"You're kidding me," Brandon said, his voice carrying astonishment and disbelief at my words.

Giddy and feeling accomplished, I laughed. "I'm not."

Brandon turned to me, flitting his eyes between the white-dress clad Bella and me, and trying to find a link. He peered at me closely, assessing my facial expression as if to see I was speaking the truth or not. I laughed again, and he pulled back, the word leaving his mouth; "Liar."

"Nope." I shook my head.

Brandon licked his lips. "You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Prove it," he said.

I didn't say anything but started walking forward. We had to be careful—in case Alard came back—so there wouldn't be any dramatic revelation or anything. The girls around Bella left as they saw me approaching. They had been so sweet to us, agreeing to act nonchalant and helping us in fooling Bella's father. Brandon had followed me, and I felt him pause behind me as I reached Bella. I took in a deep breath, and said to her, "Brandon can't believe it's you."

Beside me, Brandon seemed ready to bolt, not trusting me until the end.

"How about now?" Bella revealed her face from under her veil, her expression glowing with an incomparable sort of glee.

"Shit." That's all Brandon said before Bella and I broke out into giggles. After a minute, Brandon interrupted, his voice trailing off. "But how did this happen? I saw you leaving in the car."

His question made us pause, and I shared a look with Bella. How did we end up like this...?

Bella beat me to the answer. She pointed her head towards me, her face back under the veil. "We were going to the airport. But it felt wrong."

"Wrong?" Brandon questioned.

"We had the cake in the car... but that wasn't it. I knew papa wouldn't be so careless. He would have had people over at airport too." She sighed, standing up. Her towering height made me take a step back, but Brandon kept on listening. "So, we did the unexpected thing—came back to where we had run from."

I chipped in. "We saw the bride and groom on our way here. They agreed to help us out immediately."

"You mean after the money," Bella corrected.

"Same thing." I rolled my eyes. "That's why we needed the time. Bella was changing all this while and I think I saw the bride hooting at the stripper show."

Brandon was silent for a minute. We took the quietness as him appreciating our plan and basked in the glory of (hopefully not momentary) freedom. Bella and I watched as Brandon nodded, tilted his head, frowned, tried to say something (and then didn't) when he finally asked us one question that we didn't have an answer to. "Where's Giulia?"

"Tyler!" Bea called out from behind, and I turned. "They have tallied the votes! Come on!"

Bella was frowning, but she mustered up a smile when my eyes met hers and motioned me to go. "I'll get changed." She didn't give me a chance to say anything, and turned away, hoisting up her gown and making a quick walk to the dressing room.

"What happened?" Brandon asked, catching on the solemn mood.

"Actually—"

"You guys coming?" Bea asked us, looking at us curiously.

I give a look to Brandon that said 'later', and smiled at Bea, linking my arms with her non-fake-injured one and walking to the set-up. Brandon trailed behind, the silence sitting heavy between us.

Giulia. One missing piece left in the puzzle before it got its happily ever after picture. Though this time she wasn't missing. It was more of a matter of out-of-reach than nowhere-to-be-seen. Alard hadn't gotten to her. Her personal assistant had been bought out by Kiki. She was somewhere safe in Singapore, saved by Kiki's men, and waiting for Bella to join her. That last update had been hours ago before the competition even began. We hadn't been able to contact Kiki after her last phone call to me, and the thought of Giulia waiting anxiously for Bella had been bugging both of us this whole time.

"That was Bella, right?" Bea whispered, standing close to my left, the three of us in front of the camera.

I nodded. "Yup."

"Do you think we'll win?"

Will we? I thought. Looking at Brandon, I thought of the fantastic stripper show he had pulled off. Bea didn't ask the question again, and I simply shrugged in response. If the public vote didn't go in favor of us after that... I didn't know what will.

"We have the results!" Florence said. She was back at her dramatics for a while again, and I zoned her out (half from nervousness and half from worry over Giulia) until she actually got the part where they talked about our cakes. "The judges didn't score in this round but they have chosen their favorites! Cheng?"

"I chose Sarah's attempt at the baby shower cake. It was beautiful and suited the theme given perfectly." The cake was long gone, stuffed inside people's stomach, so we only listened to his description of how much he loved the cake.

