Page 27 of A Recipe for Romance

The execs exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves before the lead executive turned back to them. “We’ll support you in going public, but we’ll need to manage this carefully. We’ll set up a press conference and ensure that the messaging is consistent. No surprises.”

Drew felt a wave of relief wash over him. This was it—the path forward. It wasn’t going to be easy, but at least now they had a plan.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, glancing at Kelsi, who gave him a small nod of reassurance. “We’ll follow your lead.”

The meeting wrapped up quickly after that, with the details of the press conference set for later in the week. As they exited the building, Drew felt lighter, despite the weight of the decision they’d just made.

Outside, Kelsi turned to him, her eyes bright with determination. “We’re really doing this.”

Drew smiled, pulling her close. “We are. And we’re going to be just fine.”

She grinned, leaning in to kiss him softly. “Together.”

As they stood there, hand in hand, Drew realized that this wasn’t just the next chapter of their story—it was the beginning of a whole new book. One they would write together, on their own terms. And for the first time in a long time, Drew felt certain that whatever challenges came their way, they were ready to face them head-on.

Chapter 18: Kelsi

The announcement ofthe press conference had sent waves through the culinary world, with speculation swirling about what Drew and Kelsi would say. Social media had been abuzz for days, and although Kelsi had done her best to keep her head down, the pressure was building.

She sat on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, scrolling through the endless stream of comments and articles. Most were supportive, but others... not so much.

“Did she really deserve to win? Or did her relationship with Chef Carlson have something to do with it?”

“It’s not a good look for the show if a judge is romantically involved with a contestant. Conflict of interest, anyone?”

Kelsi bit her lip, fighting the knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. She knew they’d face backlash, but seeing it spelled out on the screen felt different. Harsher. The work she’d put in, the nights spent perfecting her dishes, the sweat and stress—it felt like people were questioning all of it.

She clicked away from the comments and opened her messages. Drew had texted earlier, but she hadn’t responded yet.

“Everything okay? Just checking in. We’re in this together, remember?”

Kelsi stared at the message for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. She knew Drew was right—they were a team—but the weight of it all was pressing down on her.

Before she could type a response, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. Zak.

“Hey, superstar,” Zak’s voice came through the line, bright and encouraging as ever. “How are you holding up?”

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