The soft hum of violins filled the air, blending harmoniously with the rustling of silk gowns and murmured conversations. Ava Lee stood at the edge of the grand ballroom, clipboard in hand, scanning the crowd with the precision of a hawk. The Chandlers' wedding was her latest masterpiece: gold-dusted centerpieces, a towering cake that defied gravity, and floral arrangements so perfect they'd make a florist cry.
"Perfect," she murmured, checking off yet another item on her meticulously curated list. "This is how you plan a wedding."
"Excuse me, Ms. Lee?" A nervous waiter approached, holding a tray of champagne flutes that seemed seconds away from disaster. "The groom just—uh—requested a change to the toast order. Something about a, uh, 'special announcement.'"
Ava's pen paused mid-air. Special announcements during weddings were never good news. They ranged from "We're having a baby!" (awkward) to "I'm leaving you for your cousin!" (catastrophic). Either way, they were landmines she wasn't getting paid to handle.
"Special announcement?" Ava's voice tightened, but her smile remained in place, a masterclass in professionalism. "Where is the groom now?"
The waiter gestured toward the champagne fountain, where the groom, Bradley Chandler, stood suspiciously close to the maid of honor. The two were laughing—too loudly and too intimately. Ava narrowed her eyes. The maid of honor's sequined dress shimmered like a disco ball under the chandelier, and her hand lingered on Bradley's arm a beat too long.
"No," Ava muttered under her breath, striding toward them. "Not on my watch."
Before she could intervene, Bradley tapped a knife against his glass, the sharp ting ting ting cutting through the chatter. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the couple. Ava's stomach sank.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Bradley began, his voice slightly slurred from too much champagne. "I have something to say that can't wait."
Ava's heels clicked against the marble floor as she rushed forward, but before she could grab the microphone, Bradley pulled the maid of honor into a side hug and beamed. "I'm in love."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
"With this amazing woman—Jenna."
The bride, standing a mere ten feet away, dropped her bouquet. The room froze. Somewhere in the back, someone coughed. Ava wished she could dissolve into the floor.
"Bradley," the bride hissed, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Bradley blinked, as if realizing for the first time that his bride, Sophia, was present. "Oh, uh…"
Cue pandemonium.
Sophia lunged for Bradley, only to be held back by her bridesmaids. Guests began whispering furiously, phones coming out to record the chaos. The string quartet awkwardly stopped mid-song, and the towering cake began leaning precariously as someone bumped the dessert table.
"Not the cake!" Ava darted forward, propping it up with one hand while frantically gesturing to her assistant with the other. "Call security. And for the love of God, get me more champagne!"
---
Twenty minutes later, Ava sat in the now-empty ballroom, surrounded by the ruins of her event. The guests had been escorted out, Sophia had left in a flurry of tears and veiled threats, and Bradley and Jenna were nowhere to be found—probably hiding from Sophia's enraged father, who was rumored to own three private jets and a small island in the Pacific.
The towering cake sat in the corner, leaning like the Tower of Pisa, a tragic testament to what could have been.
"Rough night?" a voice drawled from behind her.
Ava turned to see Ryan Kim leaning against the doorway, looking infuriatingly smug in his tailored suit. His tie was loosened, and he held a glass of champagne with the nonchalance of someone who had clearly enjoyed the drama.
"Don't you have a divorce to file somewhere?" Ava snapped, too tired to deal with him.
Ryan chuckled, taking a sip of his champagne. "Actually, I specialize in prenups. But nights like this are great for business."
Ava rolled her eyes. "I bet you hand out business cards at weddings."
"Only the ones that crash and burn." He tilted his head, studying her. "You look like you could use one."
Ava set her clipboard down with a little too much force. "For your information, this is an isolated incident. My weddings are usually flawless."
"Sure." Ryan's smirk widened. "I'm sure the bride screaming 'You're dead to me!' is a regular feature of your packages."
Ava took a deep breath, reminding herself that murder, while satisfying, was generally frowned upon. "Why are you even here? You weren't on the guest list."
Ryan shrugged. "I came with a friend. But I stayed for the show."
Before Ava could retort, the ballroom doors creaked open, and her grandmother, Mei Lee, walked in. Dressed in her usual floral-print blouse and orthopedic shoes, Mei looked comically out of place among the shattered remnants of a luxury wedding. She carried a Tupperware container, which she waved at Ava.
"I brought dumplings," Mei announced, as if this were the most normal time and place for a snack. "You look like you need to eat."
Ryan snorted, and Ava shot him a glare. "Grandma, this is not the time."
"Nonsense." Mei set the container on a nearby table and began unpacking. "A full stomach is the key to a clear mind. Besides, I wanted to talk to you."
Ryan, clearly enjoying himself, pulled out a chair and sat down. "Don't mind me. This is entertaining."
Mei looked at Ryan, then at Ava, and her eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "Who's this? A boyfriend?"
"No!" Ava and Ryan said in unison, their voices overlapping.
Mei raised an eyebrow. "Pity. He's handsome. And judging by the way you two argue, there's chemistry."
Ava groaned. "Grandma, please stop."
Ryan, for once, looked caught off guard. "Uh, thank you?"
Mei waved him off. "Don't thank me yet. I'm a matchmaker. I'll decide if you're worthy of my granddaughter."
Ava buried her face in her hands as Ryan tried and failed to suppress a laugh. "This night can't get any worse."
"Oh, don't be dramatic," Mei said, popping a dumpling into her mouth. "I've seen worse weddings."
"Really?" Ava asked, skeptical.
"Of course." Mei grinned. "But that's a story for another time. Right now, I have something important to tell you."
Ava sighed. "What now?"
Mei leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm retiring."
Ava blinked. "Retiring from what?"
"Matchmaking," Mei said matter-of-factly. "It's time for the next generation to take over."
"Next generation?" Ava's stomach sank. "No. Absolutely not."
Mei ignored her. "I've already prepared a list of clients. And I'm giving you my blessing."
"Your blessing?" Ava spluttered. "Grandma, I don't need your blessing. I need you to stop meddling in my life!"
Ryan, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. "Wait, you're a matchmaker? Like, professionally?"
"Yes," Mei said proudly. "And a very good one."
Ryan smirked. "That explains a lot."
"Grandma, I plan weddings, not relationships," Ava protested, ignoring Ryan. "I don't have time for this."
"You'll make time," Mei said firmly. "Family duty."
Ava opened her mouth to argue, but Mei held up a hand. "Enough. You'll thank me later."
With that, Mei packed up her Tupperware and left, leaving Ava staring after her in disbelief.
Ryan, still grinning, stood and adjusted his tie. "Well, this should be fun."
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ava snapped.
"Not anymore." He paused at the door, turning back to her with a teasing smile. "Good luck, Matchmaker."
As the doors closed behind him, Ava sank into a chair, her head in her hands. Matchmaking? Her? This was going to be a disaster.