"Tony?" Florence announced.

We all looked at the tall man, waiting eagerly for the verdict. Everyone wanted the judges on their side, and it could prove to be a strong advantage in the next round. If we made it.

Tony cleared his throat and then smiled, his American accent slipping in. "Tyler's cake."

I grinned, blood rushing to my face. Yes, yes, yes! Brandon and Bea bumped me from both sides, expressing their joy as well. The judge liking it meant that the cake was good too, and not just the stripper show! We had to make it to the core finals at this rate.

Tony gave the pointers on my cake. "It was well made. The layer of raspberry filling brought the tanginess and the lightness needed in the heavy chocolate filled cake. The design was up-to-the par and presentation was theme worthy." He chuckled at the last part, looking straight at Brandon. Unfazed, Brandon grinned at the not-really-compliment compliment.

"That's their favorites! Did our wedding guests think the same?" Florence asked, waving the cue card she had in her hand. "It's all in here. Are you excited?"

After a chorus of satisfying 'yes', she opened an envelope and read the names. I discreetly tried to crane my neck and read the inside, but the angle was wrong, and lighting wasn't good. I sighed, I'll have to wait for her announcement then.

"The first team to reach the finals between Maya and Sarah is..." I looked at Sarah. It had to be her. So far, my intuition hadn't been wrong. If the judges liked her, then she was bound to be selected in the finale. Florence announced, "Sarah and Leonard!"

All of us broke out into huge grins as Sarah jumped up and down and hugged Leonard. Though I was happy for her, the growing nervousness was making me dizzy in anticipation. It was our team's results turn now. Two out of three. It would be a shame if I didn't make it. Florence cleared her throat, calling attention to Sarah and other contestants. "We have a surprising result for this team," she said.

I tried to analyze the meaning of her statement. Surprising? Did that mean the result was contradictory to the judges' favorites?

Florence pursed her lips and looked at us with a grave intensity. "The third place winner has been decided." All of us stared at each other, confused and perplexed. Weren't the top three contestants going to compete for a position? She didn't wait for more confusion to settle in and explained the change in the game. "In Henry, Patrick and Tyler's match, two teams got the same number of votes while the other team got the highest."

My heart dropped. I wanted to believe that I was the highest scorer one—but at this point anything was possible. Dreaming about such things would only lead to disappointment if let be.

"Due to the high variance in the votes, the bottom two teams have been tied as the third place winner of the Bake It Down Championship." The three of our teams stepped forward on Florence's command. Brandon held my hand, squeezing it in support and encouragement. I took Bea's left hand in mine and did the same for her. The competition can end for us right this minute. It was a frightening thought. "The one team moving on to the finale is..."

The imaginary drum rolls blared in my head in the form of my heartbeat. Let it be me, let it be me, I chanted.

"Tyler and her team!"

The scream that tore from Bea's mouth pierced our ears with its thunderous high pitch. We were far too gone in our excitement to mind it much. The next few seconds were a blur as the three of us danced around in circles having our mini-party on the stage. Patrick and Henry congratulated us, and then came Tony and Cheng with their best wishes. Brandon remained the most modest out of our trio, and even that was pretty crazy.

"We're in the top two!" Sarah joined me, hugging me with full intensity.

"Calm down, ladies." Florence broke us apart. "You have one more competition to compete in."

We gulped. Baking again?

"For the final match of the Bake It Down; we have... the baking quiz!"

I blinked. What? They mean to say that the cash prize and whatever gift hampers they had ready—not to forget the winning title and trophy—will be given to one of us based on a few questions? No baking or anything?

Sarah and I resonated the same disbelief in our eyes but were helpless about the situation. Beside me, Brandon pulled at my sleeve trying to get my attention. "What?"

"It's Bella."

A shot of fear made me crane my neck and look for her. "What happened to her? Is she okay?"

"Dunno. Looks a bit dicey. Has Kiki contacted you yet?"

At his question, I pulled out my phone from the pocket and looked at the screen. No missed calls or messages. Switching the phone on to the vibrating mode, I kept it back in my pocket. "Nothing from her."

