After being framed by her half-sister Liora Sterling, Narissa Sterling was sent to a private prison by her doting brother and her deeply devoted fiancé, Drake Kingsley. Inside, she endured endless humiliation.

Upon her release, she explained herself countless times, but her brother Evan looked at her with icy indifference. “Liora is pure-hearted. How could she frame you?”

Her fiancé, Drake, firmly believed. “Narissa, no matter how much you’ve changed, I’ll still marry you, but Liora is innocent.”

And so, they allowed Liora to take her house, seize everything she had and even destroy her mother’s photograph.

Heartbroken and disillusioned, Narissa bought a plane ticket and flew abroad, disappearing completely.

Not long after, Drake and Evan nearly lost their minds searching for her.

——

"Your sentence is complete. You can leave now. As someone with your background, make sure to live decently from now on and stop harming others."

At the entrance of the private prison, the man escorted Narissa to the door, shaking his head in disappointment.

Narissa was the only eldest daughter of the prestigious Sterling Family in the capital. Raised with love and privilege, she was said to be cruel and ruthless, even attempting to drive her own blood-related sister to death. What a waste of such a beautiful face.

Narissa stood on the steps, a shadow of sorrow passing through her eyes as she listened to his words.

A year ago, her father brought Liora, who had been living abroad, back to the family. That was when Narissa learned that her father, who had always been deeply devoted to her mother, had long been unfaithful. He had a child with another woman and even brought her mother, Wilde, into the Sterling Family.

Wilde had taken her mother's place, claiming her father’s love, while her daughter, Liora, not only took everything she had but also falsely accused her of trying to have her killed.

Her father exploded in anger, "Even if you can’t accept Liora, she’s still your sister, the only child of Wilde! How could you treat her like this?"

However, Narissa hadn’t done anything.

His father slammed the phone against her, his anger boiling over. "Look for yourself. The people you hired have already confessed and yet you still won’t admit it."

Trembling, Narissa picked up the phone from the ground. In the video, a man immediately pointed at her with fear at his face. "It wasn’t me. Everything was done because Miss Narissa told me to do it."

Not only that, there were also transfer screenshots, but Narissa hadn’t done any of it. She originally wanted to investigate, but her father sent her straight to the private prison.

She still remembered the look of disgust in her father’s eyes when she was taken away. "I’ve spoiled you too much over the years. Go in there and reflect on yourself!"

Now, thinking back, her heart ached as if being torn apart. Meanwhile, the reporters who had been waiting outside saw her and immediately brightened, rushing toward her.

"Miss Sterling, rumors say you’re insanely jealous and deliberately tried to murder your own sister. Is that true?"

Narissa staggered back under the barrage of questions. Her mind was foggy as she shook her head, saying, "No, I didn’t do anything. This isn’t true."

Before she could say another word, the reporters pressed her further. "Miss Sterling, you claim you didn’t do anything, then why were you locked up here? And why was there no one to pick you up when you were released?"

Her lips trembled and before she could speak, another reporter jumped in, "Miss Sterling, your mother is an award-winning actress. Aren’t you worried that your actions will tarnish her reputation?"

The reporters' words cut into Narissa like sharp knives, each question piercing her heart. She was surrounded, struggling to breathe and when she tried to leave, the reporters quickly closed in on her. Just as she felt she could no longer bear the suffocating pressure, a hand grabbed her and pulled her away from the crowd.

She looked up to see Drake, her childhood friend and fiancé.

Drake, with his fair and handsome features, cast a cold indifferent gaze over the surrounding crowd. His voice, laced with chilling authority, echoed through the air. "This isn’t over."

The reporters were immediately angered, but the next second, they fell silent, for a group of bodyguards in black suits stepped forward and seized all their cameras. The reporters were left furious but dared not speak up. After all, this was the son of the powerful Kingsley Family, who had recently been making waves.

Meanwhile, Drake dragged Narissa away. Inside the car, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

Narissa glanced at the man beside her. Today was the day she was released from prison and yet, the only one who came to pick her up was Drake. This made her heart ache with a bitter sense of irony.

