Chapter 26

As Alexander was heading home, his phone vibrated.It was a call from his father.

"Hey,Dad."

"There's a concert tonight. I've given your secretary the ticket. You should go."

Alexander was caught off guard. His father had always brushed off anything that didn't help the family business, calling it a waste of time.

And now, out of nowhere, he was offering a ticket to a concert?

However, the things Alexander had once found exciting in his younger years no longer seemed to hold much appeal.

He gave a half-hearted agreement, though he had no real intention of going.

That was until Richard added, "I've just heard that Daniela will be there too. Every rich bachelor will be attending tonight. Alexander, I know you're too proud to approach Daniela, but tonight could be your perfect chance. Of course, the choice is yours. If you don't seize it, someone else surely will."

Before Alexander could say anything,Richard hung up.

Alexander gazed at the glowing city lights, his father's words echoing in his head.

As he reached the next intersection, he turned the steering wheel.

Olisvine was famous for its impressive skyline,from its opulent skyscrapers to its famnous landmarks.

However, the most distinguished of them all was its concert hall, the largest in the nation.

The concert hall drew the country's top musicians and stood as a symbol of elegance and artistry.

Daniela had planned to head home after the auction,but Lillian insisted on taking her to the concert hall.

"The maestros have been eager to meet you.You own this place, but other than skimming the year-end reports, you've completely ignored it. Don't you feel a little guilty as the boss?"

Despite Daniela's objections, Lillian managed to pull her along.

The cello had been Daniela's mother's favorite instrument. Her mother's biggest wish was for her to pursue music.

But when the family fell apart, so did that dream.

For more than ten years, Daniela had pursued Alexander relentlessly, and throughout all that time,she had never once stepped foot in the concert hall again.

Now, as she entered through its familiar doors, a rush of memories and nostalgia hit her.

At the entrance, the senior maestros stood waiting. As soon as they spotted Daniela, they bowed in unison,greeting her respectfully.

These were people who had known her since she was a child, some who had even cradled her in their arms.Now, seeing her as an adult, they couldn't help but sigh at how quickly time had flown.

After exchanging pleasantries, the maestros politely excused themselves to get ready for the performance.

The hall's director remained behind to stay with Daniela.

Waving at a young man who had been closely following them, the director introduced, "This is my grandson. He just returned from abroad. You two will have plenty to chat about. He'll be your guide for the evening while I take care of things backstage."

Daniela smiled politely and nodded. "That sounds fine."

The young man had a warm, friendly smile. When Daniela smiled at him, his face turned bright red.

Lillian chuckled, leaning in to nudge Daniela's arm.

"Knock it off," Daniela muttered under her breath.

But Lillian turned to the young man and asked loudly,"Hey, handsome, up for some fun?"

The young man's face turned even redder, but he answered sincerely, "Sure," then slowly looked up to meet Daniela's eyes.

Lillian gave his shoulder an encouraging pat. "You've got potential!"

By the time the concert started, Alexander had finally shown up.

Richard had gotten him a prime front-row seat. As soon as he stepped into the hall, all eyes were on him,and the hall felt like it shifted with the tension.

The stares weren't exactly discreet. Everyone was looking at him-the ex-husband-wondering what on earth he was doing there.

Was he here trying to win her back?

Suddenly,all the gazes turned cautious and on guard.

Alexander ignored the stares and sat down. A guy next to him pulled at his sleeve, and Alexander turned to find his friend, Keith Clayton, grinning at him.①

"Well,well, what brings you here?" Keith asked with that familiar grin of his.

Alexander glanced over at Daniela. She was sitting a few rows away,completely lost in the performance,not even noticing he was there.

It was so different from before. In the past,no matter how crowded it was, she'd always spot him right away

A weird frustration bubbled up inside him. He instinctively went to loosen his tie but stopped himself when he remembered where he was.

Keith, always the talker, wasn't too interested in the classical music. He scanned the hall, looking at all the young heirs, and couldn't help but chuckle under his breath.

He leaned in and whispered to Alexander, "Hey, did you notice? Half of Olisvine's golden boys are here tonight, and I'm willing to bet that they're all here for Daniela. I bet most of them don't even know what's happening on stage."

Keith smirked and shook his head. "Crazy, right? Back in the day, Daniela was always ignored, stuck under her stepmother's control. And now? She's a CEO.I even told her once that she wasn't good enough for you. Funny how life has a way of proving you wrong,huh?"

He added with a grin, "But enough about that. You've got to admit, she looks amazing tonight. That gown?It's from Elite Lux, custom-made. I heard it's worth five million and still rising. She's really turning heads."

Alexander stayed silent. His gaze turned from the stage to Daniela.

Since leaving the auction, she had changed into a breathtaking gown.

The soft, tranquil shade of blue reminded him of a peaceful lake, its beauty drawing the eye of anyone nearby.

Her hair was elegantly styled in an updo, and her posture was flawless, with her long,graceful neck held high like that of a regal swan.

She sat there quietly, completely absorbed in the performance, oblivious to the chatter swirling around her.

Keith let out another laugh. "So, what do you think?Does Daniela even get the music, or is she just playing along to fit in with the fancy crowd?"

Alexander's gaze flickered back to the stage,his voice calm and distant. "She doesn't get it."

Keith grinned knowingly. "I figured as much. People with money love to act like they're all about the fine arts. It's more about looking cultured than actually understanding it. And honestly..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the performance ended, and the crowd burst into applause.

The director of the concert hall walked onto the stage,microphone in hand, his expression warm and welcoming.

"Good evening, everyone. I have the honor of being the director here, and tonight, it's my privilege to introduce a very special guest, Daniela Harper,the owner of this venue. She's been an accomplished musician since childhood, particularly with the cello.It's been many years since I've had the pleasure of hearing her play, and I must ask-are we fortunate enough to hear her perform for us tonight?"

His words rang out, leaving the audience stunned into silence.

Those who had been distracted by their phones,making calls, or thinking about leaving suddenly stopped. Some quickly tucked their phones away,while others cut off their conversations mid-sentence.A few even straightened up, shifting in their seats as

they fully focused on Daniela.

Every person turned their attention to her, disbelief and curiosity written all over their faces.

Did Daniela own this concert hall? She could play the cello? Wasn't she just here for a quick appearance?What else had she been keeping under wraps?

Even the young heirs who had been dragged here by their families settled in and looked at Daniela, their boredom giving way to curiosity.

The same thought buzzed through everyone's mind.Could Daniela-the woman everyone had written off as just a pretty face-actually play?