All Chapters of Heartbeats of Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1 The Choice

"Anyone who dared lay a hand on Anya would have to kill me first!"Victor Lorant's voice cut into my ears like a blade. I jerked my head up and saw him standing protectively in front of my sister, glaring at me with murderous eyes.My heart clenched hard. He was supposed to be dead. He had already given his life in the zombie tide to save me."Victor, let it go… If sacrificing myself could save everyone, then I'm willing." Anya Quinn's frail body trembled as she spoke through quiet sobs.Victor's eyes glimmered with pain as his fists tightened, his knuckles turning white. "No. I won't stand here and watch something happen to you."The standoff hung in the air until the head of the research institute stepped toward me. "Chief Quinn, Ms. Anya was bitten by a zombie, but for some reason, she hasn't turned. If we could study this, we might be able to develop an antiviral. That would be a contribution to all of humanity." His eyes gleamed with a fanatical light.In my last life, Anya

Chapter 2 Shackled by Hatred

I looked back at him and, all of a sudden, felt exhausted. "Get out. Before I change my mind." My voice was hoarse as I turned away.He left with Anya without so much as a backward glance. I stood rooted to the spot, my nails digging deep into my palms.The institute director came up to me, his face full of dismay. "Chief Quinn, do you realize what you've just done? Without a cure, humanity is doomed!"I drew in a long breath and swept him with a cold gaze. "Are you so sure? Or is it because your daughter had feelings for Chief Lorant and he rejected her in front of everyone that you came up with this scheme?"My words hit home, and for a long while, he could only point at me in speechless rage. Finally, he gave a cold laugh. "You're good with words. I'll be waiting to see how you explain this to everyone.""That won't be your concern. I'll handle it." With that, I turned on my heel and walked away.My stomach burned with hunger as I returned to the cold, empty quarters. The quar

Chapter 3 Branded the Villain

Trash and stones rained down on my sister as she cowered, trembling. She sobbed like a frightened rabbit, her voice breaking. "I'm sorry. I really am…"Victor's eyes burned red with fury and anguish. He lunged forward, shielding her tightly in his arms, and roared at the crowd, "Shut the hell up!"Then, he lifted his head, his ice-cold gaze stabbing into me like a blade. "Zoe Quinn! Didn't you say this has nothing to do with you? Prove it!"A cruel smirk curved his lips as his voice rang across the square. "Do you know how this zombie tide came to be?"Then, he shot his finger toward me. "Our very own Chief Quinn ignored all warnings and went alone to provoke the zombie king! She enraged it and brought this disaster down on us!"Every pair of eyes turned on me, wide with disbelief."Zoe Quinn, we trusted you. That's why we made you our chief.""You risked all our lives just to make yourself look good?!"The flood of curses nearly swallowed me whole. I stood frozen, blood turnin

Chapter 4 A Desperate Pact

Anya stayed for a while before turning to leave. At the doorway, she curved her lips in a faint smile. "I heard the zombie king sent you a proposal. Are you really planning to say yes?"My heart skipped a beat. How did she know? I had never breathed a word of it.…Two hours later, the door burst open under a violent kick, and Victor charged in like a beast gone mad, slamming me to the ground. "Where's Anya?" His eyes blazed crimson as his hand locked around my throat."I don't live in her head. How would I know?" My voice rasped under the chokehold as the suffocating pressure built."Don't know?" His face twisted in fury. "She's kind and never makes enemies. The last person she saw was you. Who else but you would do something to her, you vile bitch?"The next moment, his palm cracked across my face. A loud slap rang in my ears, leaving my cheek swollen and burning."Still want to talk tough?" Victor had lost all reason. He yanked my hair and smashed my forehead against the cold

Chapter 5 Betrayal and War Drums

Magnus didn't respond. He didn't even spare me another glance. He simply hefted me onto his shoulder as if I were nothing more than an object.The sight of the camp blurred and rushed past as he carried me away. My strength gave out, darkness closed in, and I fainted.…When I opened my eyes again, I had been tossed carelessly onto the floor. Magnus sat in a chair nearby, his entire being radiating an aura that warned others to stay away.He had saved me. I pressed my lips together and pushed myself up, edging closer. "Thank you for earlier."Magnus lifted his head, his voice colder than ice. "You're mistaken. Since you already agreed to marry me, you're mine. I never allow anyone to lay hands on what's mine."I said nothing. He stood, already moving for the door. I quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Where are you going?"His ashen eyes fell on me. "Chief Quinn, did you think that marrying me gives you the right to control me? Don't forget—zombies and humans are enemies. Marrying yo

