I Went to Prison for Her.She Stole My Parents'Money

During my family's charity gala, Zoey Shaw, my boyfriend's female best friend, burst through the doors. Her clothes were torn, and her face was covered in blood. In front of all the business leaders present, she shouted furiously, "Sienna Sterling! Your brother got me pregnant, and your parents even sent people to hunt me down! If you don't compensate me with ten million dollars and Lakeside Villa, I'll sue him for r**e!" My boyfriend was the first to rush over. He pulled her protectively into his arms and yelled at me, "Zoey has no power or influence. Does that mean your whole family can bully her like this? You're all so vicious!" The guests slammed their hands on the table and angrily cursed, "He made a mistake but refuses to take responsibility. What kind of man is the Sterling heir?" I looked at Zoey, who insisted on compensation, then at my furious boyfriend. I was speechless. My brother... was never a man to begin with. My "brother's" true identity was actually female. We had kept her identity hidden to protect her. My mother gripped my hand tightly. Her fingertips were ice-cold. When Zoey saw Mason Reed defending her, she shrieked at everyone, "Are you Sterling family members trying to silence me forever? Just because I have no power or influence, you think you can bully me like this?!" Mason also shouted at me furiously, "Where is your brother? Tell him to come out! What kind of man hides away like this?" As he spoke, his other hand remained on Zoey's shoulder, as though he were making his position clear. I looked at that hand, and the anger in my heart slowly faded. Several businessmen around us shook their heads. "So the reason the Sterling heir never appears in public is because his private life is such a mess?" "He even has a child, yet he is still hiding and refusing to show his face? He is certainly good at enduring things." My mother could no longer tolerate it. She released my hand and stepped forward. "Miss Shaw, you say my son got you pregnant. What evidence do you have?" Zoey sneered and pulled a photograph and a pregnancy test report from her bag. "See for yourselves! This is his back. If the child in my belly isn't his, then whose is it?!" Everyone in Northvale knew that the Sterling heir had never appeared in public. No one had ever seen her. They did not know that she was not even in the country and had not returned in five years. The person in the photograph could have been anyone, but it could never have been her. The reason we had presented her as a man to the outside world was because of regulations imposed by her superiors. Once the identity of a female mercenary was exposed, it would compromise the entire operation and endanger those who had fought beside her. That was why our family had kept this secret all along. Unless she retired, we had to continue hiding it. If nothing unexpected happened, she would retire this year. Once the time came, she could reclaim her identity and her name. We only told the public, "The Sterling heir does not like socializing." "His health is poor, and he is recuperating abroad." We kept changing our excuses. That night, every harsh accusation was directed at us, yet we could not explain a single word of the truth. I asked coldly, "Can a single photo of someone's back prove that it is my brother?" A sensible person in the crowd agreed. "Indeed. A photo of someone's back proves nothing." Zoey bit her lip, her eyes reddening with anger. "If you do not believe me, I also have a video of us having s*x! I wouldn't show it unless I had no other choice!" After saying that, she began to sob helplessly. Mason's frown deepened. The reporters beside us pushed closer, their cameras nearly pressed against my face. The crowd sighed, trusting Zoey even more. I suddenly asked Mason, "If I told you my brother is not that kind of person, who would you believe?" Mason warned me in disappointment, "That is enough! Zoey has already suffered enough. Stop bullying her! Who would joke about their own innocence? If you want to settle this now, meet her demands!" I fell silent. Ten million dollars and Lakeside Villa—her demands were indeed excessive. My chest felt tight and uncomfortable. Since my boyfriend trusted her so much, I no longer wanted him. The guests in the ballroom had already begun whispering. "The Sterling family is holding a charity gala tonight, yet they are about to drive a pregnant girl to her death? Is this what they call charity?" Someone added, "Who knows whether the fifty million dollars they donated to impoverished children was actually spent on those children? Your family can't even acknowledge its own child. Can you really help other people's children?" Voices came from every direction. My parents cared deeply about their reputation. Their faces had already gone pale.