Drake tugged at his collar, his face cold as he turned to question her, "Are you standing there on purpose, refusing to move? Or are you deliberately playing the victim, trying to say something to frame Liora?"

Hearing his words, Narissa's heart felt like it was being torn apart. It was even more painful than when the reporters questioned her. "I didn’t... I didn’t say anything!"

But Drake didn’t believe her. He snorted coldly, holding his phone in hand as he casually spoke, "If I had come any later, who knows what you would’ve said?"

Looking at his distant expression, Narissa’s heart sank like a stone. How had everything ended up like this?

Before Liora appeared, their relationship was at its best. Narissa and Drake had grown up together as childhood friends. In high school, he would skip class to find her and take her to see the sea. He stayed by her side, comforting her after her mother passed away.

They would take walks together under the sunset and whenever she grew tired, Drake would carry her on his back and take her home.

After graduation, they quickly got engaged, their bond so strong that they couldn’t bear to be apart. But everything changed when Liora came into their lives.

Drake, who had always been her protector, learned the truth and, swayed by his father’s words, passed his judgment. "Liora is kind-hearted. How could you do something so cruel?"

No matter how much she tried to explain, no one believed her. She begged Drake for help, pleading with him not to lock her away in the private prison.

But at that moment, Drake stood by Liora’s side. His expression was icy as he looked at her and said, "When you heartlessly hired someone to harm Liora, did you ever consider the consequences? It was supposed to be a life for a life. Now, you’ve only been locked away for seven months. Compared to the shock Liora endured, what’s the difference?"

Narissa’s eyes turned red as she stared at him. She spoke each word with conviction. "I didn’t do it... I swear, I didn’t."

Seeing that she still wouldn’t admit to it, Drake furrowed his brows deeply. With a grim expression, he pressed the gas pedal. "It seems that even after seven months in there, you still haven’t learned your lesson."

A sharp pain hit Narissa’s heart as she noticed the car wasn’t heading home. Unable to hold back, she asked, "Where are we going?"

Drake’s face remained expressionless, but a flicker of softness passed through his eyes as he replied, "Today is the day Liora is celebrating Mr. Sterling’s birthday."

Hearing that name, Narissa’s pupils quivered. She clenched her hands tightly but didn’t speak and the atmosphere grew heavy with tension.

At first, when Liora came to live with them, Narissa treated her very well. She would give Liora anything she liked without hesitation such as clothes and jewelry.

However, Liora always seemed to harbor hostility towards her. At the time, Narissa didn’t know that Liora was her father’s child. When their father appeared, Liora clung to his arm, acting coyly and proudly. She lifted her chin as she looked at Narissa with a smug expression.

Narissa couldn’t understand why Liora held such animosity towards her.

But their father told her, "Liora has grown up without a father, so she craves fatherly love. As her sister, you need to learn to be understanding towards her."

Narissa had always felt uneasy about Liora, but after hearing her father’s words, her heart softened toward her.

After a few more incidents, when she realized Liora clearly disliked her, she stopped trying to get close.

But everything changed seven months ago when Liora personally had her sent to the private prison. It was only today that she was finally released.

Narissa still remembered the phone call from her father a few days ago. His words were cold and dismissive. “Narissa, this was just a lesson for you. You should be thankful for Liora’s kindness.”

"She grew up without a father, wandering outside for so many years and going through hardships you can’t even imagine. I hope you can get along with her," her father had said.

His words made it sound like she was the one targeting Liora, unwilling to live peacefully with her.

But in truth, after learning the situation, Narissa had let go of her resentment and tried to build a good relationship with Liora. It was Liora who refused and repeatedly went against her.

Liora even framed her for hiring someone to commit murder and played the victim, convincing their father to send her to a ruthless private prison that swallowed people whole.

The seven months in that prison had drained her completely. Now, all she wanted was to leave everything behind and escape from their world.

Noticing her silence, Drake seemed to realize something was off. His tone stiffened as he explained, “Liora has been waiting for you for a long time. She genuinely wants to see her sister. That’s why I rushed. Besides, you were the one at fault in the first place. You…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Narissa cut him off, unwilling to hear more.

