Home / My Parents Stole My Engagement, but the Don Chose Me / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of My Parents Stole My Engagement, but the Don Chose Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

After the reading, Chloe Lombardi snuggled against my mother and held up the obsidian cross at her throat. "Helena, this cross is so pretty. You're not mad at me, are you?"The obsidian rested against her collarbone. The old Don had given it to me himself as the token of my engagement.I looked down at my bare neck and answered calmly, "No."My bond with Alexander didn't depend on a necklace anyway. If losing it meant I could leave without a fight, so be it.My mother relaxed and finally lowered the gun from my shoulder. "I knew you'd be sensible. Don Ravelli has a nasty temper and a ruthless streak. Chloe's bubbly. She's exactly what he needs to keep him happy."My father lit a cigar and looked Chloe over with satisfaction. "The new Don has never met either of you. The Ravelli family recognizes the token. Whoever wears the cross is the bride."Then he shot me an irritated look. "You're too dull. You'd only annoy him if you married into that family. That one-eyed arms dealer out on the

Chapter 2

Early the next morning, the shriek of a power drill woke me up.A few mercenaries kicked my door open. Two of them started taking apart my weapons cabinet while the rest hauled out the armor plating.My mother stood in the doorway, giving orders as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Chloe's leaving for North America soon, and the families have sent so many gifts. We're breaking through the wall to turn your safe house into her storeroom."The control wiring on the wall had already been cut. The gas filtration system was dead, and someone had smashed the alarm.I grabbed one of the mercenaries by the wrist. "My gear is in here. Who told you to touch it?"He glanced at my mother on reflex.My mother said, "I did!"She pushed my hand away and pointed down the hall. "The basement's empty. Stay down there for a few days. Once Chloe's married, we'll see if there's room for you."One of them knocked over a crate. Custom rounds rolled across the floor, and three vials of emergenc

Chapter 3

On the night of the engagement banquet, the heads of all the families crowded around Chloe, already calling her Donna Ravelli.My parents stood with their wineglasses, soaking up the flattery. They couldn't hide how smug they were.I was on perimeter guard in a snowstorm, armed with nothing but a rusty knife.When my mother came out to inspect my post, she handed my sidearm to Chloe's personal bodyguard. "Everyone here tonight is an honored guest. Lose that sour look. If you spoil the future Donna's evening, I won't go easy on you."The stimulant was still in my system. Every time my wound throbbed, more blood soaked into the bandage.The order to change shifts never came. After four hours of standing in the snow, I could barely hold on to the knife.Chloe's laughter drifted out from the main hall. "This is a medal I got when I was little. It's nothing special."Through the open door, I could see her holding up a velvet box. Inside was my gold medal.When I was 16, our convoy was ambus

Chapter 4

In the morning, I stuffed my last tactical jacket into my backpack along with the last of my ammo and medicine.In the living room, my parents were already dressed in custom-made formal wear. Chloe was wearing the obsidian cross, and six stylists fussed around her.When my father saw me with my bag, he pulled out a black card and tossed it at my feet. "We're short on people at the border. You're going on a suicide run. There are tens of thousands of dollars on the card. That's enough for gear."The card landed in the trash can, right on top of the bloody bandage I'd removed the night before.My mother snapped impatiently, "The Ravelli envoy is coming today. Don't stand around here getting in the way. Once Chloe's settled in as Donna, you'll get your share."I left the card where it was and pressed the elevator button.Chloe gathered her skirt and hurried after me, looping her arm through mine as if we were close. "Helena, don't be mad at Mom and Dad. Once I'm a Ravelli, I'll have Alexa

Chapter 5

Chloe stared at the name on the invitation, her fingers digging into the card. "It's a misprint. It has to be a misprint!"She ripped it in half, and when that wasn't enough, she stomped on the pieces, screaming, "I drew the Empress card. I'm Alexander's fiancée!"My father grabbed the edge of the table, but his legs gave out, and he fell back into his chair.My mother rushed up to Louis, grabbed his sleeve, and demanded, "We already sent Helena to the border. The real bride is right here. How could you get the name wrong?"Louis looked down at her hand.The guards behind him stepped forward at once and shoved her to the floor.Every trace of courtesy vanished from his face. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his sleeve. "The only fiancée the Ravelli family has ever recognized is Helena Lombardi."Chloe ran down the stairs and held up the obsidian cross. "Look closely. I'm the one wearing the token!"The old Don said whoever holds the token marries into the Ravelli family!"Louis sne

