All Chapters of Echoes of a Stolen Heart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

After my parents were killed when I was ten, the first thing my brother Vincenzo did as the new Don was banish me to a remote convent to do hard labor.Right before I died, he was standing guard over his adopted sister's heart transplant, telling me not to bother him unless I was actually dead.My dear brother, this time you got your wish. As my heart beats in Lucia's chest, I will never come back again.After I died, an invisible force tied my soul to Vincenzo.I watched him waiting outside the ICU. He stared blankly at Lucia's heart monitor through the glass. The twenty-four hours after the surgery were critical.His eyes were filled with worry as he muttered to himself, "Whether she makes it depends on the next twenty-four hours."Aldo, the family consigliere, walked up to him and patted his tense shoulder."You've already given her the best doctors. The rest is up to God. If this can't save her, then it is in His hands.""By the way, you got a call during the surgery."As soon as h

Chapter 2

Hearing this, Vincenzo frowned even tighter, his patience running dry.He quickly glanced at the date on his phone, and his chest heaved."Doesn't she know what today is? How dare she show up at the hospital? Tell her to get out. I don't want to see her!"Today was my eighteenth birthday, and also the eighth anniversary of our parents' murder. To punish me, my brother deliberately changed Lucia's birthday to today as well, celebrating it just for her.Aldo's voice turned cold and hard, carrying an unquestionable seriousness."Vincenzo, this is the hospital's surgery schedule, not a visitor log! You'd better go find out what exactly happened to Eden yourself!""Even if you don't believe it, just go take a look at the regular room she's staying in. This kid grew up in the convent and has too much pride. She wouldn't beg you for mercy even if she was dying in pain."Hearing my name twice in a row, my brother's patience completely snapped."Ever since she was sent to the convent, how many

Chapter 3

My body lay quietly on the cold operating table, my chest cut open, and my beating heart gone.My brother remained glued to the spot outside Lucia's door, not moving an inch.A nurse who was on her way to move a body rushed down the hallway. She was stopped by Vincenzo's cold voice."You, come here and watch this window. Don't take your eyes off it for a second. I need to use the restroom."The nurse looked troubled. "But Don, the donor in the OR who just gave her heart..."Vincenzo irritably loosened his tie. "She saved my sister's life, and I will personally arrange her funeral. Just watch the room for now."After giving the order, he turned and walked toward the restroom. For some reason, his hands were actually shaking a little.He didn't return until half an hour later, arriving right when the hospital staff changed shifts.After the staff finished their shifts, they went to eat. The entire ICU area was left with only a few bodyguards.Meanwhile, my poorly stitched body was dumped

Chapter 4

I followed him to the corner of the hallway. His face was gloomy, and his breathing was heavy.His footsteps suddenly paused.A moment later, he turned around and took large strides toward my room.He kicked the door open and roared, "Eden, get out here!"Naturally, no one answered him.With a dark face, he stepped halfway in. His eyes only met a messy and empty hospital bed.Vincenzo, if you just took two more steps inside, you would see the things I left for you. I really didn't lie to you...And what happened to Mom and Dad had absolutely nothing to do with me...But his patience for me was always zero. After confirming I wasn't in bed, he didn't even want to take another look. He just turned and walked away.The loud slam of the door was deafening, even shattering a painting on the wall.As he walked back to the ICU, his anger only grew.He opened his phone, pulled me out of the blacklist, took a deep breath, and typed a message:"Eden, if you dare waste our time and money again, I

Chapter 5

Vincenzo held the phone and remained silent for a long time.I thought he was finally going to believe it. But the next second, he sneered, "You bribed the lead surgeon to lie to me? Tell Eden that even if she actually dug her heart out today, I would never spare her a single glance!"With that, he hung up the phone, turned, and pushed open the door to the room. The anger on his face was instantly replaced by tenderness.He leaned over and looked at Lucia, who had just opened her eyes and still looked very weak. His eyes were soft.The ruler of the mafia empire was actually pouring her water himself and adjusting her pillows.He fussed over her, playing the role of a devoted brother.Floating in midair, I never thought he would hate me so much that even the news of my death was treated as a clumsy trick.The despair deep in my soul threatened to drown me. I managed a tragic smile in the void.He tidied up the room before bringing in the gifts he had prepared, one by one. This included

