Chapter 4

"No, Julian! It’s not true!"

"You have to believe me! Aria is setting me up!"

No matter what Tiffany screamed, nobody bought it.

The trembling cats, my tear-stained face, the forged papers—the evidence was indisputable. Tiffany’s excuses sounded pathetic.

I swallowed my fake tears, reached out, and grabbed Tiffany’s hand. "I’m sorry, Tiffany! Mom, Dad, and Julian love you the most. I was ready to take the fall for you so they wouldn't be hurt! It’s all my fault for misspeaking... I didn't stop the cats in time, and now your animal abuse is exposed... Hit me, please! It’s all my fault!"

Tiffany’s eyes turned bloodshot. Her mask cracked completely. She looked ready to tear me limb from limb right there on the ballroom floor.

The surrounding socialites looked at her with utter disgust.

"Wow, Tiffany Sterling is a total psycho."

"Well, she isn't an actual Sterling, is she? God knows what kind of trashy blood runs in her veins."

"Abusing defenseless animals is sick enough, but framing her newly returned sister? Karma is real..."

Tiffany opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.

Seeing her look so utterly helpless, Julian’s rational anger began to crumble into pity.

He cleared his throat and stepped in front of her. "I know Tiffany's character best. There must be some kind of—"

Before he could say the word "misunderstanding", I threw myself between them, crying out, "Julian! Tiffany made a mistake and hurt the family name, but she’s lived with you for over ten years! Could you really bear to kick her out?"

My wails made Julian’s expression freeze.

The surrounding guests immediately scoffed.

"Funny how Mr. Sterling was ready to disown his biological sister without blinking, but the second the adopted golden child commits fraud and abuse, he's making excuses."

"How touching. Cold-blooded to his own flesh and blood, but hopelessly devoted to a charity case."

"Guess the rot in the Sterling family starts from the top..."

Julian was backed into a corner. If he didn't publicly cut ties with Tiffany right now, the family business would suffer catastrophic backlash.

Yet Tiffany, slumped on the floor, let out one single, agonizing cry: "Julian..."

That was all it took. Julian’s heart softened completely, and he shielded her anyway.

"Everyone, there has clearly been a misunderstanding. Once I investigate this thoroughly, I will release a public statement on Tiffany's behalf..."

The gala was ruined before it even started. Guests walked out in droves.

Back at the Sterling estate, the air was suffocating.

"Tiffany, forging a degree is bad enough, but abusing animals?" Dad’s voice cracked with deep disappointment. "We can accept that you aren't the brightest, but how could your morals be this rotten?"

Tiffany glared daggers at me, weeping hysterically. "Dad, Mom, I didn't abuse them! It was the maid! I'll make her pay, I swear! And Aria—she planned this whole thing to destroy me!"

Julian cut in coldly, "Enough! We blindly trusted you because of our bias against Aria, but that doesn't excuse your behavior! You were the one who tried to frame her first!"

Seeing Tiffany rendered speechless, I dabbed my eyes and said softly, "Tiffany, just admit it. Don't make Dad and Julian even angrier. If you didn't abuse the cats, why did you wipe all the security footage from the hallway cameras beforehand?"

Driven to madness, Tiffany lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar. "Shut up! I deleted the footage of you treating the cats so people would think you were hurting them! I only did it so you couldn't prove your innocence—"

Before she could finish, Julian grabbed her arm and ripped her off me.

"Tiffany!" Julian roared. "So you admit you were deliberately framing Aria? You risked the entire Sterling reputation just for that?"

Mom and Dad sighed heavily, leaning back on the sofa, and summoned the head butler.

"From now on, Tiffany is confined to the estate. She is not allowed to leave without our explicit permission."

Dad looked at Julian. "Julian, take the company divisions Tiffany was managing and hand them over to Aria. Let Aria run them."

In that instant, Tiffany snapped completely.

"No!" she shrieked. "My inheritance! My status! Why should I give anything to this filthy charity case from the gutter?!"