“I understand,” she said flatly.

Drake fell silent. Narissa turned her face to the window, her expression blank as she stared at the passing scenery. She clenched her fingers tightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm in her heart.

She had known Drake for years and once thought they were perfectly in sync, until Liora appeared.

No matter how many times she explained, he always believed Liora's words, convinced that she was malicious and had tried to harm Liora.

Now, there was no point in explaining. Drake didn’t believe her and her father had abandoned her. This brought a sharp ache to her chest, but she forced herself to suppress the tears threatening to fall. Her lips twitched into a bitter, stiff smile.

It didn’t matter. Soon, on Liora's birthday, she would disappear from their lives forever.

It was her father’s birthday. Midway through the ride, Narissa asked to stop and buy a gift, but Drake coldly refused. “There’s no time. A gift isn’t urgent right now.”

The car pulled up directly to the entrance of the banquet hall. Drake went to park the car and shortly after, Narissa received a text from him, telling her to head inside first.

As she entered the grand hall, the soft, calming music filled the air. Just as she walked in, Bella, who had always been at odds with her, appeared with a group of people and immediately surrounded her.

The other party looked down at her with disdain, pinching her nose as if she were disgusting.

“Narissa, how can you be so disrespectful? Is the Sterling Family out of money now? You didn’t even bring a single piece of jewelry. You’re embarrassing us, the noble ladies of high society.”

The women behind her giggled, their laughter dripping with mockery. “You call yourself the eldest daughter of the Sterling Family? You’re even worse than your sister.”

Bella sneered, "It's laughable. You're the daughter of Astrid, the renowned actress who was adored by all of the capital, yet, look at how you turned out, you’re worse than the daughter of a mistress. No wonder your father ended up cheating!"

Narissa’s mother, Astrid, had been a renowned actress who won every major award in the entertainment industry. When Narissa’s father first laid eyes on her, he was instantly smitten and relentlessly pursued her until she agreed to marry him.

To be with the man she loved, Astrid left her career behind and gave birth to Narissa. Tragically, when Narissa was sixteen, Astrid died in a car accident.

During the time when Narissa was falsely accused, her father had been caught multiple times in ambiguous, flirtatious situations with women. It was later uncovered that one of those women was none other than Liora’s mother.

At that time, Narissa asked her father, "Why are you doing this? Can you face mom?"

Her father’s expression changed, becoming cold. "If I truly owed your mom, I should never have raised you. I should have killed you when you were born. If not for you, how would your mom have died?"

This sentence still cut through Narissa’s heart like a knife when she thought back on it. After her mother died, her father blamed her for her mother’s death. Like everyone else, he believed that everything was her fault.

Narissa felt a deep, hidden pain. If only she hadn’t asked her mother to go buy the cake, perhaps none of this would have happened. But now, it was too late.

To her, her mother was the one she couldn't allow anyone to insult.

So, even though she knew Bella's words were meant to provoke her, Narissa couldn’t hold herself back. She raised her hand and slapped Bella across the face. “Shut up. I won’t let you speak badly about my mother. And even if I’m not a Sterling Family member, I’m still a board member of the company. You have no right to speak to me like that.”

Bella’s eyes instantly reddened, her anger bubbling to the surface. “You filthy woman, how dare you slap me! My father won’t let this go!”

Narissa looked at her coldly, a cruel smile curling on her lips. “I’ll be waiting for him.”

Just then, a gentle and elegant voice came from behind. “Narissa, what are you doing here?”

Upon hearing the voice, Narissa froze, the weight of all her suppressed emotions crashing over her. Her eyes welled up and she turned to look.

But just one glance was enough to freeze her blood and send a chill through her entire body.

The person who appeared was dressed in a pure white suit. His features were as handsome as a painting and his eyes, soft as a gentle breeze, landed on Narissa.

It was her older brother, Evan. Behind him stood a group of friends, including Liora, who was dressed in a pristine white gown. She looked fresh, graceful and charming, with a soft and sweet demeanor.

