All Chapters of Reborn: Make Them Pay: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

A symphony of repetitive beeps and low-frequency hums woke me. My eyelids felt glued shut, heavy as lead. I lifted a hand to wipe the crusty sleep from my eyes, but a sudden voice startled me. I tried to shift upright in the bed, trembling with effort—but my strength gave out, and I collapsed back against the pillows. The brightness of the room was blinding, so I shut my eyes again, shielding myself.“Nurse Joy! Please grab Doctor Law, she’s awake!” a familiar voice pleaded, quivering as if on the verge of tears.I tried to move; an arm, a finger, anything. Nothing. Panic clawed at me as the beeping grew faster, then was interrupted by a soothing voice.“Lottie, it’s okay. You’re gonna be okay… Nurse Joy, please hurry!”A hand grasped mine gently, planting a soft kiss on it, followed by a reassuring squeeze. Lottie? Only one person called me that. Dad? Why was he here? Why was I in the hospital?I squinted, forcing my vision into focus. My throat felt like sand; I croaked when I tried

The moment the lights went out, I felt Vance’s hand tighten around mine.Nothing about it felt comforting.It was controlling.My only safety net sat at the foot of the bed, softly snoring in the darkness.I forced my breathing to stay steady. Slow. Even. Controlled.If I panicked, the monitor would give me away.Or at least… it should have.A thought suddenly crept into my mind.Wait.Earlier Vance said he had been looking for me for weeks.Had my father not told him I’d been admitted here?That didn’t make sense. My father would have used that information against Vance the moment he had the chance. Their relationship had never been warm. If anything, it had always felt like a polite standoff.No.Something about this felt wrong.Minutes stretched into what felt like an hour. The room remained silent except for my father’s faint snoring and the distant hum of hospital equipment somewhere down the hall.Then I heard it.A soft click.It wasn’t the light.A cold realization spread thro

There she is. Charlotte.Her father hovers over the bed, face pale, hands shaking as he murmurs, “Lottie… don’t leave me… please…” His voice cracks under the weight of grief, each word a fragile plea. I stay in the shadows down the hall, observing.Outside the room, her brothers have arrived, four imposing figures in tailored suits. Carter, the eldest, straightens his tie, exuding the calm authority of someone used to taking charge. Cole and Cyrus, the twins, lean casually against the doorway, mirroring each other’s expressions with a quiet confidence. Callum, the youngest, hesitates at the threshold, uncertainty written across his face.“Well, well, well… look who finally decided to show up,” Carter mutters, voice carrying just enough for me to hear. “Thought you’d sneak past without greeting your favorite frenemy.”Cole smirks, nudging Cyrus slightly. “Quite the entrance, huh?”Cyrus’s lips curl in a faint smile. “Timing is… interesting, that’s for sure.”Callum shakes his head, lip

I arrive home at 10:00 AM.Instead of going inside immediately, I sit in the car, gripping the steering wheel while I try to recover from the humiliation festival that was my morning.I glance down at myself and let out a small laugh.I drove all the way home naked.Let’s just hope I don’t make the news. If my father ever saw that headline, he’d probably buy the entire media company just to erase it.For some reason, the thought of my father makes my chest ache.Without really thinking about it, I grab my phone and call him.He answers almost instantly.“Hi Lottie. Carter and I were just talking about you,” my father says warmly.“Hi Dad… I was just thinking about you too,” I reply quietly.There’s a brief pause on the line.“Everything alright there?” he asks carefully. “Is Vance behaving himself?”“Oh yes, yes. Everything’s fine,” I say quickly. “I just miss you. Thought I’d check in.”“Oh you miserable sod,” Carter’s voice suddenly cuts in from somewhere nearby. “We’re only thirty

I wake up gasping. For a moment I can’t breathe. My chest heaves as if I’ve been underwater for too long, my lungs desperately dragging in air that feels too thin. The room is dark. Quiet. But the sound is still there. Beep. Beep. Beep. I press my hands against my ears, but it doesn’t stop. The phantom sound of a hospital monitor continues to echo inside my head. My throat feels dry. Raw. Like I’ve been coughing for hours. Slowly, the room comes into focus. My bedroom. The familiar ceiling. The soft glow of morning light pushing through the curtains. Not a hospital. Just my room. Just a dream. Except it didn’t feel like a dream. Dreams fade when you wake up. This one didn’t. I still remember the blood. The panic. The moment my body simply stopped listening to me. I inhale and exhale slowly before forcing myself out of bed. My body feels heavy, but the dryness in my throat pushes me toward the kitchen. I need water. Badly. Before leaving the room, I grab my phone an