

"Yes," Mei said brightly. "You’re going too, Ryan."

"Fantastic," Ryan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I’ve always wanted to argue with people who think love can be solved with an algorithm."

"Wait," Ava said, flipping the card back over. "Who exactly am I competing against?"

Mei’s grin widened. "Oh, just a few industry leaders. A billionaire tech CEO who believes emotions are obsolete, a French psychic who swears by horoscopes, and—my personal favorite—a duo from Tokyo who use AI to predict ’soulmate potential.’"

Ryan blinked. "I’d pay money to see you yell at a billionaire."

"Me too," Mei said, sipping her tea. "But you won’t be yelling. You’ll be debating. Politely. With a global audience watching."

"Global?" Ava squeaked.

Mei patted her shoulder. "You’ll do wonderfully. I have complete faith in you."

"Grandma!" Ava groaned. "I’m already drowning in work here! I don’t have time to—"

"Which is why I’ve hired extra staff to handle things while you’re gone," Mei said smoothly.

Ryan smirked. "She thought of everything."

"I hate you both," Ava muttered.

---

As Ava and Ryan lingered near the dessert table, the reality of Mei’s plans began to sink in.

"This is insane," Ava said, staring at the invitation as if it might combust. "A competition? Against people who’ve probably trademarked the word ’love’?!"

Ryan shrugged, casually stealing a macaron. "I mean, it’s not like we haven’t handled worse."

"Worse?" Ava repeated, incredulous. "When was the last time we went up against a billionaire?"

Ryan grinned. "That one guy who thought he could fix his marriage by gifting his wife a yacht?"

"That doesn’t count," Ava said, shaking her head.

"Sure it does," Ryan said, nudging her shoulder. "Look, you’re going to be fine. You’re great at this, even when it’s messy."

Ava hesitated, glancing at him. "What if I’m not?"

Ryan took her hand, his touch steadying. "You will be. And I’ll be there, making sarcastic comments in the background. You’ll crush it."

Ava smiled, despite the nerves fluttering in her chest. "You’re annoyingly good at this whole supportive thing."

"Don’t get used to it," Ryan teased.

From across the room, Mei watched them, her smile triumphant.

---

As the night wound down, Mei approached Ava one last time, her expression softer than usual.

"Remember, Ava," Mei said, placing a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. "This isn’t just about proving yourself. It’s about deciding what kind of matchmaker you want to be."

Ava frowned. "What does that mean?"

Mei’s smile turned sly. "You’ll figure it out."

"Grandma..." Ava started, but Mei was already walking away, Harold in tow.

Ryan appeared beside Ava, holding her coat. "Let me guess. Cryptic advice?"

Ava nodded, slipping her arm through his. "Every time."

As they stepped into the cool night air, Ava glanced back at the now-empty tea shop. Something told her Mei’s so-called retirement wasn’t the end. If anything, it was the beginning of something even bigger.

---

Later that night, after the last of the guests had left and the tea shop had returned to an eerie quiet, Ava stood alone in her office. The faint scent of candle wax and frosting still lingered in the air as she stared at the invitation Mei had handed her. International Matchmaking Convention: New York City. She traced her fingers over the embossed gold lettering, her mind buzzing with questions she wasn’t sure she wanted answers to.

The desk was a mess—papers stacked precariously, an empty mug perched dangerously close to the edge, and Mei’s envelope sitting right in the center like a ticking time bomb. Bold red letters marked its front: FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY.

"What’s your deal?" Ava muttered, picking it up and turning it over in her hands. She had half a mind to open it, but something about Mei’s cryptic smile earlier told her it wasn’t time yet. With a sigh, she tucked it under the invitation and leaned back in her chair.

Her gaze drifted to a stack of client profiles Mei had left behind when she’d ceremoniously "retired." The top profile caught her attention. A name she didn’t recognize stared back at her in crisp black print: Julian Ashcroft, CEO, Innovate Love Inc.

Ava frowned, flipping the folder open. The bio was short—too short. Usually, Mei’s notes were filled with sarcastic commentary or insights about the client’s quirks. But this profile was clinical. Julian Ashcroft was a tech billionaire, the head of a rapidly growing dating app empire that prided itself on "data-driven soulmate predictions." Ava rolled her eyes at the tagline: "Why trust your heart when you can trust the data?"

