Chapter 533

The girl steadied herself with visible effort, walking step by measured step toward Eleanor. Her posture was tense, shoulders slightly hunched, as though she wished to shrink into invisibility. Every movement radiated the quiet desperation of someone bracing for judgment. Eleanor's gaze remained cold and inscrutable, sweeping over her like a blade. Those piercing eyes held an oppressive weight, as if pressing down on the air around them. The girl didn’t hesitate. She came to a stop in front of the microphone, trembling slightly. "Speak," Eleanor said—calm, composed, and unmistakably commanding. The girl nodded, the movement barely perceptible. Then, after drawing a shaky breath, she turned toward the crowd. Her voice, when it came, was small but deliberate. "Years ago… someone contacted me. They said a celebrity named Susan wanted to sponsor my education." She paused, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her sleeve. "I came from nothing. No parents. No money. No one to lean on. Compar