The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

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!"

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

with Alyssa's performance skyrocketing to the top of trending topics. Kate, the host, saw her followers increase by millions,

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

and Percival, sensing foul play, decided to host their own livestream

makeup, the audience

capturing every

"Is that Vivienne?!"

her. Yet, she's stunning." S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FindNøvᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ

Vivienne, but there's an

really makeup-free? She's a true

to play. Her fingers moved with precision, evoking powerful emotions that resonated deep within the listeners. The music built up like a tempest, commanding attention,

performance painted vivid images in the minds of the audience,

is

goddess descended

her presence!" someone exclaimed, prompting laughter and unending applause, except from Alyssa, who

disbelief turning to envy.

this

she possibly play the zither, and play it so well at that, even better than her? Wasn't

was petrified,