Page 70 of The Substitute Fiancée

“Yes. Three of my works are currently at the Levasseur Gallery.”

“Really? That’s a remarkable address. Cédric Levasseur only shows artists he truly believes in.”

The indirect compliment touches me more than I want to admit. It almost reconciles me with this world… until a man turns toward me.

“And what do you think of MatchMapping?”

He is tall, impeccably dressed, his gaze too calm. The kind who observes before judging. A professional skeptic.

“Have you ever used the app?”

I feel Alexander stiffen beside me.

The air around us seems to tighten, as if the conversation has shifted in nature. This is no longer small talk. It’s a test. Of loyalty. Of narrative.

“When MatchMapping was created, I had already met the man of my life.” A safe truth.

He smiles. A polite, calculated smile.

“And do you think the algorithm was flawed? That it needed to be changed?”

Alexander’s jaw tightens. I sense the tension radiating from him. In that precise moment, I understand that whatever I say can be taken apart, twisted, used. That this won’t be a simple conversation.

I take a breath.

“I think the old algorithm worked for a lot of people. Its success rate proves that. But I also think it never would have brought Alexander’s profile and mine together.”

Around us, a few heads turn. Gazes sharpen. Interest spikes.

“We do have things in common, yes. But not enough to fit into a rational compatibility. And yet… here we are. Engaged and happy.”

I could stop there. I know I’m taking a risk, but I keep going anyway, because I can’t stand the idea of someone attacking Alexander or his work.

“If the goal is purely statistical performance, then there was no reason to change anything. But if the goal is to truly connect people, then you have to accept losing a little control and accept the unknown.”

The silence that follows is brief—but dense.

*

Later, when we finally find ourselves alone, Alexander leans toward me.

“You were perfect,” he murmurs.

In his eyes, I see something more than pride. Gratitude. And a trace of fear—because I just stepped onto his battlefield.

He kisses me gently.

Someone captures the moment. The photo spreads almost instantly, and the story writes itself.

The couple who inspired MatchMapping’s new model. The artist and the CEO. An unexpected alchemy.

I don’t yet know what that image will set in motion.

But I do know one thing: that night, I didn’t just smile for him.

I chose to embrace the light—and with it, the risk that comes along.

24. Live Model