The Abandoned Heiress Raised by Mafia

When I was three, scavenging for food, I was bullied until a couple rescued me.

Back then, I still didn't know that the blonde woman was the head of the New York Mafia, and the tattooed man was the leader of all the Motorcycle Clubs in America.

The blonde woman taught me to shoot, and the tattooed man taught me how to race.

For eighteen years, they protected me fiercely.

Then my biological parents tracked me down. That's when I found out I was the true heir to the Sterlings, a family worth hundreds of millions.

But the day I was supposed to move in with them, Tiffany, the fake daughter, blocked my way.

She looked down at me, a cold sneer on her face, and told me to crawl through the pet door like a stray to get inside.

I stood my ground.

Brandon Sterling, the eldest brother, scowled and snapped:

It's just a pet door! Don't be ungrateful, Jade! Tiffany letting you come home at all is a huge favor.

Caleb Sterling, my younger brother, scoffed, his face full of disdain:

A stray like you dares to upset Tiffany? Get lost!

I turned to my biological parents.

They just said:

Tiffany gets emotional. She's upset you're back, so just humor her.

Looking at their aggressive stares, I calmly pulled out my phone and messaged my adoptive parents:

Mom and Dad, the Sterlings are bullying me. Come get your revenge, fast!

The second I sent the message, Caleb lunged forward and snatched my phone.

The screen was open to the "Jax and Sera's One and Only Baby" family SnapChat group. Two messages popped up instantly:

Mommy: Baby, don't be scared! I'm flooring it. Your dad and I are coming for them!

Daddy: Who the hell dares lay a hand on my girl? The Sterlings, huh? I'll make sure they're bankrupt by sundown!

He looked at the two jumping Jersey Shore-style avatars, scoffed aloud, and mockingly repeated the ridiculously arrogant messages for my biological parents to hear.

Tiffany Sterling, the fake daughter, burst out laughing so hard she couldn't stand straight. Wiping away tears of mirth, she sneered:

I'm dying! Jade, your two street thug parents think they can go up against the Sterlings?

I blinked.

Didn't they bother to do their homework before claiming me?

My adoptive parents' style might be a little gaudy, and their manners unconventional, but they're definitely not thugs!

Mrs. Sterlings face completely darkened. Her gaze held nothing but undisguised disgust.

She stepped forward, her voice sharp, leaving no room for argument:

How can a Sterling be associated with thugs? It'd be a scandal! We'd be a laughingstock, completely ruining the Sterling family's reputation!

Jade, now that you're back with the Sterlings, you must cut all ties with those unsavory characters!

With that, she gave Caleb a look, signaling him to hand the phone back to me.

Delete all your adoptive parents contacts right now. Sever all contact!

This is your first test to rejoin the Sterling family.

I swallowed my anger, ready to grab my phone and leave.

But just as my fingers brushed the device, Tiffany snatched it away.

She pouted and complained to Mrs. Sterling:

Mom, look at Jade! She's got that cold look on her face. She clearly doesn't want to delete them. She doesn't respect you at all.

Since she won't do it, I, as her older sister, will kindly help her! We don't want these low-lives bothering the Sterlings later!

This family was so infuriating, I almost laughed.

"The wealthy Sterling family"? In my eyes, they were nothing.

This "true heir" nonsense? Whoever wants it can have it. I, Jade Walker, don't care for it!

I held out my hand to Tiffany, my voice cold:

Give me back my phone!

But Tiffany ducked behind Brandon, stuck out her tongue at me, and rapidly tapped the phone screen. She exited the family group, deleted the contacts, all before I could even react.

Once she was done, she showed me the empty contact list, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

I don't care about the phone. Just give me back the charm!

Attached to my phone case was a faded, worn-out little bear charm.

My adoptive parents bought it for me from a street vendor when I was three, after some kids threw rocks at me while I was scavenging and made me cry.

It was the first gift I had ever received.

For eighteen years, I had kept it with me, treasuring it like gold.

Tiffany's gaze fell on the tattered little bear, and a flicker of malice crossed her eyes.

She slammed the phone on the ground and stomped on it.

Ugh, you call this piece of trash a treasure? It's probably crawling with germs. It should have been thrown in the trash a long time ago.

The Sterlings don't tolerate such dirty things. I'm just helping you declutter!

With that, she ground her high heel into it several times. The once-chubby little bear was instantly crushed, its cotton stuffing spilling out.

