All Chapters of Sacrificed for the Family: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I was the junior capo of the Holt family, stationed at one of our family’s remote border outposts for seven long years. I slept in a half-abandoned safehouse, its walls cracked, pipes leaking, the air thick with dust and the smell of mildew. I ate whatever rations were left—hard, tasteless bread and canned meat that had lost its flavor years ago. I patrolled the outskirts under the scorching desert sun, dodging sandstorms that shredded my skin, and in the nights, I crouched behind crumbling walls, listening to distant gunfire echo across the valley. From the celebrated “Double-Gun Princess” of the family’s military academy—admired by every student for my sharpshooting, fearless tactics, and unmatched skills—I had been reduced to a shadow of myself, thin, worn, and haunted by the weight of years spent in exile from the city and the family I once But I endured it all. Because I had a reason— finish stabilizing the outpost, return to 意大利, and finally marry the man I’d loved since

Her words hit him like a bucket of ice water— and I watched the flicker of emotion in Adrian Holt’s eyes die instantly. The guilt, the brief softness… gone. In their place came a sharp, wounded anger. “Frost,” he snapped at me, “your assignments are determined by the organization. Don’t try to manipulate me like this. When your leave ends, you’ll report back. And stop entertaining thoughts you shouldn’t have.” I actually wanted to laugh. But my lips wouldn’t move. I parted them to speak— and he cut me off again. “Right. You’re Fianna’s sister. Her place collapsed last night—the whole damn side wing caved in. Since you have extra rooms here, she’ll stay with you for now.” “No.” “If you want to ‘take her in,’ let her stay at your place.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Adrian barked. “A man and a woman living under the same roof? What would people say?” “Then find her someplace else.” I wasn’t backing down. “Frost!” His voice dropped into a dangerous growl. “You’re being unbelievab

I woke up in a hospital bed. My head felt like it was splitting open. Fever burned through my veins, my throat so dry I could barely breathe, let alone speak. I forced my eyes open and saw white ceilings—and Adrian Holt sitting beside my bed. “You’re awake.” I tried to answer. No sound came out. He poured a glass of warm water and held it to my lips. “Since you’re conscious, there are things we need to make clear.” I swallowed with effort. “I won’t pursue what happened this time,” he said evenly. “But you need to remember this—Fianna is a widow of the family. She’s someone we are obligated to protect. From now on, do not mistreat her.” Mistreat. “You endangered her life,” he continued, voice cold, official. “She nearly didn’t make it. What you did was serious. Letting you stand out in the snow was a punishment you deserved—to make you reflect on your actions and understand your mistake.” He paused, then added in that familiar, lecturing tone: “And more importantly, as the fu

My fingers clenched around the receiver until my knuckles went white, veins standing out along the back of my hand. Too tight. I couldn’t feel them anymore. And suddenly— I remembered the way Frost had answered that call. The brief hesitation in her voice. The tension she tried to hide. “It’s the border,” she’d said, her back to me. “Emergency orders. My leave is over. I have to go back immediately.” I remembered her walking away after that— Back straight. Steps steady. Alone. The truth hit me like a gunshot. That call hadn’t been from the border. It had been her summons. Her departure order. Her ticket out. She had lied to me. Looked me in the eye, calm and composed, and lied. And I—I hadn’t questioned her for a second. Worse. After weighing my options, I had chosen to drive Fianna home— And told Frost to make her own way to the station. “You’ve walked that road a hundred times,” I’d said. God. “Don? Don—are you still on the line?” The voice from the other e

My guard froze when he saw my face. He hesitated before speaking, his voice dropping. “Yes… yes, Don. It was that winter—the blizzard. The snow was brutal. Frost found out somehow that her grandmother was dying. She came to me. Begged me to call you. Just one call. She said she didn’t need much… she just wanted to hear your voice. She wanted to ask if there was any way—any way at all—to go home and see her one last time.” My breathing stopped. “That night,” he continued carefully, “you were in the middle of the annual family summit. All the captains were there. High-level. I tried to reach you, but the consigliere stopped me. Said nothing was allowed to interrupt the meeting.” His eyes dropped. “I went back and told Frost. She wouldn’t leave. She stood outside in the snow. Just stood there. Wouldn’t sit. Wouldn’t move. Later… she collapsed.” Something detonated in my head. I saw it—too vividly. That winter night. Snow pouring down. Frost standing alone in the courtyard, her co