Chapter 6

He was so angry that his chest heaved violently. His eyes looked as though they wanted to burn a hole right through him.Ignoring Vincenzo's dark, annoyed glare, Aldo roared through gritted teeth:"Vincenzo, do you have any fucking idea that the person whose heart you took for Lucia is still dumped in the morgue hallway like a nameless corpse?""Tonight, just to guard this hospital room, you stood up the other bosses. Are you out of your mind? Aren't you afraid the Commission will have your head for this?"The powerful Don narrowed his eyes, pausing before letting out a cold, mocking scoff.He casually adjusted his cufflinks. "It's just a black market donor doing it for money. Trading a heart for my sister's life is their honor. Their greedy family will be eternally grateful."As soon as he said that, the muscles in Aldo's jaw twitched with anger.He suddenly unholstered his gun and slammed it on the table. Then he threw a medical file stamped with the family seal right into Vincenzo's

Chapter 7

Moving stiffly, he picked up a fork and cut into the untouched cake.Bite by bite, he mechanically shoved it into his mouth like a soulless puppet.A calculating look flashed in Lucia's eyes, quickly hidden away as if nothing happened, unnoticed by anyone.Only after Lucia watched him finish and revealed a satisfied smile again did my brother's shoulders, which had been tense all day, relax a little.Just as I thought. Whether I was dead or alive, the only person who could ever sway his emotions was Lucia.For the next three days, Vincenzo never left the hospital room. He turned a deaf ear to Aldo's warnings and news from the outside, acting like a walking corpse escaping reality.Late at night on the third day after the surgery, the door to the ICU was suddenly smashed open. A family soldier rushed in, covered in blood.Looking at the Don's pale face, he reported in a terrified, trembling voice."Don, it's a disaster! Because you missed the negotiation with the rival family, they ambu

Chapter 8

Before he could finish his sentence, the head boss fiercely slammed the table.He angrily reprimanded, "Couldn't trust anyone? Didn't these Capos risk their lives on the front lines to defend your territory precisely because they trusted your ability to lead? Look at how many brothers died at the docks today! How many men bled and sacrificed themselves for your failure?!""Vincenzo, you are the Don chosen by this family. How can the head of the family let personal feelings get in the way? Every single one of your decisions determines our survival!""You've betrayed everyone's trust! Shut up. The Commission doesn't want to hear any more of your nonsense. We are stripping you of your title. Hand over your power immediately and get the hell back to your estate. You can go guard your precious sister in peace!"Watching the Commission use their highest authority to strip him of his power, the rioting emotions of the surrounding Capos finally subsided a little.Suddenly, a soldier pushed Luc

Chapter 9

Vincenzo returned to the hospital and walked straight to the freezing hallway outside the morgue.On the metal gurney, he finally saw my body. It had been carelessly dumped there for three days with only rough stitches on my chest.At that moment, it was as if all his strength had been drained. He leaned against the doorframe and stood there for a long time.He didn't call anyone for help. He cleaned my body himself.His movements were very light, very slow, as if he was trying to make up for all the coldness he had shown me.On the way back to the estate, he received an urgent call from his men."Don, Miss Lucia brought people to the casino today, saying she's taking direct control of the ledgers and the vault. The guys didn't know if they should stop her."Hearing this naked betrayal, Vincenzo remained silent for a long time. He only spat out three hoarse words, "Let her be."By the time he hung up the secure phone, the black bulletproof car had already pulled into the main estate.I

Chapter 10

When the bottle of whiskey was empty, he crawled and stumbled toward the safe like a ruined man.He unlocked it with his fingerprint, and the door popped open.The top shelf held a copy of my medical records. He flipped through them page by page.Severe kidney failure. The cause was clear: long-term malnutrition and physical exhaustion, made worse by extreme stress.That was the result of eight years at the convent, accumulating day by day.Right under those fatal records lay the donor papers stamped with my bloody thumbprint.The date of the signature was the very day I was diagnosed.So I had known all along that I wouldn't live long.So I had left the last thing I could give to this family.The sound of engines came from outside the window. It was the bosses' cars.The Commission's punishment for the tragedy at the docks finally came through. Vincenzo was immediately stripped of his title, permanently exiled from the family, and would no longer have any protection.The men who used

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