The Mob Heir's Bloodline Lie

Ever since I married the mob prince, I had done terrible things. I destroyed family heirlooms, tipped off buyers before illegal deals, and now, with our daughter on the verge of death and desperately needing a blood transfusion, I blocked the blood bank and refused a direct donor. My husband’s eyes flared red with fury. "Our daughter is dying! Are you really throwing a tantrum right now?" I slapped the divorce papers right across his face. "Sign this, and I’ll greenlight the surgery." He gripped the documents so hard his knuckles turned white. "Are you insane?! She’s in critical condition, and you’re hitting me with divorce papers?!" I remained entirely indifferent. "Don't sign it, then. We'll just let her bleed out on the table." I pulled a handgun from my purse, pointed it toward the lead surgeon, and gave a cold command: "Halt the procedure." After all, that girl was his flesh and blood, not mine. Why should I exhaust myself trying to save a little leech born from an affair? The moment the words left my lips, the entire hallway went dead silent. Julian stood frozen, staring at me in complete disbelief, as if he were seeing me for the first time. As the sole heir to the Sterling syndicate, no one had ever dared defy him. The Sterlings had dominated Port City's underworld for decades. On paper, they dealt in global shipping and pharmaceuticals; in the shadows, they smuggled contraband and arms. Wherever Julian went, people bowed and whispered his name with dread. His face darkened into a venomous scowl. "Say that again, Serena. I dare you." "I said, halt the procedure," I repeated. My voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the tense corridor with razor-sharp clarity. Julian's mother snapped out of her trance. Screaming, she lunged toward me with her nails out, but Julian caught her arm just in time. She shook with pure rage, spitting in my direction. "You cold-blooded monster! Mia is inside that room! She's your own daughter! How can you stand there and say such evil things?!" I glanced at her coldly, keeping the muzzle lowered but ready. "Whether she's my daughter or not... you two know the truth better than anyone." Julian stepped closer, his jaw tight, his voice a low hiss. "What are you trying to pull here? Can you stop acting so paranoid for once in your miserable life?" "I only called Nicole in to help donate blood! There is nothing going on between us. She just happens to share the same rare blood type." "I asked her so you wouldn't have to suffer through the screening process!" He really thought I was blind to his games. The little girl inside wasn't mine. She was Nicole's. This whole "direct volunteer donation" was just an excuse to let his secret flame play the savior out in the open. "You didn't want me to suffer?" I challenged, my lips curving into a mocking smile. "Julian, do you honestly believe the garbage coming out of your mouth?" He choked on his words, his expression souring even further. Every single time his precious Nicole showed up, I was the one who bled. When Nicole accidentally broke a priceless Sterling heirloom years ago, Julian forced me to kneel on the sharp ceramic shards in the pouring rain all night to take the blame. To this day, my knees ache whenever it rains. And when Julian abandoned a high-stakes shipment drop to watch festival fireworks with Nicole, his family punished me instead—leaving me submerged in an ice-filled tub until morning. All the torture I endured was wiped away by him with a careless wave of his hand. "Is this really the time to bring up the past?!" Julian snapped, his breathing shallow. "Our child’s life is on the line! Whatever issues you have, we can deal with them at home once she's out of surgery!" "Home?" I looked straight into his dark eyes. "Julian, we don't have a home." I shoved the divorce papers against his chest. "Sign. The second your signature is on that paper, I will authorize the procedure and release the matching blood supply from the regional bank." "As for your pre-arranged 'volunteer donor' waiting down the hall? Send her away." I let out a chilling scoff. "Don't you know direct transfusions between immediate family members carry lethal graft-versus-host risks?" Julian's mother abruptly stopped her wailing. Both of them stared at me as if looking at a ghost. "Just to force a divorce, you're willing to murder our daughter?" Julian looked guilty for a split second before slipping right back into his righteous indignation, grinding every word out between his teeth. "Like I said. Sign, and the surgery continues." I didn't budge an inch. A crowd of patients and families began to gather around the corridor, murmuring and pointing fingers at me. "What's wrong with that woman? How could a mother be so cruel?" "Seriously, her own kid is dying on the table and she's using it as leverage..." The nasty whispers rolled over me, but I felt nothing. Whatever warmth and pain I once possessed had been drained out of me over ten brutal years. Julian glared