Reborn To Love My Ruthless Billionaire

The sharp, sterile smell of antiseptic assaulted Jaclyn's nose before she even opened her eyes.

A violent, tearing pain ripped through her lower abdomen.

Her eyelids fluttered open. The harsh fluorescent lights of the Manhattan private hospital room burned her retinas. The heavy residue of anesthesia made the white ceiling tiles swim above her.

She gasped for air. Her lungs felt like they were filled with crushed glass.

Her trembling right hand moved downward, sliding over the thin hospital gown. Her fingertips met the cold, thick layer of medical gauze taped over her flat stomach.

Her heart stopped beating for a full second.

The door clicked open. A nurse in pale blue scrubs walked in. Her eyes were wide, her mouth set in a tight line of professional pity.

"Mrs. Acevedo," the nurse said, her voice low. "You suffered a severe hemorrhage from the fall down the stairs. I am so sorry. We couldn't save the baby."

A high-pitched ringing erupted in Jaclyn's ears.

Hot, involuntary tears spilled over her lashes, burning trails down her pale cheeks. Her fingers dug into the sterile white bedsheets, twisting the fabric until her knuckles turned completely white.

The sharp clack of high heels echoed in the hallway.

The door swung open wider. Her older cousin Katelyn and her younger cousin Cherri walked into the room. Their faces were twisted into masks of exaggerated concern.

"We'll take it from here," Katelyn told the nurse, her tone leaving no room for argument.

The nurse nodded and slipped out.

The moment the door clicked shut, Katelyn reached out and pressed the lock button on the handle. A soft click echoed in the silence, sealing the room.

The fake sympathy vanished from Katelyn's face. A cold, hard smirk replaced it.

Cherri stepped right up to the edge of the mattress. She looked down at Jaclyn's sweating, pale face.

Cherri let out a short, breathy giggle. The sound scraped against Jaclyn's eardrums.

"Look at you," Cherri mocked, her eyes trailing down to Jaclyn's bandaged stomach. "What a tragic little mess."

The air in the room suddenly felt too thick to breathe. Jaclyn's chest heaved. She forced her heavy arm to move, reaching for the red call button clipped to her pillow.

Katelyn's hand shot out. Her manicured fingers clamped down on Jaclyn's wrist like a vice, pinning it to the mattress.

Katelyn leaned in close. Jaclyn could smell the expensive vanilla perfume radiating off her skin.

"It wasn't an accident, Jaclyn," Katelyn whispered. Her index finger tapped a rhythmic, mocking beat against Jaclyn's trapped arm. "The lubricant on the top step was a very deliberate choice."

Jaclyn's pupils dilated. Her breath hitched in her throat.

She stared at the two women she had grown up with. The cousins she had trusted with her life. Her brain flatlined, unable to process the sheer magnitude of the malice in front of her.

"We needed you to break," Cherri added, her voice sickeningly sweet. "A grieving, unstable mother is so much