Chapter 1 · Lose The Game, Lose Your Heart

Because I played one extra note on the piano, my brother demanded that I donate my heart.

At my birthday party, my adopted sister Charlotte Bennett insisted on playing dice to see who could roll the highest.

She rolled a 1, and I rolled a 6, but my second brother Daniel Bennett immediately ruled that I lost.

Charlotte had secretly slipped shards of glass into my cake, and Daniel held me down in my seat, forcing me to eat it. "You lose, you have to own up to it."

Blood filled my lips as the glass scraped my throat, but I gritted my teeth, trying to get up.

But Daniel held me down and said, "Charlotte's in a good mood. If you win the next round, I'll let you study piano at Curtis."

In the next round, I rolled a 1, and Charlotte rolled a 6.

She smiled smugly, giving my second brother a look. "Looks like I win again. Guess you'll have to play a song for me."

With a sneer, Daniel kicked me in the knee. "Get moving."

By now, my lips had gone numb from the pain. My fingers trembled as I played. I hit an extra note.

My oldest brother William, without hesitation, declared the punishment: "You played wrong. For that, you'll give your heart to Charlotte."

It turned out, whether I won or lost was never up to me.

*****

My heart dropped.

[So this is the daughter of the Bennett family who killed her own mother? She doesn't seem to be their favorite, huh?]

[They set her up so their adopted sister could be happy. They treat her like a dog.]

William patted Charlotte's head. "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

Charlotte smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If my sister doesn't agree, it doesn't matter. I'm lucky enough to have brothers who treat me like their sister."

Daniel's voice turned cold, like shards of ice. "If she dares to disagree, she should count herself lucky to offer her heart to Charlotte.

"This is what she owes us."

I bit back a scream as the pain in my lips surged. All this time, I thought I was getting closer to my brothers, that maybe I had earned a small place in their hearts.

But it was all just a delusion.

My eyes lowered, the sharp pain in my stomach cutting through me. With all the strength I could muster, I said, "I won't do it."

"What did you just say?" Daniel glared at me, slapping me across the face. "You have no right to refuse. You killed our mother. Do you want to kill Charlotte too?"

The slap burned across my face, and I spat out blood.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Daniel's eyes, eyes so much like mine. How many times had I tried to find a trace of our mother in him?

But I never found it.

I did everything I could for Daniel. When he was burning up with a fever of 102, I stayed up two whole days and nights to take care of him.

But when he finally woke up, he just transferred 17,000 to Charlotte on her phone. "Sorry, I forgot to get you a present yesterday," he said.

He acted like I didn't even exist.

William had chronic gastritis from working nonstop, so I'd get up at four in the morning to slow-cook soup and carefully prepare every meal for him.

After all that, Charlotte once said the food was too bland, and William just tossed my lunch into the trash, demanding that I add more chili next time.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart as I watched my brothers shield Charlotte, like I was a monster out to devour them.

Everything felt meaningless.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I won't do it," I repeated, my voice steady but weak.

When I met William's eyes, I saw a flicker of panic in his gaze.

He was used to me always complying with whatever they said.

"It's just a heart, Victoria. I promise I'll get you the best doctors to help you recover," William said, his voice finally softening.

My eyes stung with tears. Sure, just a heart, right.

But my body was the last thing Mom ever gave me.

"It's okay," Charlotte said, clutching her chest, gasping for air. "It's not the first time my sister's words don't mean anything."

Tears filled her eyes. "I know, once I'm gone, you'll be the only sister they have left. But didn't you think about how they'd feel? How selfish of you."

"Charlotte, do you really have a heart condition?" I asked, my voice steady but cold.

Chapter 1

Because I played one extra note on the piano, my brother demanded that I donate my heart.

At my birthday party, my adopted sister Charlotte Bennett insisted on playing dice to see who could roll the highest.

She rolled a 1, and I rolled a 6, but my second brother Daniel Bennett immediately ruled that I lost.

Charlotte had secretly slipped shards of glass into my cake, and Daniel held me down in my seat, forcing me to eat it. "You lose, you have to own up to it."

Blood filled my lips as the glass scraped my throat, but I gritted my teeth, trying to get up.

But Daniel held me down and said, "Charlotte's in a good mood. If you win the next round, I'll let you study piano at Curtis."

In the next round, I rolled a 1, and Charlotte rolled a 6.

She smiled smugly, giving my second brother a look. "Looks like I win again. Guess you'll have to play a song for me."

With a sneer, Daniel kicked me in the knee. "Get moving."

By now, my lips had gone numb from the pain. My fingers trembled as I played. I hit an extra note.

My oldest brother William, without hesitation, declared the punishment: "You played wrong. For that, you'll give your heart to Charlotte."

It turned out, whether I won or lost was never up to me.

*****

My heart dropped.

[So this is the daughter of the Bennett family who killed her own mother? She doesn't seem to be their favorite, huh?]

[They set her up so their adopted sister could be happy. They treat her like a dog.]

William patted Charlotte's head. "Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

Charlotte smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If my sister doesn't agree, it doesn't matter. I'm lucky enough to have brothers who treat me like their sister."

Daniel's voice turned cold, like shards of ice. "If she dares to disagree, she should count herself lucky to offer her heart to Charlotte.

"This is what she owes us."

I bit back a scream as the pain in my lips surged. All this time, I thought I was getting closer to my brothers, that maybe I had earned a small place in their hearts.

But it was all just a delusion.

My eyes lowered, the sharp pain in my stomach cutting through me. With all the strength I could muster, I said, "I won't do it."

"What did you just say?" Daniel glared at me, slapping me across the face. "You have no right to refuse. You killed our mother. Do you want to kill Charlotte too?"

The slap burned across my face, and I spat out blood.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Daniel's eyes, eyes so much like mine. How many times had I tried to find a trace of our mother in him?

But I never found it.

I did everything I could for Daniel. When he was burning up with a fever of 102, I stayed up two whole days and nights to take care of him.

But when he finally woke up, he just transferred 17,000 to Charlotte on her phone. "Sorry, I forgot to get you a present yesterday," he said.

He acted like I didn't even exist.

William had chronic gastritis from working nonstop, so I'd get up at four in the morning to slow-cook soup and carefully prepare every meal for him.

After all that, Charlotte once said the food was too bland, and William just tossed my lunch into the trash, demanding that I add more chili next time.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart as I watched my brothers shield Charlotte, like I was a monster out to devour them.

Everything felt meaningless.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I won't do it," I repeated, my voice steady but weak.

When I met William's eyes, I saw a flicker of panic in his gaze.

He was used to me always complying with whatever they said.

"It's just a heart, Victoria. I promise I'll get you the best doctors to help you recover," William said, his voice finally softening.

My eyes stung with tears. Sure, just a heart, right.

But my body was the last thing Mom ever gave me.

"It's okay," Charlotte said, clutching her chest, gasping for air. "It's not the first time my sister's words don't mean anything."

Tears filled her eyes. "I know, once I'm gone, you'll be the only sister they have left. But didn't you think about how they'd feel? How selfish of you."

"Charlotte, do you really have a heart condition?" I asked, my voice steady but cold.