"I don't think Bella can wait here any longer," Brandon concluded. Bella was standing in the far corner of the room, and she waved at me when I looked at her. She kept fidgeting, and I couldn't help but think that the thought of Giulia was still haunting her. I patted my phone again in the hopes that it will buzz and Kiki will be able to tell us about Giulia and the future plan. She couldn't have forgotten about us, right?

"Let me talk to Kiki, and maybe we can figure something out." I pulled out my phone again, determined to end this miscommunication when a hand snatched my phone away. Anger coursed through my veins and I turned, about to snap at the person, when I came face to face with Florence. The words died in my mouth, though my irritation persisted.

"You have a quiz to nail, Ty!" she said in a forced chirpy voice, "You can play your games later."

Someone shouted out from behind, "Florence, we're starting!"

"No, I have an importa—" She turned away before I could complete my sentence. My face turned hot and unable to believe this situation, I called out in a louder voice, "Excuse me?"

Florence turned and placed my phone on the desk where I was supposed to sit. With a wicked grin, she sauntered away. Irritated beyond belief, I ran to the desk and picked up the phone. I searched for Brandon but a crew member was already whisking him away.

"Tyler, are you ready?" Sarah called out from the other side.

"Huh?" I looked up. "Yeah. Best of luck!"

The third voice intercepted, "Great! We're starting. Please be seated." And before I knew it I was seated on the chair, facing towards the front, and the quiz had begun.

I bit my lip. Bella...

"It'll be an individual player game. Press the buzzer if you know the answer." I put my phone aside and listened to Florence explain the rules. "Correct answer will give you ten points. If you don't answer within five seconds, the opportunity will be given to the other player and she can earn those ten points."

It was surreal to be on the seat. I had made it to the finals, was about to participate in the biggest quiz of my life, but my mind was elsewhere. The quiz was happening and I couldn't even concentrate on the words that she spouting. Why was everything starting off on a wrong foot today? Though, for one, my phone remained silent, and I took this as a sign to focus on the quiz.

Florence didn't wait for any pleasantries and dived straight into the quiz. "Question one. When making pie dough, what does "cutting in the butter" refer to?"

I frowned. That was easy. "Tyler!" I shouted and pressed the buzzer. Sarah was only a second behind but the chance went to me.

"Tyler?"

"Cutting in the butter means incorporating small pieces of cold butter into the flour."

"Correct!"

Brandon hooted from the other end, and I grinned. Florence continued, "Next question. What does the term "blind baking" refer to?"

"Sarah!" Sarah pressed the buzzer as soon as Florence completed her sentence, my hand still hovering over the buzzer. "Baking a pie crust without its filling."

"Correct. Ten points to Sarah."

The phone buzzed, startling me, and I shot my hand out to pick it up. Hiding the phone under my table, I looked at the caller ID. Kiki. My heartbeat rose, and I tightened my hands around the phone, conflicted. Sweat built up on my face. On the other side, Florence started asking her next question. "The recipe calls for one tablespoon of vanilla. If you cut the recipe in half, how much vanilla should you put in?"

I pressed the buzzer without thinking.

"Tyler?"

"Uh..." I blanked out. What was the question again? The phone in my hand stopped vibrating, and I looked around with my mouth open.

"Time's up. Sarah, do you wish to answer?" Florence asked.

She nodded, pressing her buzzer. "One and a half teaspoon of vanilla."

There was silence all around me. How could I have been so stupid? The answer had been blaring obvious. Where was my mind? I chastised myself. Sarah looked at me from the other end, her expression worried. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"Ten points to Sarah. Next question. What kind of pastry are chocolate éclairs and profiteroles made from?"

I hesitated again, and Sarah pressed the buzzer. "Choux pastry." Even her voice was hesitant—like she couldn't believe my silence or lack of answers. My eyes darted towards Bella. She wasn't paying attention to the competition. Brandon stood beside her, his face a mixture of emotions as he looked at me.

"Correct answer."

I breathed in. This wasn't going right. Not at all. Bella was still here... what if Alard came back? My mind was becoming a mess with these thoughts. How will I be able to concentrate on the quiz at this rate?

