Reclaiming the heart that belongs to me.

"I'll only agree to donate my kidney if you give me what I want," Amy said. Her voice was low but unyielding, her trembling lips barely hiding the fire in her eyes.

Lucas's jaw tightened, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. Rage thudded through his veins like a drumbeat. Her presence, her defiance-it clawed at his patience. He wanted her gone, out of his sight, yet she stood firm.

"Ava, why are you so greedy?" Her mother snapped, voice shaking with suppressed fury. "After everything Mr. Lucas has done for our family-and even for Amy-you still demand more from him?"

Amy froze, her heart plunging. Ava? She scoffed inwardly. Were they so blinded by hatred that even her name was denied her?

Her hands curled into fists. Done for me? "He has given me nothing but cruelty, nothing but hate," she screamed silently, eyes burning as they locked onto Lucas's face-twisted with contempt.

"How much?" Lucas finally ground out, his voice like steel scraping against stone. "Name your price. I'll transfer the money this instant." His fists clenched and unclenched, barely holding back his impatience.

"I don't want your money," Amy rasped, her throat tightening as anger and her mother's words scorched her heart.

Lucas tilted his head slowly, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. A mocking smirk tugged at his lips. "Don't play innocent. You've always been after money. Say it-whatever figure you want, I'll-"

"I want you to marry me, Lucas."

The words cut through the air like a blade, sharp and deliberate, stopping him cold.

"What!" The word rang out from the lips of her mom and dad.

With squinted eyes and a deep frown, Lucas asked in a growl, "What do you mean?"

Rather than cower back at the sight of his dangerous look, Amy stepped forward and leaned towards him, her body almost touching his hot muscular chest before she whispered, "Let's get married, Lucas Tyson, so that I can save Ava." Saying this, she stepped back away from him, her eyes looking straight ahead as she walked back to her seat.

"You thief! How dare you ask to get married to your sister's fiancé?" Her mom screamed, her face flushed in rage as she jumped up from her seat and marched to where Amy had sat.

She raised her hands to hit her, but her eyes widened in shock, and her heart stopped beating for a moment when Amy swiftly grabbed her hand in the air, and with a mean look on her face, she warned, "Don't you dare try to lay a finger on me again. You may be my mother, but I don't regard you as that, and I wouldn't hesitate to hit you back if you dare hit me." She threatened before throwing down her mom's hand and wiping off the invisible dirt on her hand.

Everyone was stunned. Lucas, her mom, and her dad instantly became dumb.

Amy could tell what they were thinking. She knew that they