As she observed, Narissa saw Drake, her ex-boyfriend, standing by Liora. He looked at her with gentle affection, smiling as he whispered something to her.

Seeing this scene, Narissa felt her mind momentarily go blank. Before she could say anything, she heard Bella crying as she rushed up to Liora, accusing her, “Liora, your sister is so mean. I just asked why she didn’t bring any jewelry to the banquet and she hit me. She even said I’m the daughter of a mistress. Do I deserve to be hit because my mother was a mistress?”

Narissa immediately wanted to rebut, but before she could, Liora spoke up first, her eyes reddening. “Narissa, even if what Bella said wasn’t right, you can’t hit people.”

Narissa looked coldly at Bella. "If she hadn’t insulted my mother, I wouldn’t have hit her."

Upon hearing this, Drake frowned, a trace of annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Narissa, that’s Liora’s friend and the daughter of the Thorne family. Even if she was wrong, you shouldn’t have hit her in front of everyone."

Surrounded by countless curious and judgmental gazes, Narissa clenched her fists, feeling isolated and cold inside. Just as she was about to say something, a figure stepped in front of her.

It was Evan, his handsome and gentle face showing an apologetic smile as he turned to Bella. "Narissa has been pampered since she was young, so I apologize on her behalf."

Narissa's expression immediately stiffened as she glared at him. "Evan, I'm not at fault. It's her that has a filthy mouth."

Evan's smile remained soft, but his eyes turned cold. Sering this, Narissa's mind cleared in that moment, realizing that her brother was angry. But why?

He parted his lips with a neutral smile and spoke emotionlessly, "Narissa, it's all the same."

Narissa gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed on his calm yet distant face, her heart tightening with pain.

Upon hearing his words, Bella blushed slightly. She lowered her eyes, then said shyly, "For your sake, I'll let this bad woman go."

Liora’s face twisted with hurt and grievance. “I know you’ve always disliked me and you despise my mom for being a mistress. But, Narissa, my mom and dad couldn’t help what happened. We didn’t choose our own birth. If I could, I would’ve wanted to be the legitimate daughter of my dad, with a brother who loves me.”

She sighed in helplessness. “Not everyone is as lucky as you, born into the Sterling Family as the eldest daughter. I’m sorry!” Tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn’t hold them back any longer, running off in distress.

Drake instinctively wanted to chase after her but paused, his dark eyes fixed on Narissa. There was a mix of disappointment and displeasure in his gaze. "Narissa, do you know how happy Liora was that you could come out today? Yet, you say such hurtful words. I’ve been too indulgent with you in the past and that’s why you’ve turned out this way."

He turned and hurried out without looking back and the people around them cast awkward glances. Narissa felt her anger boil over.

It was Liora’s mother who had seduced her father, yet she had the audacity to say such things about wanting to take her family away.

Fury surged through her, but when she met her brother’s calm gaze, her heart froze. She felt absurd and sorrowful. “Evan, do you also think this is my fault?”

Evan’s expression softened with helplessness. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes filled with a hint of fatigue. Looking at his younger sister, whom he had watched grow up, he couldn't help but sigh and explained in a soft tone, “Narissa, we were just picking out a gift for you, that’s why we didn’t pick you up earlier.”

The tone in his voice seemed as if he was dismissing something, which made Narissa freeze for a moment. She remembered how her brother used to gently deal with people who pursued him, only to later discard the things they had given him.

Now, however, the person he was brushing aside was her. Narissa remained silent, just quietly looking at him.

In truth, he hadn’t always been like this. Back when their mother had died in the car accident, he had always been so protective of her.

When they were younger, his favorite toys were off-limits to everyone, but if she wanted them, he would give them to her without hesitation.

Even when he went abroad for his studies, he made sure to come back every month to visit her and bring her gifts.

It wasn’t until the car accident happened, where she survived only because their mother had shielded her with her body, that her brother became even more protective. He hired bodyguards to ensure her safety, constantly fearing that something would happen to her.

But everything changed after Liora and her mother appeared.