My face went pale. I quickly bent down to pick it up.

But just as my fingers touched the charm, Tiffany's heel came down hard on my hand. Excruciating pain shot from my fingertips through my entire body.

I bit down hard, yanking my hand back. My knuckles were already bruised and swollen, a sickening sight.

The next second, Tiffany shrieked and dramatically collapsed to the ground.

Her eyes welled up with tears instantly. She looked at Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, sobbing plaintively:

Mom, Dad, I was just trying to help Jade get rid of some dirty things, but she deliberately pushed me... Is it because I'm the fake daughter that I deserve to be bullied like this...?

Caleb immediately shielded Tiffany, glaring at me with utter disgust:

I only recognize Tiffany as my sister. A malicious woman like you doesn't deserve to be my sister!

I'm warning you, don't cause a scene here, or you'll never set foot in the Sterling family home again.

Brandon's face instantly turned furious. Without a word, he roughly shoved me away.

The force was immense. I stumbled back several steps, my lower back hitting the edge of a flower bed with a painful thud. The pain was so intense I couldn't straighten up.

He glared down at me, his voice icy:

Get down on your knees and apologize to Tiffany right now! We raised her with love. No one has ever dared to upset her. How dare you, a wild girl we just met, hurt her?

Only then did Mr. Sterling, who had been observing coldly, finally speak, and his words immediately condemned me.

Jade, since you pushed Tiffany, you should apologize to her.

Mrs. Sterling sharply chimed in:

The Sterling family values respect and rules. When you make a mistake, you must kneel and apologize sincerely!

They acted as if they were blind, completely ignoring my injured hand.

Or rather, they simply didn't care about me.

My hand still throbbed faintly, but my heart felt strangely calm, even a little mocking.

Just wait.

When my parents show up,

They'll be the ones on their knees, crying and begging.

I won't apologize, and I won't kneel.

I straightened my back, clenched my fists, my eyes as cold as ice, showing no sign of submission.

My defiance completely enraged the Sterlings.

Fine! Fine, then!

Brandon gritted his teeth in anger. He snatched my phone from the ground, grabbed my suitcase from beside me, and strode towards the pool.

Since you insist on getting tangled up with those thugs and refusing to change, I'll put an end to all your hopes today!

No!

I raced towards him like a madwoman, but it was too late.

My suitcase and phone plunged heavily into the pool, splashing water everywhere, and instantly sank.

Without hesitation, I dove into the pool.

The icy water enveloped me. I frantically searched, swimming three laps back and forth, until I finally retrieved the tattered little bear.

When I stumbled out of the pool, I was drenched, my clothes clinging to me, my lips purple with cold, shivering uncontrollably.

Tiffany stood there, arms crossed, looking down at me with arrogant disdain.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a faint red mark on my neck. As if she'd found a major piece of evidence, she immediately shouted:

Jade, is that a hickey on your neck?!

She feigned surprise, covering her mouth, her voice laced with malicious speculation:

Oh my god, did you have sex with a thug already?!

Or... did you catch some dirty disease? After all, the circles you ran in were so messed up, who knows what kind of nasty stuff you might have picked up...

At that, Mr. and Mrs. Sterlings faces instantly changed.

Mrs. Sterling recoiled half a step, her face twisted in disgust:

Your adoptive mother, with her weird outfits, always hanging around on the streets with those thugs. She clearly has a questionable private life. What kind of child could she raise?

Jade, tell us honestly, have you been fooling around outside?

Mr. Sterling frowned, his voice sharp:

Absolutely not! We need to take her to the hospital for a check-up, see if she's 'clean'!

Brandon and Caleb stepped forward, grabbing my arms, one on each side, with such force I thought my bones would shatter.

No matter how much I struggled, they roughly shoved me into the car.

Don't be difficult. You're getting this check-up whether you like it or not!

The car sped off, heading straight for the hospital.

As soon as we entered the clinic, Mrs. Sterling grabbed Dr. Millers hand and loudly declared, her voice so piercing people in the next department could hear:

Doctor, is that a hickey on her neck, or some dirty disease? My daughter lived with thugs for over ten years, please, you have to give her a thorough check-up!

Her words made everyone around us turn their heads.

Those stares C disdainful, scrutinizing, disgusted C felt like a thousand needles pricking my skin.

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

The results came back quickly.

