The day after the exhibit floor chaos, the convention's main event loomed large on the schedule: a high-stakes live matchmaking challenge in front of a panel of judges. This was Ava's moment to prove that human intuition could beat Julian's cold, calculated algorithms—and, naturally, to not let Mei turn it into a sideshow again. But in a room full of tech giants, celebrity astrologers, and skeptical judges, the stakes were higher than Ava could have imagined.
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Ava, Ryan, and Mei shuffled into the ballroom that morning, armed with coffee and determination. The ballroom was transformed into a live stage, complete with towering LED screens, plush judges' seats, and a digital countdown clock ominously ticking toward the start of the challenge.
"Wow," Ryan said, glancing around at the setup. "They're really leaning into the reality show aesthetic."
"This isn't reality TV," Ava muttered, gripping her clipboard. "It's matchmaking. Serious matchmaking."
