Chapter 221 How Could It Be Her?
As Erica locked eyes on Susanna up on stage, a mix of shock and awe hit her like a freight train. That piano piece, a simple children's tune, was burned into her memory forever.
'How could this be happening?' Erica thought to herself.
Her face went pale as she watched Susanna play, memories flooding back of all the times she'd heard that song and seen Susanna at the piano in the classroom.
She'd always thought Susanna was just practicing. Little did she know, the truth was staring her in the face. Susanna, the quiet pianist, was a prime suspect.
She'd heard Susanna was adopted, basically an orphan.
Erica's fingers trembled. If Susanna was really the Jones family's true heir, what would she do?
She stole a quick glance at Aaron beside her. If the Joneses found Susanna, it would ruin her chances of marrying into the Abbott family. That just couldn't happen.
Her eyes drilled into Susanna on stage, a storm of emotions swirling inside her. 'Why did you have to come back and mess up my life after being banished?'she pondered.
As Susanna played, her eyes briefly met Brian's in the crowd, a flicker of nervousness in her.
She'd woven the children's melody with the piece Brian had taught her, blending them into a beautiful symphony. She'd doubted herself at first, but she played flawlessly until the final note.
When Susanna stopped, the auditorium was dead silent.
Aaron stared at Susanna in shock. He hadn't expected her to be this good; he'd never heard her play before.
Just as he was about to clap, Brian stood up first, clapping with a big smile and pride in his eyes. "Susanna is indeed the best."
Aaron, sitting beside him, looked very displeased.
Erica, equally upset, watched Susanna on stage, her heart in turmoil, fearing Susanna's identity would be discovered.
But as Erica saw Brian's kindness towards Susanna, a flood of memories rushed back – Austin, Justin, and even the legal team led by Daniel who had stepped in when Susanna was bullied by Allison. The sudden recollection of Edward pushing her to sign the termination of the adoption agreement added to the puzzle.
All these events seemed to lead Erica to a startling realization.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, nearly causing her to drop her prized designer handbag. Could it be that the Jones family had already found Susanna but kept it from her?
The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. It all made sense now. Susanna's charm, the special treatment from Austin, Brian, Daniel, and Justin – it all pointed to one undeniable truth.
Erica felt a surge of panic. If the Jones family had found Susanna, what would happen to her? The question nagged at her – if Susanna was the rightful heiress, why hadn't they taken her back to the Jones estate yet? Puzzled, Erica mulled over the situation, her unease growing.
Susanna stood on stage with a relieved smile. She'd been so nervous while playing, but thankfully, she hadn't embarrassed the school.
At that moment, the host stepped up beside Susanna. "Your performance was truly wonderful. Can I ask how long you've been learning the piano? Are you a student at the music academy?"
Susanna shook her head. "No, I'm not. I haven't been learning the piano for long."
"To achieve such mastery in such a short time is truly remarkable. Could you tell us who guided you on this musical journey? We're eager to know your secret."
Susanna glanced at Brian in the audience, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face. "It's someone very important to me."
The audience started whispering and cheering at her answer.
Aaron cast a sidelong glance at Brian, his unease growing by the minute. His gaze shifted to Susanna, radiant on the stage, a smile playing on her lips. 'Who holds such significance in her life?' Aaron wondered, unable to shake off the persistent thought.
Brian shot Aaron a pointed look. "Did you catch that? I'm clearly Susanna's top priority."
After Susanna's divorce, why were there so many men around her?
Seeing Brian walk towards Susanna, Erica finally couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up and followed, determined to find out what was going on between Brian and Susanna!
Everyone left, leaving Aaron alone in his seat, feeling very depressed.
At that moment, the principal quietly approached and said to Aaron, "Mr. Abbott, congratulations. Mrs. Abbott's performance was excellent. The professors from the music academy are quite impressed and think she could excel there."
Aaron's gaze bore into the principal's eyes. "Set everything in motion."
A broad grin spread across the principal's face. "Understood. We'll ensure Mrs. Abbott receives the best support. Though it seems she is eager to graduate soon. If she plans to pursue studies at the music academy, delaying graduation might be the wise choice."
Aaron was surprised. "She's in a hurry to graduate?"
"Yes, Mrs. Abbott has taken several breaks over the years, right? Even when she wasn't attending school, she submitted her assignments on time. However, she still lacks some social credits. Now, she's attending school every day to make up for these credits and catch up. So, I guess she's in a hurry to graduate."
As the principal wrapped up his words, he caught the shift in Aaron's demeanor and hastily added, "I suppose Mrs. Abbott doesn't have an urgent need for the degree. Perhaps she's looking to graduate early to support Mr. Abbott."
Aaron maintained his silence, realizing that Susanna's eagerness to graduate didn't stem from caring for him.
Could it be that Susanna wanted to go to Novaria after graduating?
After all, Susanna was very close to Austin and was even pregnant. The Jones family didn't seem to reject Susanna either.
Thinking of this, Aaron's lips pressed into a thin line. He turned to the principal. "My wife is not in a hurry to graduate. Arrange for her to study at the music academy, and I'll cover all the expenses. Get her the best teachers."
"No problem, Mr. Abbott," the principal chimed cheerfully, pleased with the situation.
Aaron looked back and saw Susanna walking off the stage with Brian. He narrowed his eyes and stood up, walking towards them.
Meanwhile, Susanna looked up at Brian, her almond eyes smiling. "I was so nervous just now. I didn't expect to be chosen. Luckily, I've been practicing, so I didn't embarrass myself."
After she finished speaking, she saw Erica approaching from a distance.
