?? SETUP: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

  Kai Morgan was not built for Valentine’s Day.

  Romance? He could do that.

  Grand gestures? Eh. Questionable.

  But surviving Bailey’s expectations without fumbling? That was Final Boss-level difficulty.

  So tonight? He was locked in.

  Fancy dinner. Candles. Smooth jazz. The whole damn package.

  Bailey, sitting across from him in a black dress that made his brain short-circuit, raised a brow.

  “…You good?”

  Kai, staring like an idiot, cleared his throat. “Yep. Totally normal. Processing at full capacity.”

  Lies.

  His brain was buffering. Hard.

  ChaotIQ flickered to life from his emerald necklace, scanning Kai’s frozen expression.

  ?? “Warning: System Error – Romantic Competency Critically Low.”

  Bailey smirked, sipping her wine. “Yeah, I figured.”

  Kai took a deep breath. Focus. Stay cool. Don’t say anything stupid.

  Then—his AI assistant decided to ruin everything.

  ?? “Analyzing dinner environment… Detecting candlelight, eye contact, elevated heart rate…”

  Kai’s eyes widened. “Don’t.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  ?? “Conclusion: Romantic Tension at 92%. Initiating ‘Smooth Rizz Protocol.’”

  Bailey choked on her drink. “I’m sorry—your AI has a WHAT?”

  Kai glared at ChaotIQ. “You’re about to be single-handedly responsible for ruining this entire night.”

  ?? “Incorrect. My calculations indicate that YOU will be the reason this fails. I’m simply here for comedic support.”

  Bailey wiped her mouth, laughing. “Okay, I take it back—this is the best Valentine’s ever.”

  Dinner was going well. Surprisingly well.

  Kai was on his game—laughs, eye contact, smooth hand-holding. Romance Level: 100.

  Then the waiter dropped the bill.

  Kai glanced at the price.

  $256.

  His soul left his body.

  ?? “Card Decline Probability: Moderate.”

  Kai stomped on ChaotIQ under the table. “SHUT UP.”

  Bailey smirked. “Oh? That bad?”

  Kai forced a smile. “Of course not. I got this.”

  ?? “Fun Fact: His financial confidence does NOT match his bank account.”

  Bailey laughed. “Baby, I can pay—”

  “NO.” Kai was already tapping his card like his life depended on it.

  Waiting… waiting…

  Approved.

  Kai exhaled dramatically. “See? No problem.”

  ChaotIQ hummed.

  ?? “Bill Paid. Financially Wounded. Emotionally Scarred.”

  Walking back to the car, Bailey leaned into Kai’s side.

  She smelled like vanilla and mischief.

  Bailey: “Despite the comedy show, this was… perfect.”

  Kai smirked. “Yeah?”

  Bailey: “Yeah. But let’s be real—you were STRESSED.”

  Kai sighed. “…Extremely.”

  She stopped, turning him toward her.

  A pause. A slow, teasing smile. Then—she kissed him.

  ?? GAME. OVER. ??

  Kai’s entire brain blue-screened.

  Heart pounding. Lungs? Questionable.

  ?? “Vital Signs Unstable. Deploying Emergency Response.”

  Kai muttered. “I swear to God—”

  Bailey laughed, tugging him into the car. “C’mon, Loverboy. Let’s go home.”

  ChaotIQ flickered smugly.

  ?? “Mission Accomplished. Valentine’s Day Rating: 12/10.”

  ?? END SCENE. ??