### The Taste of Love.
When the theme for Round Five of the culinary competition was revealed, the entire auditorium buzzed with excitement—and not just from the contestants.
"Create a healthy main course that touches the heart."
Gasps. Whispers. Full-on dramatic clutches of pearls.
Because if there was one contestant who had practically copyrighted "healthy food with heart," it was Charlotte Evans.
And everyone knew it.
Including Charlotte herself.
She blinked at the screen in mild disbelief, then looked toward the judges' panel—more specifically, toward Alexander Hastings, who sat calmly, hands folded, not a twitch of a smile on his face yet. But the corner of his mouth looked... suspiciously lighter than usual?
The audience couldn't help but wonder.
Was this some sort of coded message? A secret olive branch?
Especially after the media frenzy, when Charlotte had publicly soft-launched her relationship with that charming Italian chef, Marco?
