The Million-Dollar Heart

Two servers carefully hoisted a zither onto the stage, its ebony finish gleaming like ink. Made from the finest blackwood, the zither's head was slightly tilted, resembling a dragon with its mouth slightly open. Intricate floral patterns and inscriptions adorned its back, hinting at untold stories.

From a distance, it looked rather ordinary, but Karen's eyes sparkled with excitement as she ran her fingers over the zither. "This one! It's perfect!" she exclaimed.

Alyssa cast a disdainful glance, a flicker of contempt in her eyes. Yorick clearly didn't favor Karen, offering such a seemingly ordinary instrument. With a touch of condescension, Alyssa asked, "Shall I go first, or would you like to, Karen?"

Karen raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, "After you."

Alyssa smiled slightly, "Then I'll go first and set the stage." Internally, she sneered at Karen, thinking she was just a coward, confident only in agreeing but too scared to perform first.

Alyssa gracefully seated herself at a nearby crystal piano. She wore a hand-embroidered white gown, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, highlighting her fair skin and elegant demeanor. As she began to play, the live stream viewers were in awe.

"Wow, she's breathtaking! Even through the screen, she outshines all the celebs."

"That crystal piano is blinding! Talk about showing off wealth."

"Alyssa's so pure and talented. How do us mere mortals even compare?"

"I hereby declare myself Alyssa's number one fan. She's stolen my heart."

"A true beauty with brains. She plays like a pro!"

melodious tunes that soothed the soul. Her performance was flawless, earning her a thunderous

trending topics. Kate, the host,

the commotion, ascended the stage in simple white attire. She opted to sit directly on the floor, facing the zither she had chosen.

but Vivienne and Percival, sensing foul play,

the audience

zoomed in, capturing every detail

"Is that Vivienne?!"

that's not

there's an ethereal

really makeup-free?

listeners. The music built up like

in the minds of the audience, leaving

performance is

goddess descended to

prompting laughter and unending applause, except from Alyssa, who stood

disbelief turning to envy.

this be

play the zither, and play it so well at that, even better than her?

was petrified,