at me, his chest heaving violently. "Fine, Serena. You win. You really are a ruthless bitch." With a vicious snarl, he snatched the papers and the pen from my hand, scribbled his signature in aggressive, jagged strokes, and threw the packet violently against my chest. "Satisfied now?! Can the doctors do their damn jobs?!" I caught the papers mid-air, checked his signature, and tucked them neatly into my purse. I lowered my weapon, looking at the trembling chief surgeon. "Prep the operating room. The matching blood units will be here shortly." Without waiting for a reply, I turned around and walked away. Julian roared behind me. "Where the hell do you think you're going?! What kind of mother walks away like this?!" I didn't even slow my pace. "Whoever wants the job can have it."The moment I stepped out of the hospital's sliding glass doors, a sleek black town car screeched to a halt right in front of me. The door flew open, and a woman dressed in an innocent white silk dress practically tumbled out, her face pale with worry. Nicole. She froze when she caught sight of me, then rushed forward with a look of frantic concern. "Serena! How is Mia doing? Julian called me in tears, saying there was a terrible accident." I stared at the woman who had haunted my marriage for ten years. Over the past decade, I had taken the fall for her mistakes more times than I could count. I had fought with Julian until my voice cracked, all because of her. Looking at her fragile, porcelain face made my stomach turn. "She won't die." Leaving those three words behind, I moved to step around her. Nicole suddenly reached out and clamped her fingers around my wrist, tears welling in her eyes. "Serena, please! I know you’ve always misunderstood my connection with Julian, but Mia is what matters right now! Saving her life comes first! You're her mother—how could you possibly turn your back and leave?!" She kept her voice low, but it carried effortlessly through the open plaza, perfectly pitched for the gathering crowd. Her specialty had always been playing the gentle victim, framing words in a way that effortlessly turned everyone against me. Sure enough, an elderly woman walking past stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at me with disgust. "What kind of mother are you? Your child is in the ICU, and you're storming off looking like a storm cloud?!" Nicole quickly turned toward the woman, speaking in a breathless, pleading tone. "Ma'am, please don't say that! Serena... she has her reasons, I'm sure of it." The more saintly and understanding she acted, the more monstrous I appeared. Irritated beyond measure, I jerked my wrist out of her grip. "Get your hands off me. If you're so desperate to play mommy, go right ahead." Nicole swayed theatrically, stumbling and dropping to her knees on the pavement as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Serena... I didn't mean to upset you..." Just then, Julian burst through the hospital entrance. The moment he saw Nicole crumpled on the concrete, he rushed forward and placed himself between us, shielding her completely. He glared at me, his hand reaching out to grab my collar. "Serena! Have you lost your damn mind?! I signed your papers! Why are you still lashing out at her?!" I sidestepped his reach, pulled my pistol from my coat, and leveled it straight between his eyes. "Touch me, and you'll find out what a bullet tastes like." Julian's face flushed crimson, but he slowly raised both hands and took a cautious half-step back. His mother hurried out behind him. The instant she spotted Nicole, it was as if she had found her savior. She fell to her knees and grabbed Nicole's hands tightly. "My poor angel, thank God you're here! Go inside and save Mia! That heartless witch abandoned her! You're the only hope we have left!" Nicole patted the older woman's shoulder soothingly, glancing up at Julian with a tearful expression. "Julian, please don't be too hard on Serena. I'm sure she didn't mean it..." The three of them stood huddled together, looking for all the world like a real, devoted family. And I was merely the venomous intruder, standing on the outside looking in. Watching them, I realized my entire ten-year marriage had been an elaborate, sickening joke. Without another word, I hailed a passing cab and slipped into the backseat. As the car pulled away, I glanced into the rearview mirror. Julian was wrapping an arm around Nicole's shoulders, while his mother wiped away her tears. When I got home, I immediately began packing my things. I had purchased this penthouse under my own name before we married. Over the past decade, I tried to fill it with love and make it a home, but in the end, not an ounce of warmth remained. That night, my phone rang. It was my mother. The second I swiped to answer, a barrage of vicious insults exploded through the speaker. "Serena! Have you completely lost your mind?! Mia was in a devastating car crash, and you picked that exact moment to ambush Julian with divorce papers at the hospital?! You