"And if we refuse?"
"Then Melissa wins by default, her agent's involvement gets buried in legal settlements, and your bakery loses the publicity boost right when you need it most." Claudia shrugs. "Your call."
Bitch.
But she's not wrong. The loan officer sent another email this morning. The viral attention helped, online orders quadrupled, but I still need the prize money to expand and hire help.
I look at Korgan. He's watching me with those amber eyes, waiting for my decision.
"What does the challenge involve?" I ask.
Claudia grins. "That's the spirit."
Turns outcompatibility challengemeanstelevised gauntlet of domestic chaos meets orc courtship ritual.
We're standing in a massive set designed to look like a hybrid home, human kitchen on one side, orc forge and ceremonial space on the other. Studio audience packed to capacity. Cameras everywhere. Borgat and three other orc elders sit in a roped-off section, looking simultaneously amused and skeptical.
My hands won't stop shaking.
Korgan touches my lower back. "Breathe."
"I'm breathing."
"Louder. You sound like you're dying quietly."
"That's just my anxiety presentation."
He almost smiles. "You've handled worse."
"Name one thing worse than performing domestic competency for a live studio audience and a panel of orc elders who could decide you're too embarrassing to keep."
"The cinnamon roll date."
"That wasromantic."
"You panicked and dropped three eggs."
"Because you werestaringat me?—"
"WELCOME," Claudia's voice booms over the loudspeaker, cutting off my defensive rant. "To the LIVE finale of Heart of the Horde!"
The audience roars.
"Tonight, Trinity and Korgan will face FIVE challenges designed to test whether their connection can survive real life. Baking. Building. Conflict resolution. Cultural exchange. And finally—" Dramatic pause. "—a traditional orc bonding rite, modified for mixed-species couples."
Korgan tenses. I squeeze his hand.
"Didn't know about that last one?" I whisper.
"No."
"Surprise romantic gesture?"
"Surprise public humiliation, more likely."
"Romantic."
The first challenge appears on a massive screen:Create a meal together that represents both your cultures. Time limit: 45 minutes.
