The Kidnapped Heiress

Chapter Four

“Hurry up, Caden!” Aria urged, tugging him out of the cab.

He almost grinned at his sister’s excitement. She seemed more excited than he was about his opportunity. Even if it was all fake. Caden couldn’t help but think she was trying to bury the memory of Theo under whatever was the most convenient pile. But he didn’t mind.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you didn’t dress up,” Aria complained. “I mean, this jacket is so old!”

Caden looked down at his attire: trousers, long-sleeved cotton shirt, and his roadster jacket. Admittedly, the jacket was several years old and scuffed here and there, but it was still his favorite and quite comfortable. In contrast, Aria was a little more put together: dark slacks, blouse and blazer. Caden, however, still prized comfort over looks and, according to the representative he talked to, formalwear was not required.

“Did you even bring any sheet music with you?” Aria asked as they walked toward the David Geffen Hall entrance.

“Don’t need it,” Caden replied.

Aria rolled her eyes. Of course, he didn’t need it, but it wouldn’t look good if they thought he was unprepared. Caden never thought about things like that. In fact, he gave little thought at all to appearances and propriety. There were times Aria wished she could be that nonchalant too.

They were directed to the auditorium where several other musicians waited anxiously for their own auditions. There was still plenty of time before the proceedings began, so Caden and Aria took a couple of seats. They watched the others as they assembled and tuned their instruments. Caden’s fingers tapped a melody on his thigh.

“Anxious?” Aria asked. She knew from experience her brother seldom showed his nervousness, but there were a few subtle cues a sister always knew.

Caden shrugged. He really wasn’t sure. His gaze drifted to the concert piano, wishing he could sit and play for a few minutes. If he could, he would feel better.

“Well, don’t be,” Aria assured him. “You are the best.”

He smirked at her assurance. Applying for an audition was surprisingly easy. It seemed they had been waiting for him to call thanks to Franklin’s unceasing accolades and recommendation. Caden actually felt bad he waited so long to take this step.

“Hello everyone, I’m Devon Weden, the Philharmonic’s music director,” a man dressed more formally than most of the gathered candidates said. “This is Matías and Peter, our president and co-chair respectively. We are looking to fill five positions. You may notice that you have some competition, but don’t let that get to your nerves. Play your best. We’ll start with the winds.”

Caden sighed as they started calling up each musician individually to play, beginning with flutists. It became clear which of them was the more agitated, though their playing was of the same caliber. Aria whispered her predictions about who would secure their seat. Caden had no reason to refute her as her judgment of people tended to be superior to his own.

“And now for the position of pianist,” Devon announced. “We have two applicants today. Let’s start with Mike Arven.”

Caden glanced at the man who had been nervously fiddling with his sheet music the entire time. Standing up, his rival hurriedly shuffled up to the stage and arranged his music on the piano. Nervously clearing his throat, he nodded to their judges.

“S-so I’m going to play Beethoven’s 9th Symphony,” he announced. Then he settled at the piano and began to play.

“He’s so nervous, but he’s actually not bad,” Aria whispered. “You can play this piece much better though. Maybe you should and give them a direct comparison.”

“No. I’ll stick with Mozart.”

Aria rolled her eyes but said no more. She really didn’t think he would change his mind anyway. It had just been a passing thought to stoke his competitive spirit, of which he had none. Caden had never been the win at all costs type of person, not like Coda, who thrived on it. Rather, Caden was comfortable with himself and saw no reason to change for anyone. It was admirable in its way but also inflexible.

Devon nodded as the first pianist finished. He and the others made notes before looking at their list of applicants. The next person was highly anticipated and one they had been waiting to hear for a long time.

“Caden DaLair.”

Caden stood as a small harsh fell over the others. Aria almost burst out laughing at the reaction their family name always brought. If Caden’s competition wasn’t nervous, he certainly would be now. Shedding his jacket, he handed it to Aria before heading toward the stage.

In comparison to his rival, Caden was far more relaxed as he approached the piano. He sat down without hesitation and tapped the keys to familiarize himself with the instrument. With a nod, he finally looked at the proctors.

“I’ll play Mozart’s Sonata 16.”

They nodded, but the looks on their faces were clearly confused as he hadn’t brought any sheet music with him. Instead, he took out his phone and opened an app that simulated a metronome. Setting the tempo he preferred, he placed it on the piano and started to play.

Aria sighed, leaning back as her brother’s music filled the room. It had always been like this. He found solace in music and lost himself in it when he played. But that was also due to Alexis’s influence. She was the one who taught him how emotive music could be. In the right hands, it was a breathing, living thing.

Closing her eyes, it was like Aria was transported to another world. For a few moments, it was easy to forget her troubles and just breathe. When they got home maybe he would play for her for a bit.

* * *

“So, how did it feel to play for a crowd again?” Aria asked as they stepped outside.

“Good.”

“You know, Caden, you can be a little more enthusiastic. You played beautifully. There is no way you didn’t get the seat.”

“We’ll see.”

Aria rolled her eyes, though she really shouldn’t be surprised. Caden was always like this whenever he participated in musical competitions. It frustrated Coda to no end, but Caden enjoyed playing. He really didn’t care about the results. Some people thought that made him arrogant, but it was just his way.

Her phone buzzed, halting any further discussion. Aria frowned at the caller ID before answering, “Hello?”

“…Miss DaLair, this is Diana from the Metropolitan. I’m very happy to inform you that we have accepted your application. If you like, I can schedule an audition.”

“Oh, thank you. I—I’ll call you back to schedule that later. I’m out with my family at the moment.”

“Of course! We look forward to hearing from you!”

Aria hung up with a mixture of emotions. When she applied to the Metropolitan she had been full of anticipation. She hadn’t even discussed it with her parents. Only Caden was aware of her plans.

But now…

The person she had intended to build a life with didn’t want to be with her, so where did that leave her? She could still audition. If she succeeded, she could continue her plans to move to New York as a soloist at the Metropolitan. But staying in New York meant she would be seeing Theo at every event she attended, and he would have some other woman on his arm. How could she face him?

“Aria?” Caden prompted.

“The Met wants me to audition,” Aria said after a long moment.

“Are you going to do it?”

“I—I don’t know. I really don’t know.”