Dr. Miller held the report, looking at Mr. and Mrs. Sterling with a serious expression:

The results are completely normal. She has no infectious diseases. And this young woman is chaste; she has no sexual history. The red mark on her neck is just a common allergy. As parents, how could you so unfairly slander your child's reputation? If word gets out, it could ruin her life.

The clinic fell into a sudden, stunned silence.

But there was no trace of guilt on the Sterlings' faces.

Mrs. Sterling, instead, frowned and chastised me:

If you were 'clean,' why didn't you say so sooner? You wasted our time and made us look foolish in front of Dr. Miller!

I forced a smile, looking into her eyes, and asked the question burning in my heart:

You don't love me at all, so why did you go to such lengths to find me?

Mrs. Sterling's face froze. She looked away awkwardly, not answering.

Mr. Sterling was silent for a moment, then finally spoke. But every word was a dagger twisting in my gut.

Since you asked, I'll tell you the truth. Ten years ago, we discovered Tiffany wasn't our biological daughter. But we'd raised her for so many years, we'd already accepted her. We even legally changed her name to Tiffany, ensuring she'd remain the Sterling family's true daughter forever.

But then, your mother was diagnosed with kidney failure and desperately needed a transplant. That's why we had to find you. Your match was perfect.

We gave you life. Your mother needs saving now, and it's only natural for you to give her a kidney in return. It's your responsibility, one you can't escape.

His words cleared the fog, revealing the harsh truth.

The supposed longing and guilt I saw at our first meeting were all fake.

This reunion was a cold, calculated scheme from the very beginning.

They had two biological sons, and Tiffany, whom they'd coddled for twenty-one years.

But they couldn't bear for any of those children to donate a kidney.

So, they set their sights on me, their biological daughter for whom they felt no affection.

They found me back, simply because I was the one they could sacrifice without hesitation.

I looked up at them, my eyes filled with nothing but sarcasm:

You have two biological sons, don't you? Their matches must be highly compatible too.

The faces of the five Sterlings instantly changed.

Mr. Sterling immediately scowled, pointing at me and snapping angrily:

Nonsense! Your brother is the Sterling family heir, and your younger brother is still a child. How dare you even think of them?!

Mrs. Sterling whirled around, glaring at me with a savage fury, as if she wanted to tear me limb from limb:

They're men! What if losing a kidney ruins their health for good?!

Jade, how can you be so malicious at such a young age, wanting to harm your own brothers?!

Tiffany quickly stepped forward to support Mrs. Sterling, feigning understanding:

Mom, it's just a shame I'm not your biological daughter, otherwise I'd gladly give my life to save you.

The Sterlings looked at me with even greater contempt.

Brandon stepped forward, pulling an organ donation agreement from his jacket, and promised:

Jade, donating a kidney is your second test to join the Sterling family.

As long as you sign this agreement, from now on, you'll be a real Sterling.

A 'Sterling family member'? I scoffed, my voice dripping with defiance.

I never wanted to be a Sterling in the first place!

I'll never donate that kidney!

With that, I turned to leave.

Stop!

I ignored the angry shouts behind me. But just as I pulled open the clinic door, two bodyguards blocked me.

They roughly dragged me back, forcing my hand to sign the agreement.

Then, I was bound hand and foot and dragged into the operating room.

The doctor picked up a needle for anesthesia, but Tiffany immediately shrieked to stop him:

No anesthesia! She thinks she's so tough? If she dares to cross the Sterlings, she deserves a lesson!

The doctor paused, looking uncomfortable, and instinctively glanced at Mrs. Sterling.

But... operating without anesthesia, she'll die of pain!

Mrs. Sterling immediately sneered, her voice harsh:

If she dies of pain, it's her own fault! She wasn't obedient, so she'll pay the price. We'll take responsibility for anything that happens, just do it!

The gleaming scalpel slowly approached, about to pierce my skin.

I stared desperately at the stark white ceiling, trembling uncontrollably.

Just then, BANGa deafening crash!

The heavy operating room door exploded inward.

A sleek, roaring motorcycle burst through the door, engine screaming, and skidded to a halt beside the operating table.

My adoptive mother, Seraphina Rossi, ripped off her helmet, hurled it, and it precisely struck the scalpel from the doctor's hand.

My adoptive father, Jax Walker, kicked over the lead surgeon, his eyes bloodshot as he scanned the room, roaring:

Who the hell dares lay a hand on my daughter?!