Chapter 51: The First Panel
The morning after the opening gala, Ava found herself in the convention’s main auditorium, gripping a notebook like it was a life raft. The room was packed with impeccably dressed matchmakers, industry leaders, and tech gurus, all buzzing with anticipation. The first panel of the convention, "Modern Love: Science vs. Intuition", was about to begin.
Ryan slid into the seat next to her, holding two cups of coffee. "Thought you might need this," he said, handing one over.
"You are a lifesaver," Ava said, taking a grateful sip. "What’s the over-under on how long it takes for someone to mention algorithms?"
"Five minutes," Ryan said, smirking. "Three if Julian’s on stage."
Ava glanced toward the panelists setting up on the elevated stage. There he was, Julian Ashcroft in all his polished, smug glory, flanked by Astrid LaFleur, the French astrologer, and Ethan Chase, who looked far too comfortable in the spotlight. Rounding out the group was a nervous-looking academic from a well-known university and a no-nonsense relationship therapist.
"This should be fun," Ava muttered, sarcasm dripping from her words.
"Fun isn’t the word I’d use," Ryan said, leaning back in his chair. "But entertaining? Definitely."
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The moderator, a polished journalist with a voice like velvet, began with an innocuous question about the role of technology in modern relationships. Predictably, Julian pounced on the opportunity to promote his data-driven methods.
"Love is not just about emotions," Julian said smoothly, gesturing with the ease of someone who’d given this speech a hundred times. "It’s about compatibility. And compatibility can be measured, analyzed, and predicted with precision."
Ava’s eye twitched. She could already feel a rant bubbling up inside her.