She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 854

Loyce ignored her completely. Her gaze drifted through the crowd until she spotted a few highly respected, older gentlemen looking absolutely thrilled.

"Ronan. It's been a while."

The man in question broke into a massive, delighted grin. Pushing his way to the front, he stepped up to Loyce and pressed polite kisses to both her cheeks. "It certainly has, my dear. You look absolutely radiant."

While the crowd might have doubted Loyce's status, everyone knew Ronan.

He was a prominent figure from Engloria with royal ties, and the official sponsor of the previous Steinway Piano Competition. His influence in the classical music world was unparalleled.

Following right behind him were several other titans of the music industry, all eagerly stepping forward to greet Loyce.

Sigrid's face stiffened.

Around her, guests started whispering the exact questions running through her mind.

"Why are they treating an apprentice with so much respect?"

"Respect? That looks more like reverence."

Ronan was indeed standing before Loyce with the humble posture of a junior addressing a master.

"Mr. Ronan," Sigrid interrupted, forcing a tight smile. "I believe you're confused. I invited Mr. X tonight, not some irrelevant woman."

Ronan turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with a mix of pity and profound irritation.

"Irrelevant?" He repeated the word, then let out a dry laugh. "Ms. Sigrid, you must be joking."

He turned to the rest of the VIP guests, his voice booming across the deck.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to properly introduce the woman standing beside me."

He gestured respectfully toward Loyce.

"At thirteen years old, she entered the Steinway International Piano Competition. With an original composition, she defeated three hundred and twenty-seven of the world's greatest pianists to take home the gold medal."

A collective gasp ripped through the crowd.

Ronan continued.

"At fourteen, she was invited to hold a solo concert at the Golden Hall in Vienna. Tickets sold out in three minutes, breaking the European classical music box office record for the entire decade."

"At fifteen, she became the first non-pop musician to ever receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award."

"Her resume is longer than what I could achieve in two lifetimes."

Ronan paused, his gaze sweeping over the dumbfounded faces of the billionaires and socialites.

"The 'Mr. X' you've all been whispering about... the mysterious musical genius..."

He pointed directly at Loyce.

The stares of the crowd felt like physical blades.

The very people who had been laughing with her moments ago were now looking at her like she was a circus act. Some whispered in disgust; others openly snickered.

Desperate, Sigrid turned to Lucian for backup. He smoothly slipped an arm around her waist. "I know you didn't mean it."

His words sounded gentle, but his eyes were completely devoid of warmth. He simply stood there, allowing the crowd's judgment to rain down on her.

Ronan demanded that Sigrid apologize immediately, rallying the other guests to pressure her.

Sigrid had never been so humiliated in her life. Apologize to Loyce publicly? That meant letting her rival win.

But she was surrounded by global power players. Her arrogance could easily drag Stellar Trust into a massive PR disaster.

She looked pleadingly at Lucian again. The man merely lowered his eyes, analyzing the situation with ruthless corporate detachment. "For the sake of Stellar Trust, you need to apologize. Otherwise, this will cost us billions in lost partnerships and create endless headaches."

Sigrid bit her lip, stubbornly holding out.

Lucian spoke softly, yet coldly. "There are at least five major media executives and publishers in this crowd. Even if you spin this later, you cannot outrun the spread of this story tonight. You are the face of Stellar Trust. Your father will be dragged into this. Is that what you want?"

Defeated, Sigrid stepped away from him. Her eyes practically shot fire, but she forced her face into a neutral mask and bowed her head to Loyce.

"I apologize, Ms. Lonsdale. I was out of line with my accusations."