have humiliated our entire family!" "Mom, listen to me—" I started, trying to explain. "Don't you dare call me Mom! I didn't raise a cold-hearted demon!" her shrill voice barked. "Julian already called us! How could you stoop so low and exploit your own daughter's life just to blackmail him into a divorce?!" I gripped the phone tightly, unable to get another word in. "You get your ass to that hospital this instant! You apologize to Julian and tear up those divorce papers!" The line went dead. I looked at the black screen, feeling the last traces of warmth drain from my chest. Ten years ago, when I gave birth, I nearly bled to death on the table. Yet they all conveniently forgot who caused that hemorrhage in the first place. I opened my messaging app, typed out a brief text, hit send, and set the phone aside.I never showed up at the hospital. The next morning, Julian arrived at my apartment, flanked by my parents. The moment the front door swung open, my father raised his hand and struck me hard across the face. The crack echoed in the foyer. "You ungrateful brat! What have you done?!" His hand shook with rage. "Mia had a burning fever all through the night, screaming for her mother! Where were you?! Do you have a shred of conscience left?! That is your flesh and blood!" My mother held onto his arm, weeping as she pleaded with me. "Serena, please, come with us to the hospital. The child is innocent! Even if you and Julian are having problems, you can't take it out on a little girl!" Julian stood behind them, his face a portrait of tragic sorrow. "Serena, I was wrong. I shouldn't have involved Nicole. Just come home with me, please. Mia needs her mother." He acted so convincingly, like a devoted father torn apart by grief. If I hadn't already uncovered the truth, I might have fallen for his act all over again. Holding my burning cheek, I looked at the three of them with dead eyes. "Are you done talking? If you're done, get out." Julian blinked in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" "I said, get the hell out of my house!" I pointed firmly toward the door. "You insolent—!" My father raised his hand to hit me again, but I swiftly leaned back, dodging his palm. Julian stepped in between us, playing the peacemaker. "Sir, please don't be angry, this is entirely my fault. I made Serena feel neglected, so it's natural she's lashing out at me." He turned back to face me, his eyes bloodshot and pleading. "Serena, I handled things poorly before, but you can't just abandon me and our child. We've spent a decade building this life. How can you throw it all away over a petty argument?" He reached out to take my hand, but I stepped back, avoiding his touch entirely. "Julian, stop acting. Aren't you exhausted?" His expression froze for a fraction of a second. A flash of pure malice sparked in his eyes, but he quickly smothered it. "Serena, why have you become so cold? Are you really willing to give up your title as the lady of the Sterling family? Are you really throwing away our child? You were never like this before." "You're right," I nodded plainly. "I used to be an idiot. But now? I don't want any of you." Seeing how utterly unmoved I was, my parents broke down into despair. My mother wiped away her tears, her voice trembling with finality. "Serena, if you go through with this divorce, consider yourself dead to this family. We are cutting all ties with you." I looked at them. The final ember of familial love inside me flickered and went out. I nodded quietly. "Fine by me." That single phrase stunned my parents and Julian into silence. They genuinely believed that by using emotional blackmail, I would fold, just like I had done dozens of times over the past decade. They thought I would soften, clean up their messes, and return to playing the dutiful mob wife. Unfortunately for them, their leverage was gone. After shutting the door on them, my lawyer, Daniel, called. "Serena, Julian's team has officially acknowledged receipt of the divorce filing. But someone just leaked stories to the press claiming you abused and abandoned your dying child. Public outrage is spiraling." I unlocked my phone. The internet was flooded with venom. Posts and viral clips were blowing up by the minute on Twitter and TikTok, each headline more sensational than the last. The comment sections were a bloodbath of hatred. My photos, my real name, and my address had all been doxed. Outside the Sterling-owned private clinic, a mob of self-righteous protesters was already gathering, waving banners and demanding a public apology from me. The Sterling family leadership hadn't released a statement yet. I wasn't worried. Julian was letting Nicole run wild, but I doubted the syndicate council would tolerate this public circus for long. That afternoon, Nicole called me. Her voice came through the speaker, sickeningly soft and innocent. "Serena, please don't be mad at Julian. You pushed him into a corner." "Mia isn't doing well at all. She needs her mother. Can't you please... just come