Reborn at Eighteen The Billionaire's Second Chance novel Chapter 206

Chapter 206

I forced myself to meet his eyes, even as another shiver wracked my body. My voice came out hoarse and broken, barely above a whisper: “L. didn’t poth

her…

Ethan’s laugh was harsh and disbelieving. ‘Didn’t push her? Everyone saw it! Sloane herself said it!‘ He gestured wildly at the crowd, at the phones still recording. ‘You’re that jealous of her? Jealous enough to try to kill her?”

‘I didn’t- Another cough cut me off, my body curling in on itself as pain lanced through my chest.

“You know what pushing a pregnant woman into water is?” Ethan continued, relentless. ‘It’s assault. It’s attempted murder. You could go to prison for this.”

Prison. The word echoed in my head, mixing with the ringing in my ears and the pounding of my heart. I thought of the media circus that would follow, the

headlines, the way my already tarnished reputation would be completely destroyed. But worse than that was the realization that no one would believe me.

Why would they? Sloane was perfect–beautiful, talented, pregnant, beloved. And I was… what? The charity case who’d caused nothing but trouble since the

moment I’d dared to compete against her.

“I didn’t… I tried again, but the words came out weak and unconvincing even to my own ears. “It was her… she was underwater… she-”

“She was underwater what?” Ethan demanded. “Begging you for help? And you grabbed onto her and wouldn’t let go? Everyone heard her screaming Elara,

don’t grab me!”

The worst part was that he was right. They had heard that. Sloane had made sure of it, performing her role of terrified victim with Oscar–worthy precision while she held me under, while she tried to drown me. And now, sitting here shivering and broken on the pool deck, I had no way to prove otherwise.

Except…

‘Check the cameras,” I managed to rasp out, forcing the words through my damaged throat. “This house… there must be security cameras… around the pool

area…”

Ethan frowned. “What?”

I pushed myself up slightly, even though the movement made my head spin. “Security cameras. Check them. They’ll show… who pushed who… and what happened… underwater…”

The suggestion hung in the air for a moment, and I saw uncertainty flicker across several faces in the crowd. It was a reasonable request, after all. A verifiable way to determine the truth. But before anyone could respond, Sloane’s voice cut through again, still trembling but with an edge of steel beneath the silk: “Check them… of course we should check them…”

She lifted her head, tears still streaming down her face but her eyes sharp and focused. “I want to know… what really happened too… If… if I misunderstood

Elara… I’ll apologize…”

The crowd murmured approval at her magnanimity, her willingness to consider she might be wrong. But then her hand moved to her stomach again, and her voice dropped to something small and frightened: “But… I don’t feel well right now… my stomach hurts… Can we… can we go to the hospital first… check on the baby… The cameras can wait… but the baby can’t…”

And just like that, the focus shifted. Of course it did. A potential threat to an unborn child trumped everything else, including the truth about what had happened in that pool. The crowd’s concern pivoted immediately: “She’s right, the ambulance is still fifteen minutes away!” “What if something’s wrong with the baby?” “The cameras aren’t going anywhere, but if the baby’s in danger…” “The child’s life is more important!”

Julian finally lifted his head, his hand leaving my back as he stood. The loss of that warmth, minimal as it had been, felt like abandonment. He looked

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