Stolen Hearts: Between Two Brothers Novels & Stories

Then he said softly, almost too soft for me to hear, “You must hate me.” My head lifted quickly. My heart squeezed. “No,” I whispered. “Never.” His eyes were dark with pain, glistening though no tears fell. His voice shook. “You lost a sister the night you found me. I stole her place without even knowing it. Every memory you have with her, every moment… it should have been mine. But it wasn’t.” I shook my head hard. “You didn’t steal anything. You were stolen. From me. From your life. From yourself.”

CHARLOTTE POV My heart raced loudly in my chest, refusing to slow down. I could feel it pounding loudly against my ribs as I stood there, caught between them. We were on the edge of complete chaos. Hayden. Aiden. Two brothers, grown apart by their childhood trauma, by years of malice and hate… I hadn’t been in either of their lives long enough to understand how deep they hatred ran. And somehow… I was the center of it. “You shouldn’t be here,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended as I looked at Hayden.

I didn't want him to turn his nose up at me. His tone lightened. "Oh, don't worry about that. There are times I get filthier than you. I won't look down on you." "Really?" "Yeah. It's hard being a thief, especially when you're caught. They beat you into a pulp, sometimes so badly, until you wet and soil yourself. By the way, what's your name? I'm Eason Stone." "I'm Alessa Lieblich." "Alexa? That's a cool name."

"Forget it. Just go home before you run over the stadium." "Y—yes. I was actually heading home after picking up my brother." "Tell him to take the wheel then. This is dangerous." "Right." The girl with the twin braids bowed her head. "I'm truly sorry. Let me and my brother give you a ride home." "No need. Just take care of yourself." Daniel picked up his scattered gear and walked away without looking back. He just wanted to sleep and forget this day ever happened. Meanwhile, Lisandra remained frozen by her car, unaware that the man she had just hit was her own brother’s rival.

And I still don't know who I'm choosing. One day left. Twenty-four hours. Then I decide. Then two hearts break. Two lives end. Two brothers disappear. I need to sleep. Need to rest. Need to be ready for tomorrow. But how do you sleep the night before you destroy everything? I lie down. Close my eyes. Try. And that's when I feel it. Pain. Sharp. Sudden. In my chest where the bonds sit. The bonds aren't just weakening anymore. They're breaking. Right now. Tonight. Not tomorrow. I scream. All three brothers burst through the door.

He smiles as he grabs my hands into his frail ones and I kneel before him. He reminds me of my Dad only this time, I’m not hopeless so I will do everything in my power to make sure he recovers even if it means having to put up with Liam and his crazy life. “She has a thing for stealing. Stole my heart and now she’s after you too.” Liam rolls his eyes as he calls Jake to the side leaving just the two of us. My cheeks redden but I remain as composed as possible to avoid giving him any reaction. Stole his heart?

The smile on my face grew colder. Three days after the stream ended, things began to shift. Quietly. Then, all at once. The first to fall was Tyson. Early Monday morning, a piece of news spread through every class group chat like a virus. Tyson had both his legs broken. He was in the hospital. Rumor had it that the bag of 30,000 dollars he found was not lost property at all. It belonged to a local underground banker, someone known for being ruthless. He had dropped it during a rushed deal.

"Not since I realized the men I called brothers were the ones who killed your father and my brother. I've lived in this lie because it was the only way to get close enough to the heart of the rot to cut it out. And then you showed up." He leaned closer, his chest brushed against mine, and the anger that had been fueling me began to melt into something far more dangerous. The friction between our bodies was electric, a magnetic pull I was too tired to resist. My hand moved instinctively, resting against the hard muscle of his chest. I could feel his heart hammering not with the steady beat of a liar, but with the frantic rhythm of a man on the edge. "You're a Steele," I breathed, though the w

Clearly, my death hadn't changed that. The irony was that my heart was still beating in her chest. Jonathan looked up, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Selena Quigley, she donated her heart to you!" But even that didn't evoke any sense of gratitude in her. Maintaining her haughty tone, she retorted, "She was just a fishmonger's daughter. She should feel honored to have donated her heart to me! If there had been other donors, I wouldn't have taken that deaf-o's heart in the first place—"

“Wher….where’s my brother? I asked, trying not to let my voice shake, but God. Those eyes. A flush crept up my neck, not from shame or fear. It was a desire. “Let’s talk first.” His lips curved slightly, not a smile but something darker. I stepped forward, trying not to show the fear creeping into every part of my bones. “I don’t want to talk. I just want my brother.” He leaned back in his chair, his hands folded. “Your fucking brother stole from me. Two million dollars. And let’s say……something he should have never gotten his hands on. “I’ll pay it back,” I blurted. “Whatever it is, I’ll find a way.”