Chapter: First TrustThe laundry room of the mansion was located in the basement, a stark contrast to the gilt-and-velvet excess of the upper floors. It was a utilitarian space of concrete floors, humming machines, and the cloying scent of industrial detergent.To Elion, it was paradise.It was the only room in the house that didn't feel like a stage set. It felt real. It felt like a Tuesday.He stood in front of a row of six washing machines, clutching a basket of dirty clothes. He was wearing his glasses, his hair was unstyled, and he was staring at the settings dial with the intensity of a bomb defusal expert."Cold wash," a voice said from the doorway. "Delicate cycle. Low spin."Elion didn't turn around. He recognized the cadence. He recognized the calm, unauthorized authority."I know how to do laundry, Cale," Elion said. "I've been washing my own clothes since I was twelve.""I know," Cale said, walking into the room. He set his own small basket on the folding table. "But you're holding a cashmere
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: Sleep TroubleThe mansion settled into the night like a beast exhaling.Floors creaked. Pipes groaned. The wind rattled the windowpanes of Suite 1 with a persistent, rhythmic tapping that sounded, to Elion’s sleep-deprived brain, like a code he couldn't crack.3:14 AM.Elion lay on his back, staring at the canopy of the bed. His body was exhausted—drained by the panic attack in the alcove and the forced cheerfulness of the budget victory—but his mind was a centrifuge, spinning at maximum velocity.Rent. Utilities. Therapy. Cat food.The numbers from the ledger danced behind his eyelids. They weren't just numbers. They were markers of failure.He rolled over. He punched his pillow. He rolled back."You're thinking too loud," a voice whispered from the corner.Elion froze. He peered into the gloom.Cale was sitting up on the chaise lounge. He wasn't lying down. He was sitting with his back straight, legs crossed, looking like a sentinel guarding a tomb. In the faint moonlight filtering through the ga
Last Updated: 2025-12-16
Chapter: Budget MissionThe "Budget Mission" was supposed to be educational.Mira Kovari stood at the head of the conference room table, flanked by two serious-looking men in suits who were introduced as "Financial Consultants." The table itself was covered in ledgers, fake credit card statements, and stacks of Monopoly money."Love is grand," Mira announced, pacing back and forth like a shark in a fishtank. "But divorce is expensive. The number one cause of relationship failure isn't infidelity. It's money."She slapped a stack of papers onto the table."Today, you are going to plan a life together. Mortgage. Loans. Groceries. Unexpected medical bills. You have two hours to balance a budget based on your current combined income. Go."Elion stared at the ledger in front of him.Current combined income.His income was negative four million dollars. His assets were zero. His credit score was a number so low it was practically subterranean."This is fun," Kieran drawled from across the table, flipping through h
Last Updated: 2025-12-15
Chapter: Grocery RunThe fluorescent lights of the SuperMart hummed with a frequency that made Elion’s teeth ache.It was 10:00 AM. The production team had rented out the entire grocery store for the morning, turning the produce aisle into an arena. Cameras were mounted on shopping carts like machine guns. Boom mics hovered over the displays of organic avocados.Mira stood at the checkout counter, holding a megaphone."Listen up, couples!" Mira shouted. "Love isn't just about sunsets and champagne. It's about budgeting! It's about compromise! It's about figuring out who buys the toilet paper!"Elion stood next to Cale, gripping the handle of their shopping cart until his knuckles turned white."I hate this," Elion whispered. "I hate this already.""It's just groceries," Cale said, his voice calm and grounding amidst the nervous energy of the other contestants."It's not just groceries. It's math. Public math.""Here is your challenge!" Mira continued. "You have sixty minutes and exactly one hundred dollar
Last Updated: 2025-12-15
Chapter: PrizeThe "Private Terrace" was located on the roof of the West Wing, overlooking the sprawling, manicured gardens of the estate. Under normal circumstances, it would have been romantic.Under Mira Kovari’s supervision, it was a film set.Elion stood in the doorway of the balcony, adjusting the collar of his dress shirt. It was itching. Everything about this situation was itching."You look like you're walking to the gallows," Cale said from behind him.Elion turned. Cale was wearing a suit. Not the borrowed production wardrobe, but his own—a charcoal three-piece that looked vintage, tailored to within an inch of its life. He didn't look like a contestant. He looked like a 19th-century poet who had wandered into a modern nightmare."I feel like I'm walking to a performance review," Elion muttered. "Do I look okay? Or do I look like a nervous wreck disguised as a bachelor?"Cale stepped closer. He reached out and straightened Elion’s tie, his fingers brushing against Elion’s throat. The touc
Last Updated: 2025-12-15
Chapter: Blind FaithThe world vanished into black satin.Elion’s hands fumbled with the knot at the back of his head, ensuring the blindfold was tight, though his heart was already hammering a panicked rhythm against his ribs."I hate this," Elion announced to the darkness. "I hate this immediately. I feel like a hostage.""You're not a hostage," Cale’s voice came from directly in front of him. It was calm, grounded, a low frequency that seemed to vibrate in Elion’s chest. "You're a participant. And you're standing on a mat.""I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff.""You're not. The cliff is twenty feet away. I won't let you get near it."Elion reached out blindly. His fingers brushed Cale’s arm. Cale didn't pull away; he leaned into the touch, solid and real."Okay," Elion exhaled, trying to lower his heart rate. "Okay. What's the layout?""It's an obstacle course," Cale said. "Standard reality TV torture. Tires to step through. A balance beam. A tunnel. And finally, the Drop.""The Drop?""A
Last Updated: 2025-12-15
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