Chapter 76

Jane gasped and lunged to stop him, but she was too late.
A sharp, blinding pain shot through Reese’s lower abdomen, like she’d just taken
a hit from a sledgehammer. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead and all the color drained from her face.
“You she choked out, staring at the boy in front of her, his face twisted with anger. Her heart felt like it was clenched in an icy fist, the pain so intense she couldn’t even get a full breath.
If she really was pregnant, a kick like that could mean she’d lose the baby for
sure.
“What are you staring at?” Robbie yelled, voice shaking even though he tried to sound tough. “You brought this on yourself. You deserve it!”
“Enough! Shut up!” Jane finally snapped out of it, yanking Robbie behind her. She was as pale as a ghost as she shouted toward the door, “Hurry! Get the driver! Take her to the hospital!”
She turned back to Reese, trying to keep her voice steady. “Are you okay? Can you move?”
Reese just gritted her teeth and shook her head, the pain making it impossible to talk.
A housekeeper rushed over, carefully helping Reese out to the driveway.
Once she was in the car, Reese slammed the window shut, tuning out Robbie’s crying and Jane’s frantic scolding echoing from the house. She just wanted silence.
She didn’t notice the sudden hush that fell over the house. In the hallway, Mr. Ratcliff stood gripping the banister, lips trembling as he pointed a shaky finger at Robbie.
“You little devil he sputtered, but before he could finish, he suddenly toppled backwards and fainted.
“Dad!”
“Great-grandpa!”
The whole house erupted into chaos.
Meanwhile, Christian had just pulled into the hospital parking lot and was helping Reese inside when his phone rang.
Jane’s voice came through, thick with tears. “Christian, hurry! Get Dr. Wilson! Mr. Ratcliff passed out!”
Christian glanced at Reese, worry written all over his face. She was still deathly pale.
“Christian, go,” Reese said quietly, her voice thin but firm. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
“But
“I mean it.” She nodded toward the entrance. “It’s just a few steps. I can do it.”
The driver hesitated, watching her head into the OB building. In the end, he turned the car around and sped back to the estate.
Inside the exam room, the doctor frowned as he looked at Reese’s report. “That was a nasty hit, but you’re lucky. No internal damage, just some bruising. Take it easy for a few days. You’ll be okay.”
Relief washed over Reese as she stepped out of the office and made her way down the hallway.
She didn’t notice Tara sitting in the corner, watching her leave with a complicated look on her face.
“Number sixty-seven, Tara.”
Tara went into the exam room and asked the doctor, “That patient just now is called Reese. She is my cousin. I saw her come in alone and I’m worried. Is she alright?”
The doctor recognized Tara and saw no reason to hide anything. “She’s fine. Just some bruising from a hit. Rest will fix it.”
A hit? What about the baby?
“But she’s pregnant,” Tara pressed, her anxiety obvious. “Will this hurt the baby?”
The doctor paused, flipping through Reese’s chart. “She’s not pregnant… Oh, right. She had an abortion last month.”
“An abortion?” Tara’s eyes went wide in shock.
Did Sebastian know? What would he do if he found out?
No, she couldn’t let this get out. At least not before Dad locked down the East End project. Sebastian couldn’t know. Not yet.
Determined, Tara pulled out her phone and called Dylon.
Back at the Ratcliff estate, Robbie hid in the hallway, dialing Sofia’s number with shaking hands.
The moment she answered, he burst into tears. “Auntie, I messed up! I kicked Mom’s stomach. Grandma says the baby probably won’t make it, and great- grandpa fainted. What if Dad finds out? Will he hate me? What should I do, Auntie?”
Sofia’s hand tightened around her phone, but her voice stayed gentle, almost soothing. “Don’t be scared, Robbie. Your dad’s out of the country right now. He won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon. I’ll handle things here.”
“And besides,” she added with a little laugh, “if your mom really loses the baby, you’ll be the only child left in the family. Your dad could never stay mad at you for long, could he?” Read complete versıon only at.net