Ch 557 - Sad Songs and Paper Airplanes

Alex nodded, taking the bag Holly thrust toward him.

"Okay," he said. "I accept."

**

Alex walked into the Grand Theater and made his way to his seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen." An announcement echoed through the hall. "The concert will begin shortly, so please take your seats as soon as possible."

"Alex!"

Someone took his arm, and he turned to see his mother, who was beaming at him.

"Isn't this great?" Flora said, almost vibrating with excitement. "I'm so happy to see you."

Due to the ridiculous Ambrose family rules, they were forced to meet in secret. If they were caught, the family would make life difficult for Flora, so they had to be careful.

They took their seats and looked around. The concert hall was packed with people, and the stage lights shone brightly on the empty stage. Their seats were excellent—4F and 4G, which put them front and center, so they would have a fantastic view.

Cassidy Pike had yet to make an appearance. She was an extremely popular singer, and she could always pull in sizeable crowds. The fans in the audience were bubbling with anticipation as they waved their glow sticks in the air.

"How are you, mom?" Alex asked, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, I'm great," she said, smiling up at him. "I'm fully recovered from that helicopter crash, and I'm being careful to eat well. I'm healthier now than I've ever been."

Alex was relieved to hear that. His mother had been lucky to survive the crash, so he was pleased she was doing so well now.

"The only thing making me sad is that I can't see my son whenever I wish," Flora said, sighing. "It just isn't fair."

"Don't worry, mom," Alex said, comforting her. "I'll get you and Dad out of there, and then we can live next to each other."

"Oh, I'd like that," Flora said softly. "Now I have something to look forward to."

Alex looked around at all the enthusiastic fans and soaked up the atmosphere. Cassidy was a huge star, so her concerts were always really special.

The crowd grew even more excited, and several of them called out.

"Look! Something's happening!"

"Cassidy is coming out!"

Everyone began to cheer, clapping and whistling their approval.

Cassidy stepped onto the stage, looking elegant in a dark red dress and sparkling jewelry. She was stunning, and every eye in the audience was on her.

Alex applauded as he watched. She was twenty years old, but she looked a little younger, and she was exceptionally beautiful.

"Hello, Philadelphia!" Cassidy said, waving at everyone. "How are you?"

The audience screamed, and everyone had their hands in the air.

Cassidy had a powerful stage presence, and she had always been gifted at controlling an audience. She skillfully whipped the crowd into a frenzy, occasionally stepping back to look out at them. She seemed genuinely friendly as she smiled and waved, clearly happy to be there.

Every word Cassidy spoke was met with loud cheers, causing her to grin helplessly. The atmosphere was electric, and she commanded the attention of everyone present.

"Cassidy, I love you!" someone called, making her laugh again.

Alex cast a glance at his mother, noticing she was on the edge of her seat, a rapt expression on her face. But despite her elation, she didn't shout out like the others.

Alex was surprised to discover his mother was still a fan of Cassidy Pike.

The person sitting on his other side was frantically waving his glow stick, and it shot out of his hand, smacking the side of Alex's head. Alex rolled his eyes and handed the stick back.

The audience settled down as Cassidy started singing, hitting all the right notes with her pleasant voice.

**

Some time later, Cassidy's voice unexpectedly gave out, worrying many of her fans.

"Oh, no!" someone cried. "She's losing her voice!"

"Stop! You need to protect your voice!" called someone else.

"She's been overdoing it," shouted a third. "She's already been singing for too long."

The fans were growing distressed at the thought of anything being wrong with their idol.

Cassidy smiled. "I'm fine," she assured them, stepping to the side of the stage and drinking some water. "My throat was just a little dry. But how about you all help me out with this next song? Maybe we can sing this one together. It's called 'The Oath', and I'm sure you all know it."

The crowd screamed their approval.

The opening bars of the song had the audience stamping their feet. Then Cassidy began to sing, her clear voice resonating in the hall. From time to time, she would pause, holding out her microphone for the crowd to take over, and grinning when they did so. This was one of her most popular songs, and everyone knew all the lyrics.

The song was beautiful, and it rang with nostalgia, reminding people of days gone by, and bringing tears to many eyes. Even Alex's mother surreptitiously dabbed at her eyes.

Alex fought back a smile at his mother's reaction, realizing just how much of a fan she was.

If I'd known she was a super fan, I'd have arranged a private concert for her, he thought.

Cassidy was extremely talented, and she had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand. Giving in to the music, Alex closed his eyes and allowed the song to take his mind back into the past.

A moment later, he felt the bag on his lap, and remembered he hadn't looked inside it yet. Curious, he decided to see what Holly had given him.

When he opened it, his jaw dropped. Holly had been far too generous.

The papers stated Alex was now the owner of a piece of prime real estate in Baltimore. Flicking through the papers, he found several photographs of attractive scenery.

Located on the land was a large villa called Birchwood House. The villa had been recently constructed, and Alex found a title deed made out in his name. Between the land and the house, the market value was a truly staggering amount of money.

Alex blinked at it, trying to recover from the shock. He could live in the villa, but he wondered if it might be better to sell it and take the money.

Except, I wouldn't even know how to go about selling a house, he thought, frowning. Then he remembered the young man who had previously tried to sell him a house. His name had been Cole Havers, and Alex already had his phone number.

He grinned, realizing he had options.

Cassidy's song came to an end, and once the applause had died down, she looked around, smiling at everyone. "Thank you so much for being here tonight," she said. "You've been a wonderful audience, and I've really enjoyed myself. I will never forget my time here. Thank you for all your support. It means so much to me."

She waited for the cheers to die down a little before she continued.

"Okay," she said, holding up a hand to silence the crowd. "Now, I decided to do something a little special tonight, and I really hope you'll like it. Under your seats, you'll find some paper and a pen."

Several people began to crouch down, searching beneath their seats.

"I'd like each of you to write a wish on the paper," she continued. "Then fold it into a paper airplane and throw it over here. If I can catch one, I will do my best to fulfill the wish written on it."

The audience gasped.

"It's just my way of saying thanks," she said. "So, get writing!"

By now, everyone had found the paper and pen under their seats, and they were buzzing with excitement.

They all knew the probability of Cassidy picking their paper airplane was low, but they were still eager to try.