"Well, isn’t that charming," she muttered, flipping to the next page. There was a headshot—a polished photo of a man in his late thirties with sharp cheekbones, cold blue eyes, and a perfectly calculated smile. Everything about him screamed control and precision.

A note in Mei’s handwriting was scrawled at the bottom of the page: "Don’t underestimate him. Or the stakes."

Ava’s stomach flipped. The stakes? What stakes? She slammed the folder shut, pushing it away like it might bite her.

A soft knock on the door startled her. She looked up to find Ryan leaning casually against the frame, his tie undone and his jacket slung over one shoulder.

"Still brooding over the invitation?" he asked, stepping inside without waiting for an answer.

"I’m not brooding," Ava said, sitting up straighter. "I’m... processing."

"Uh-huh." Ryan crossed the room, plucked the invitation off the desk, and held it up. "You’re seriously thinking about this, aren’t you?"

Ava hesitated, glancing at the unopened envelope and the ominous profile. "I don’t know. Competing against billionaires, psychics, and algorithm-obsessed tech bros? It feels... massive."

Ryan’s lips quirked into a smile as he leaned against her desk. "Massive, sure. But also kind of your thing. You thrive in chaos."

"I don’t thrive in chaos," Ava argued.

Ryan arched a brow. "You run a matchmaking business with Mei as your mentor. You absolutely thrive in chaos."

Ava opened her mouth to argue but stopped, realizing he wasn’t wrong. "Even if that’s true, this isn’t just chaos. It’s... global chaos. What if I’m not ready?"

Ryan’s gaze softened, and he reached out to take her hand. "You’re more than ready. And besides, I’ll be there. Someone’s got to keep you from locking yourself in a closet again."

Ava huffed out a laugh despite herself. "You’re never letting that go, are you?"

"Not a chance," Ryan said, squeezing her hand. "But seriously, if anyone can pull this off, it’s you. And hey, if it all goes sideways, we’ll just rig another scavenger hunt with water balloons."

Ava smiled, her heart feeling lighter, though the weight of Mei’s challenge still lingered. "Thanks. For always showing up, I mean."

Ryan shrugged. "It’s what I do."

Before she could reply, the door creaked open again. Mei poked her head in, her expression far too innocent to be trusted. "Oh good, you’re both still here," she said, stepping inside with Harold in tow.

"What now?" Ava asked, groaning.

Mei held up another envelope, this one smaller than the first. "This one’s for when you get to New York. A little... guidance, let’s say."

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "What’s in it?"

Mei’s grin widened. "That’s for you to find out when the time comes." She placed the envelope on the desk next to the first and patted Ava’s shoulder. "Trust me, dear. This is going to be bigger than anything you’ve ever done."

"Bigger doesn’t always mean better," Ava muttered.

"True," Mei said, her eyes twinkling. "But it’s certainly more fun."

As Mei and Harold strolled out, Ava and Ryan exchanged a glance.

"I’m starting to think this whole retirement thing is a scam," Ava said.

"Oh, it definitely is," Ryan replied, picking up the new envelope. "But at least it’ll be entertaining."

Ava groaned, leaning her head against the desk. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Ryan patted her shoulder. "Only the wildest adventure of your life. Ready to face it?"

She lifted her head, eyeing the two envelopes and the profile waiting for her. Despite the nerves swirling in her chest, a small part of her—the part that thrived on proving people wrong—started to stir.

"Ready as I’ll ever be," she said.

Ryan grinned, stepping closer. "That’s the spirit."

Ava sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You’re way too excited about this."

"Can you blame me? It’s like we’re starring in our own spy movie," Ryan teased, nudging her playfully.

Ava rolled her eyes, but the amusement in them gave her away. "Yeah, well, if I end up in handcuffs, I’m blaming you."

Ryan smirked. "Noted."

For a moment, the room settled into silence, charged with something unspoken. Then, almost instinctively, Ryan reached for her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. Ava didn’t pull away.

"Partners in crime?" he asked, voice softer now.

She met his gaze, a slow smile forming. "Always."

---

End of Volume 2. Coming Next: Volume 3 – Love on the Line.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read