The Million-Dollar Heart

Arthur's face was alight with unbridled joy and triumphant pride as he swept Karen off her feet, spinning her around in a
celebratory swirl. Karen, far from shy, boldly wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek,
showing none of the reserve you might expect from someone in their forties. They were as smitten as any pair of young lovers.
"Take it easy, love. This is just the start. Wait until I win this shining and bright, and she'll be crying out, begging to call me Mrs.
Linklater!" Karen declared with fiery confidence, playfully lifting Arthur's chin. Arthur, blushing yet bold, managed to shout out,
"Babe, you're amazing! Absolutely smashing!"
Percival captured every moment live, his face beaming with amusement as he glanced over at Vivienne. Vivienne merely
glanced their way before quickly looking away. She supported Karen and Arthur's union, but that didn't mean she wanted to
watch their public displays of affection.
The live chat exploded with comments.
"OMG, I can't handle this cuteness!"
"Love in the twilight years, and Arthur's just a big softie!"
"Hearts, hearts, hearts!"
Alyssa's nails dug into her palms, green with envy at their affection, seething with jealousy. Kate shot Karen a glare, comforting
Alyssa, "Don't let it get to you, Alyssa. The competition's hardly begun. We haven't even gotten to the literature and art
challenges. She won't be gloating for long."
"I suspect she cheated with that piano performance. Probably had the instrument rigged."
Alyssa's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Exactly, Yorick must have given her a grand piano to save the Linklater family from
embarrassment. That's the only reason she could've beaten me."
The next challenge was Go. Karen and Alyssa sat opposite each other at the Go board, Karen with the black stones, Alyssa with
the white.
Karen boldly opened the game, placing her pieces with confident ease. Alyssa countered, but with each move, her frustration
grew. Karen captured Alyssa's pieces with a strategist's precision, leaving Alyssa bewildered and beaten.
"How did you win again? What trick are you playing? I'm a Go master!" Alyssa exclaimed, her anger boiling over.

"It's only the second round, and you're already upset?" Karen teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Alyssa's face turned a mottled red with rage. "You're lying! There's no way I could lose to you. Just you wait!"
As Alyssa stormed off, Karen called out nonchalantly, "Well, I'm just a humble 10-dan."
The crowd was stunned. A 10-dan!
Alyssa scoffed, "You say you're a 10-dan like it's supposed to impress us? Think you can fool everyone?"
"And yet, you lost to me," Karen quipped, barely containing her laughter.
The chat went wild with speculation and admiration.
The third challenge was calligraphy. The Linklater estate had prepared two sets of traditional calligraphy tools for Karen and
Alyssa. They each had half an hour to complete their pieces.
Alyssa, determined to make a comeback, chose a complex piece to emulate. Karen, poised and graceful, finished her piece in
mere minutes, her brush strokes bold and confident.
Roger, a renowned calligraphy master, approached to judge their work. He praised Alyssa's effort but noted areas for
improvement. Karen's work, however, was met with awe and admiration.
"Ms. Wright, would you sell me your piece? I'd pay handsomely," a guest offered, impressed by Alyssa's skill but clearly more
taken with the mastery behind Karen's work.
Alyssa, trying to mask her
disappointment with grace, offered
her piece as a gift, her gesture
earning her warm praise from the crowd. But it was clear, even amidst the polite compliments, that Karen's tatent had truly stolen
the show.
Roger once again found himself standing in front of a painting by Karen, his brows furrowed deeply, his face twisted in a knot of
concentration. He seemed utterly conflicted.

The live stream audience was buzzing with anticipation, eager to see Karen's latest artwork. "Why is Roger so silent? Is it that
bad?" they speculated.
"Must be Alyssa who's outdone her this time. No one's perfect, after all!"
"Finally, something Karen can't do. It was getting unreal!"
"No matter how bad it is, we've got to see it."
Noticing his troubled expression, Karen approached him, mimicking his frown. "What's on your mind, old man?"
Roger stroked his beard, his voice heavy with emotion. "My dear, would you consider gifting me this piece of artwork for my
collection?"
Karen laughed, "Someone just bought Ms. Wright's painting for a good sum. Aren't you a bit too late to the party?"
Roger turned serious, "This painting is priceless! I've been pondering for a while. You look so young; how did you manage to
create something even I can't match?"
Karen chuckled, finding the old man rather amusing with his strict and serious demeanor, "Well, if you like it that much, I guess I
can make an exception just this once." "You give me this painting, and I'll owe you a favor. If you ever need help, come find me!"
He continued to gaze at the painting, completely enchanted.
By the time the crowd turned their
attention from Alyssa's work to Karen's, Roger had already swiftly rolled up the painting, leaving only his words behind, "Such
power and dynamism, I am truly humbled. This piece is now mine!"