No Strings Attached

Those words cut through Heidi, leaving her with nowhere to hide her shame. Turning to lan with a pitiful look, she pleaded, "lan, I didn't mean to embarrass Clara. It's perfectly normal not to have any special talents. Not everyone is gifted, you know. You don't have to be so protective of her."

Her words implied that Clara was devoid of any talent and that any attempt would be a spectacle of embarrassment.

lan was about to speak up when Clara's delicate hand covered his mouth. With a twinkle in her eye, she reassured him, "As a proud attorney, do I really need Mr. Hayes to speak for me? Don't worry, lan, I won't let you down."

Turning her gaze to Heidi, Clara asked confidently, "So, what would you like to challenge me to?"

Heidi feigned embarrassment, "Oh, I was just speaking off the cuff. Don't take it to heart. It's okay if you can't perform. I just thought Grandma Rose has been so good to you, and it would be a shame not to do a little something for her birthday, don't you think?"

Clara nodded in apparent agreement. "Well, you have a point. But I only know a bit of piano, and I gave it up in high school because the coursework was just too demanding."

darling. Grandma Rose won't mind. You must still

future matriarch of the Hayes family, tickled Heidi. What a comical scene that would be! Clara would be

a sly gleam in her eye,

if troubled. "Well then, I shall oblige. Let's see what I can remember and improvise." With that, she approached the

followed her, but Clara seemed unaffected, taking her seat at

'Happy Birthday' to everyone's surprise. The performance drew murmurs from the crowd. Such a simplistic piece was unheard of among the elite youth's

awkward exit, the hall was filled once more with the

earlier. The song was fast-paced, intensely rhythmic, and notoriously difficult to perform. Yet Clara played with ease

each other through a snowy landscape, a blend of romance and the

The audience was entranced.

Heidi's fists clenched involuntarily.