see her?" "In what capacity are you making this call?" I asked coldly. The line went silent for a few moments. "I... I'm Mia's aunt, and your friend." "Friend?" I let out a sharp laugh. "Nicole, do you really think you're worthy of that word? Did you honestly think I wouldn't trace those press leaks right back to your publicist?" With that, I hung up. A few minutes later, a photo popped up on my screen from Nicole. In the picture, Mia lay unconscious in the hospital bed, with Nicole leaning tenderly over her, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth. Julian and his mother stood by her side, looking down at them with warm, adoring smiles. The scene looked sickeningly harmonious. Right after, a messenger from the Sterlings reached out: "Report to the ancestral estate. The Patriarch demands an audience." A cold smile crossed my lips. My moment had finally arrived.The Sterling family's ancestral manor held a reinforced boardroom deep within its underground levels. At the far end of the long mahogany table sat Old Man Sterling—the reigning Patriarch of the syndicate. Julian's mother sat to his right, while Julian sat on his left, with Nicole perched right beside him. Several senior council elders lined the sides of the table. The family's personal physician, Dr. Hayes, was also present, standing beside a stack of old medical ledgers. When I walked in with Daniel, every set of eyes in the room locked onto me. Their gazes were heavy with judgment, suspicion, and a hungry desire to watch me burn. The Patriarch tapped his knuckles against the polished wood. "Serena. Internal family business was never meant to spill into the streets. But your little stunt at the hospital has dragged the Sterling name through the mud. Speak. What the hell are you playing at?" "I want a DNA test," I said clearly. "I suspect Mia is not my daughter." The air in the room was sucked out in an instant. Julian's face drained of color, and he bolted to his feet. "Grandfather, she's lost her mind! Mia is lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life, and she's using this family meeting to spread delusional slander!" "Delusional?" I locked eyes with him. "Julian, why don't you explain to the council what you were doing ten years ago on the day I gave birth?" "Ten years ago, Nicole and I gave birth on the exact same day, in the exact same wing of this family's hospital, with the exact same surgeon operating on both of us. Do you really expect everyone here to believe that was pure coincidence?" Julian's mother gasped, her hands shaking. "What are you implying?!" "My implication is simple," I said, turning my gaze to the Patriarch. "I demand an immediate paternity and maternity test. If Mia is proven to be my biological daughter, I will accept full responsibility, sign away all my marital assets, walk out with nothing, and issue a formal public apology to Julian and Nicole." Julian's voice rose to a panicked screech. "I refuse!" His mother jumped up as well, shrieking, "You've completely lost your senses! Mia is your daughter! Are you so vicious you'd disown your own flesh and blood?!" The Patriarch raised his weathered hand, cutting off the noise instantly. His sharp, hawk-like eyes drilled into me. "What made you suspect this?" I opened my leather briefcase, pulled out a faded document, and slid it across the table. "Three years ago, I found a silver locket at the bottom of Mia's toy chest. The inner casing was engraved with Nicole's initials and birthdate. That same year, I pulled an archived record from the regional blood registry. Mia's blood markers violate basic genetic inheritance rules between Julian and me." Julian's face turned stark white. He stammered, "That was a contaminated sample! I explained that to you years ago!" "Yes, you did," I replied calmly. "And I chose to believe you back then. I told myself I was being paranoid. I showered Mia with twice as much love, desperate to drown out the doubt eating away at me." I turned back to the Patriarch. "But during this recent accident, Mia required an extremely rare blood match. Julian didn't reach out to the donor network—he immediately summoned Nicole for a direct transfusion. Tell me, Grandfather... why would a simple 'family friend' happen to have the exact rare blood type, happen to be on standby twenty-four-seven, and happen to care more about my daughter's survival than her own life?" Silence hung heavy over the boardroom. The Patriarch shifted his piercing gaze toward Julian. "Julian. Answer her." Sweat beaded across Julian's forehead. "Grandfather, this is pure spite! She hates that I asked Nicole for help, and now she's manufacturing lies to tear my reputation apart!" "Then run the test," the Patriarch ordered coldly. "Once the results are on the table, no one can argue." Julian's knees visibly buckled. "Grandfather, please!" "I said, test them," the Patriarch snapped, slamming his palm onto the table. "The first law of the Sterling family is that our bloodline remains pure and unbroken. Do it now."