Gabriella stepped onto the street stage, her violin tucked neatly under her arm. She introduced herself with a quiet confidence, her voice barely rising over the murmurs of the crowd. People shifted on their feet, already bracing for what they assumed would be another classical performance—pleasant, but predictable.
The first few notes rang out, delicate and precise. A few heads nodded in polite appreciation, but others quickly lost interest. A man near the back stifled a yawn. Another checked his watch. Someone muttered, “Nothing special.”
Then, just as the disinterest settled in, Gabriella did something no one expected.
With a sharp motion, she dropped the violin. Gasps rippled through the crowd—had she just made a mistake? But before anyone could react, she moved.