Chapter 6

In just two months, the Lombardi family lost most of its territory.First, their enemies cleaned out the casino. Then the underground bank came under siege. A mole even sold them the location of the warehouse where my father hid his weapons.Every major client who'd done business with them because of the Ravelli family pulled out. The banks froze their accounts, and when the mercenaries stopped getting paid, they deserted en masse.My father called the last of his men into his study, pounded the desk, and roared, "Helena could hold three whole streets on her own, yet all of you can't even hold one casino?"The man in charge threw down his gun. "Helena patched up her own wounds. We haven't been paid in two months."Whoever wants to guard Chloe can stay."His men left one after another. My father chased after them, cursing, but none of them looked back.Upstairs, a glass shattered.Chloe had locked herself in her room for three days. Whenever anyone came near, she threw whatever she coul

Chapter 7

Third-person POV:At the Lombardi estate, Teresa Lombardi listened to the dial tone, then hurled the phone at the wall. "She dared to hang up on me!"If I'd known she'd turn out this heartless, I would've strangled her the day she was born!"Chloe stood on the stairs and heard every word.She gripped the railing and sneered, "You've got some nerve, cursing her out."You made the rules for the card draw. You're the ones who stole the token. And now that it's all gone wrong, you want me to take the fall alone."Her father, Michael Lombardi, stormed out of the study. "Get back to your room!"Chloe grabbed the car keys and took the last of the cash out of the safe. "You two can't turn this around, so I'll do it myself."Once I blow up a few of our enemies' warehouses, they'll be scared of me!"Teresa ran after Chloe and wrapped her arms around her. "Everyone out there is hunting us. You can't go out!"Chloe shoved her mother away and left the estate with the last few bodyguards.She ordere

Chapter 8

Helena's POV:Half an hour later, Alexander set the satellite phone down in front of me. "Your father says Chloe was in a car accident and needs you to donate bone marrow."The moment I heard "car accident," I knew they were lying again.Alexander put the call on speaker, and my father's hoarse sobs came through. "Helena, your sister's developed a blood disorder. The doctor says only your bone marrow can save her!"Just come back, and from now on the whole family will do whatever you say!"You can have the estate, the casinos, and the armory. They're all yours. Your mother and I will make it up to you!"As I listened, I remembered being shot when I was ten.My fever hit 104 degrees that day, and my mother took the doctor with her just to buy Chloe a cake she'd seen all over social media.My father didn't want my blood ruining the carpet, so he had a servant dump me in the moldy basement.In the end, the one who saved me was an old mercenary who happened to stop by to pick up a gun."Fa

Chapter 9

After the call ended, my father remained on his knees at the checkpoint, crying for a long time.When the guards dragged him away, he was still calling my name, promising to hand the whole Lombardi family over to me.Alexander put the phone away and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Are you cold?"I shook my head and put the test results back in the drawer. "Will you come with me to buy a crib tomorrow?"Alexander replied, "Of course."...Third-person POV:In the end, Chloe barely survived.A black-market doctor bought her time with aggressive chemotherapy, then obtained donor bone marrow through an illegal medical facility. That was what saved her life.But the neurotoxin had destroyed the nerves in her legs. She'd lost all feeling below the waist and needed help with even the most basic tasks.The first thing she did when she woke up was grab Teresa by the hair. "Why didn't you drag Helena back here?"She stole my engagement, and now she won't even give me her bone marrow!"Despi

Chapter 10

Helena's POV:Three years later, I was walking through the heart of New York, holding my two-year-old daughter's hand.She was in a princess dress, clutching breadcrumbs and chasing pigeons around the plaza.Alexander followed behind with a picnic basket. When he saw her about to fall, he took a few quick steps and scooped her up.My daughter said, "Daddy, I wanna feed the pigeons some more!"Alexander replied, "First, say I'm the best daddy ever.""Best mommy ever!" she crowed.She reached both arms out to me, and Alexander's face darkened at once. "Who taught you to play favorites like that?"The little girl wrapped her arms around my neck and stuck her tongue out at him. "Mommy's pretty!"Alexander took her back and lectured her under his breath, "Only I get to say that."The two of them got into a playful tussle, and I stood watching, unable to stop smiling.When I turned to get some water, I noticed a bench near the corner of the plaza.An older couple in shabby clothes sat beside

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