After the reunion, the Matron led them to her office. The other caretakers lingered at the doorway, smiling and whispering among themselves, eager for a glimpse of a celebrity, but the Matron quickly scolded them away and shut the door behind her."Mrs. Beatrice," Alex began, addressing the Matron by name."I came here to visit the orphanage and also make a donation of goodwill.""That’s so nice of you, son. Remembering your roots and stretching out a helping hand says a lot about your character. You were always like this as a child, even giving up your meals just to make sure the others were fed," the Matron said, her voice thick with emotion."It’s alright, Matron. It’s what I owe this place." He slipped a hand into his breast pocket and brought out an already signed cheque."This is for the orphanage."The kind Matron accepted it, her face lighting up with gratitude. Someone of Alex’s caliber could easily donate at least a hundred thousand. A hundred thousand would go a long way fo

They left in Alex’s car.“Alex, you haven’t done anything about those who followed us the other day. Or don’t you want to know who they are?” Jude asked.“I do. I already know who did it,” Alex replied. He had inquired through his system and learned it was the boss of Empire Entertainment Industry. They were also the ones who framed them.Alex was genuinely confused. He couldn’t understand what kind of grudge they held to go this far just to eliminate him. This had clearly gone beyond him simply refusing to join them.“You do? Then why aren’t you doing anything? You should have involved the cops already,” Jude said, alarmed.“Well, I don’t have any evidence. They’re high-profile people, and I can’t go against them without something tangible.” He shook his head.“Oh.” Jude seemed disappointed.“So we’re just going to let people mess with us and walk free? I wish I were part of the street.”“Don’t wish for anything like that. The street is harsh and unforgiving, and it comes with too ma

He held the guitar firmly, his fingers settling over the strings with a familiarity that hadn’t faded despite everything that had changed.It was the same guitar, the very first one he had used on this stage countless times in the past, back when he was still unknown, back when this bar was the only place that gave him a chance.For a brief moment, he simply stood there, letting the memories settle, the weight of the past pressing quietly against his chest. Then he plucked a single note. Clear and pure, it rang through the bar, cutting cleanly through the noise and pressing everything into silence.He began to play, his eyes closing as his fingers moved, slow at first, then gradually easing into a steady rhythm.Every chord carried weight, every transition smooth and controlled, like muscle memory guiding him through something deeply ingrained. The people in the bar watched quietly, their earlier excitement fading into anticipation as they tried to understand who this stranger was.Th

Debbie kissed him on the cheek, then left a short while later.Alex returned to his seat beside Jude.In his mind, things were not that complicated.He had said that he wanted to settle down with someone soon. Mara had said that she was not ready to settle down anytime soon. To be honest, it was not complicated, and he did not want her to change her mind just because of him.It would be better for her to settle down when she was truly ready.And the truth was, he was not ready to think about any other girl right now because he had realized just how much he liked Anna.More than he had ever liked anyone else, including Amber. Even if Amber suddenly said that she wanted to get back together, he would politely turn her down.He remembered how things had been with Amber. He had liked her enough that he would have waited years for her, if they had at least dated first. But she had not even been ready for that."What's going on, Alex? Some kind of love triangle?" Jude asked, nudging him wit

Alex, Anna, Jude, and the rest of his new team sat around the laptop in his office.Anna had rented an entire office building for the team. It had become the center of everything: managing, marketing, scheduling, interviews. Tonight, all of them were gathered around the screen, staring at the official dates and venue capacities for the tour Alex had personally helped plan.Jude leaned forward, brows furrowed as he read through the list."This... are you sure this is achievable?"The screen displayed the schedule.The HEIS Tour 3022August 4, 3022 — New City, Merika. Skyline Arena. Capacity: 22,400August 18, 3022 — Saints City, Merika. Harbor Dome. Capacity: 19,800September 1, 3022 — Westpoint City, Merika. Grand Central Arena. Capacity: 18,900September 15, 3022 — Lakeview City, Merika. Northstar Pavilion. Capacity: 16,700October 1, 3022 — Toranto City, Canadia. Silver Line Centre. Capacity: 20,600October 16, 3022 — San Aurelo City, Valensia. Solstice Center. Capacity: 17,800Nove