Chapter 148

Susan's POV: I remembered the first time I saw her. Veronica Green. Even now, her image remained clear in my mind—the elegant woman in a velvet gown, diamonds sparkling on her fingers, as her music filled the grand concert hall. She was European royalty, a name whispered in awe wherever she went. Not just a pianist but a cultural icon, sitting on boards of multinational foundations, her signature funding projects across countries. And me? I was a hungry child, dirty and desperate, sneaking into the back of the hall to steal a piece of bread from the refreshments table. “Stop her!” someone had shouted, and I remembered the hot flush of shame crawling up my neck as two ushers caught me by the arm. “She’s just a thief,” one of them had said. “We’ll call the police.” “No, wait.” Her voice had stopped them. Smooth, calm, commanding. Veronica Green herself had stepped forward, her eyes studying me. Not with disgust, but… curiosity. I had tried to pull away, trembling. “I-I wasn’t stealing fo