Chapter 5 - Sister Dearest
Serena was always the beautiful, untouched face of the Sterling family.
She ran the family's charitable foundation, rubbing elbows with Hollywood celebrities, mayors, and senators on a daily basis.
She prided herself on her absolutely flawless public reputation and her "heart of gold."
But I had seen the books. I knew the foundation was nothing more than a sophisticated money-laundering front for my father’s illicit black-market profits.
The day after Julian’s very public arrest and downfall, Serena frantically hosted a massive charity luncheon at the Plaza Hotel to save face.
I didn’t barge through the doors with agents this time. I let her have her glittering moment on the main stage.
She was wearing a stunning, custom-made red dress, crying perfect crocodile tears as she spoke about the vital importance of helping underprivileged children.
“Thank you all for your incredibly generous donations today,” she cooed into the microphone, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Suddenly, the massive projector screen behind her flickered violently.
The heartwarming slideshow of smiling children vanished in an instant.
In its place appeared a series of highly classified bank statements and wire transfers.
Thick red arrows pointed directly from the foundation’s charity accounts to private offshore accounts registered exclusively in Serena’s name.
Next came the undeniable photographic evidence: luxury mega-yachts, diamond necklaces, and the deed to a private, multi-million-dollar villa in Monaco—all purchased exclusively with "charity" funds meant for starving children.
The wealthy audience gasped in unison. Murmurs of absolute outrage and disgust swept through the packed ballroom.
Serena turned around, dropping her microphone, freezing completely like a deer in headlights as she stared at the screen.
“Turn it off!” she shrieked at the tech booth, her perfectly crafted mask slipping. “I said turn it off right now!”
I stepped out from the dark shadows near the soundboard, holding the master remote control in my hand.
“Why turn it off, Serena?” I called out, my voice booming over the sound system for everyone to hear. “Don’t you want everyone in this room to see exactly how generous you’ve been to yourself?”
Women in the audience immediately began standing up, violently grabbing their expensive purses and walking toward the exits in pure disgust.
“You’re a monster! You ruined my life!” Serena screamed at me, ugly tears of humiliation streaming down her heavily made-up face.
“I didn’t put the stolen money in those accounts, Serena,” I replied evenly. “You did. I just turned on the lights so everyone could see.”
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As the heavy wail of police sirens approached outside the hotel, I calmly walked out a side door into the fresh air.
My sister’s perfect, untouchable world had just burned completely to the ground in less than five minutes.