"Tyler, are you nervous? Do you need a break?" Tony came up from behind me, patting my back.

My face went hot with embarrassment and I fumbled to stand up. How could he have noticed? "No, I'm alright." The phone buzzed in my hand again, it's vibration loud enough for people around me to hear. The name Kiki flashed on the screen, and I gripped it harder, pressing the phone to my side.

"Do you need to take that call?" he asked. I stared at him. Why was he being so nice?

"It's alright. I'm sure Tyler's fine." Florence cut in, depriving me of the opportunity to take the offer.

"No." Sarah stood up from the other hand. Florence turned her head, her eyes sharp. She stared right at me, and mumbled, "I mean, can I have a washroom break? I don't feel good."

The phone was still vibrating in my hand. In a squeaky voice, I pitched in, "That'll be great."

"A break then," Tony announced, signaling the Director to stop recording. Florence fumed but let it go for the moment.

Brandon rushed to my side as soon as the Director announced cut. He put his arms around my shoulder and bore his eyes into mine. "What happened to you?"

I stuttered. "Kiki kept calling, and I kept thinking about Bella and, and—"

"Shh." Brandon hushed me and engulfed me in a hug. I took in a deep breath and let myself relax in his arms. He stroked my back, calming my nerves down one by one. He pulled away after a minute. "Give me your phone. I'll talk."

Sniffing—I didn't realize I had become teary-eyed—I handed my phone to him. He called back on the number Kiki had been calling from and waited as the bell rang. The line picked up and he said, "Kiki?"

I frowned, trying to hear the whole conversation but only able to hear bits and pieces of the other side.

"Yes, Tyler's here with me. Bella is safe." He nodded for a while, and then asked, "Where's Giulia?"

My ears perked up and I tiptoed to hear Kiki from the other end of the line. Brandon motioned me to stand still and nodded again while talking on the phone.

"Great. I'll call you back." He hung up the phone and turned to me. "Giulia's here."

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "What?"

Brandon couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "Giulia is here! Outside. Right now!"

"What are you doing here then? Get Bella there!" The excitement was toxic. All the doubts and fears vanished in an instant and I felt myself coming back. There was a whirlpool of emotions in my stomach and the dominant one was the giddiness—at the prospect of finally seeing the much awaited happily ever after. I pushed Brandon, urging him to go. "Go, go, go!"

He let himself be physically manipulated when he suddenly stopped. "Wait!"

"What now?" I asked, impatient.

"You have to promise me something before I go."

My head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "Whatever you want."

Brandon smiled, pecking a kiss on my lips. "Nail that quiz! Just focus there, alright?"

I grinned. "Alright."

He jogged up to Bella then, and I took in a deep breath, the death-weight lifting off of my chest. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I turned, unable to stop myself from smiling. Sarah released her breath at my bright expression. "You okay? I knew something was bugging you. Didn't want to win without competition."

I laughed. "Sarah, get ready to lose now!"

We were seated back in our chairs and the question rolled in. The time after that was a blur. I couldn't remember how many questions I answered, or how many Sarah did. There was no one with a clear lead. Everything got down to the point on who pressed the buzzer first. I worked hard to clear up my initial disadvantage, answering questions right and left, and trying to press the buzzer a millisecond before her. It was a breathtaking show. Literally. It was only when Florence raised up her hands and said, "We are out of questions." That we took a breath.

"We are out of questions?" The Director asked.

"Yes," Florence replied, her voice patchy. She drank water and then took a deep breath. "All fifty questions."

"The score?" I asked.

"It's a tie."

Sarah and I pursed our lips. What will they do now? Time passed as they revaluated their strategies. Brandon had taken Bella out half an hour ago and he still wasn't back. I wasn't worried, I knew everything would have worked out. It was just taking longer than usual.

The writer said. "We'll have a public vote."

"There aren't many people left," Sarah said, "Isn't there any other method?"

I couldn't believe the situation. Were they going to decide the winner by public vote? The whole baking quiz and we couldn't decide the better baker? We both stood together as the writers and the Director talked again. This was frustrating and my only distraction was searching for Brandon amidst the wait.

They concluded. "We'll select