Chapter 6 The Countermove

Victor wasn't a fool. He knew immediately Anya was lying, seeing her behavior. He seized her wrist in a painful grip. "I'll ask you one more time. Where is Zoe?"Anya winced, then pulled a letter from her pocket. "She said she's marrying the zombie king to spy for us. The letter says he'll attack the camp in three days."Victor's eyes turned red, his face draining of color. He staggered, bracing himself against the wall to keep from collapsing.I had locked myself in my room, racking my brain over how to stop Magnus. If he really marched his troops, the camp would be wiped off the map. I had once been a leader. Even if I was now married to Magnus, I was still human. And as a human, I had to think of my people.After going around in circles, I finally came up with a workable plan. I sent a message to Victor, telling him he had to carry it out exactly as I said. Victor never replied. I tossed and turned the entire night, unable to sleep. If he mishandled things, I couldn't imagine

Chapter 7 Uneasy Peace

"Since you won't play nice, I won't either."Enraged, Magnus rose to his feet and tried to strangle me. But the drug sensed his malice and immediately flared to life. He writhed on the floor in agony, powerless to touch me.My voice was quiet. "Your Majesty, rest assured, I'm not like you. I keep my promises. As long as you coexist with humans for five years, I'll give you the antidote."Humans might have been small and fragile, but they carried iron wills. I believed that given enough time, they would raise someone capable of standing against Magnus.Magnus said nothing and walked out of the room. I let out a long breath and downed three gulps of water just to steady my pounding heart.To my surprise, he returned that very night. Zombies didn't need to sleep. He simply sat in a chair, those ashen gray eyes locked on me without blinking. I pressed my lips together. "Your Majesty, you don't need sleep, but I do. Staring at me like that makes me nervous."If Magnus wanted to live,

Chapter 8 Torn Between Two Worlds

It was then I realized he wasn't cold by nature at all—he simply hadn't known how to speak much human language, so silence was all he had.Day by day, time slipped away, and before I knew it, three months had passed.That day, Magnus came to me with a dark expression. "Victor Lorant is here. He's outside. Do you want to see him?"I never imagined Victor would dare to come all the way into the zombies' territory. I opened my mouth to answer, but Magnus' dangerous gaze made my heart skip. Quickly, I said, "I am already your queen. Everything from before should be left behind. You should have had him driven away."I clenched my fists, forcing myself not to reveal a shred of concern. Magnus was testing me. If I chose to meet Victor, Magnus might not be able to hurt me, but Victor would surely meet a tragic end.Hearing my reply, Magnus looked pleased. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "It seems my Queen has truly fallen for me. You once spoke of your family, and I suppose that ma

Chapter 9 Choosing Sides

Victor reached for me again. "Come with me, Zoe. Believe in me. As long as I'm alive, I'll protect you—all of you."It was as if I had touched a deadly virus. My ability lashed out at him. Victor's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively released my wrist. I took the chance to step back two paces."Zoe, have you completely lost your mind? He's a zombie. Do you really expect a zombie to love you for real?""Believe it or not, he treats me well. What happened last time was just because he felt insecure. It won't happen again. As long as I'm here, he won't invade the camp." The moment Victor slandered Magnus, I found myself speaking up in his defense without even thinking.Victor let out a harsh laugh. "I don't know what spell he cast on you to make you trust him this much. As a leader, you're pinning all your hopes on the zombie king? Zoe, you're far too naive."It was precisely because I had once been a leader that I couldn't leave with him. I still carried the responsibility o

Chapter 10 The End of the Oath

Over the course of five years, humans and zombies truly achieved harmony. Humanity began rebuilding the world step by step. Often, when people couldn't lift something heavy, zombies would step in to help.On the day the five-year pact expired, Magnus held me in his arms and took me outside. His towering frame wrapped around me, his presence radiating an overwhelming sense of security. "Today is the anniversary of our marriage. The five years are up. Whatever you want to do now, I won't stop you."Watching society come back to life, slowly piecing itself together again, my eyes grew wet. But this had always been the agreement between Magnus and me. Granting humans five years of peace was already his way of honoring me.Magnus tilted my face toward him and pressed a kiss against my cheek. "I think things are just fine the way they are."I stared at him in shock. "What do you mean?""I've realized you were right. Conquest isn't the only path to satisfaction. As long as my Queen stays

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP