Twenty-Four Hours to Live Again

Eleanor Vanderbilt, the scion of a powerful dynasty, found herself in a moment of gilded tradition, presented with a curated selection of aristocratic bachelors, poised to make a choice that would shape her future.

Yet, as her fingers hovered over the portrait of Ethan Hayes, the man her heart once chose, a searing flash of blinding light propelled her into a terrifying past life, revealing the unimaginable truth: this charming fiancé had callously condemned her to a brutal death.

She vividly remembered every agonizing detail: abandoned on a freezing Manhattan skyscraper rooftop, a blade against her neck, Ethan's dismissive laughter echoing as she desperately begged for help, enduring hourly cuts and slow bleed-out for twenty-four horrific hours until her life, and the innocent one newly growing within her, agonizingly slipped away.

The profound injustice of his calculated betrayal, the soul-shattering cruelty concealed beneath his polished facade, fuelled an unyielding fury that demanded retribution and a desperate understanding of why her closest confidant became her executioner.

Now, miraculously granted a second chance on the very day it all went wrong, Ellie, armed with searing memories and an iron will, defiantly rejects her predetermined tragic destiny and, instead, chooses Jackson "Jax" Knight – the family's disowned "black sheep" and the last person to offer her a flicker of hope – determined to rewrite her past and carve out a path of vengeance and true survival.

A blinding light, then a sharp, cold dread.

I gasped, my own hand flying to my throat.

It was intact.

My fingers, too. All ten of them.

My father, William Vanderbilt, stood before me, his face a mask of concern.

"Ellie, are you alright? You look pale."

He held out a velvet tray. Eight glossy photographs lay scattered on its surface.

"Choose a husband, Eleanor. Someone to be by your side, to protect you."

His voice was a familiar balm, yet it sent a shiver down my spine. This was it. The moment it all went wrong.

My gaze drifted to one photo. Ethan Hayes. His smile was gentle, his eyes kind. The man I had loved.

The man who'd let me die.

New Year's Eve. Our wedding night.

He'd dismissed my security detail. "You're too tense, Ellie. All this protection makes it worse."

Hours later, I was on the freezing rooftop of an abandoned skyscraper in Manhattan, the icy wind biting at my exposed skin.

My kidnappers' blade pressed against my neck.

I'd called Ethan, my voice hoarse with terror.

His laughter echoed, cold and cruel. "Really, Ellie? Another one of your dramas? You think I don't know you're just trying to make Olivia look bad? She's the victim here. My men are with her. She needs protection from *your* people."

Every hour, a new cut. My arms. My legs.

Twenty-four hours.

The blood loss. The despair.

Then, the fall.

The last thing I saw, or thought I saw, was a blurred figure rushing towards the edge, a shout lost in the wind.

My eyes snapped back to the present. To the tray of photographs.

My father was still speaking. "...someone you can trust, someone strong."

My finger, shaking slightly, moved past Ethan's handsome face.

It landed on a photo tucked into the bottom corner.

A man with sun-darkened skin, a rebellious glint in his eyes, and a smile that was more of a smirk. Jackson "Jax" Knight.

My father frowned. "Ellie? Not Ethan? You've always favored Ethan."

He paused. "Why Jax Knight? He's... unconventional."

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. The phantom pain of old wounds throbbed.

Jax. The black sheep of the "adopted sons" my father had gathered – orphans he'd sponsored, groomed as potential assets, though publicly they were distant relatives.

Jax was always in some extreme sports magazine or at some wild party, a different woman on his arm each time.

Father had little patience for him, often sending him to deal with messy, far-flung "family business" – a mining dispute in Africa, an energy deal gone sour in the Middle East.

But I remembered.

As I fell, as my life bled out on that cold concrete, the last image seared into my mind was Jax's face, contorted in horror, racing towards me.

"Him," my voice was a raw whisper.

William Vanderbilt's brow furrowed deeper. He picked up his phone, scrolling through contacts. He stopped, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his face.

He didn't even have Jax's number saved.

How telling. Eight "sons," yet Jax wasn't even worthy of a contact entry.

His executive assistant's voice came through the speakerphone a moment later. "Mr. Vanderbilt, sir... about Jackson Knight. There was an incident last month in Colombia. He was... attacked by local rebels during a debt recovery mission. I'm afraid he didn't make it."

My father sighed, a heavy sound. "Ellie, pick someone else. Ethan is a fine choice..."

"No." I stood abruptly, my throat tight. "If it can't be Jax, I'll choose no one."

Last time, these other "brothers" had either fawned over Ethan's precious Olivia or watched my suffering with cold amusement.

A second chance. I wouldn't waste it on their false smiles.

I walked out of his office in a daze, Jax's anguished face swimming before my eyes. If even he was gone... who was left to care?

A cool hand suddenly clamped onto my wrist.

I looked up. Ethan.

And beside him, Olivia Vance, clinging to his arm, her eyes red-rimmed, the picture of fragile innocence.

Ethan's expression was soft, but his words were hard. "Ellie. Olivia isn't well. Your place in the Catskills, the spa resort... it's sitting empty. She needs to recuperate. Her cough is getting worse, she can't sleep."

The old me would have melted, agreed instantly.

This time, I just gave them a cool glance.

"No."

I pulled out my phone, dialing my assistant, Sophie. "Lock down the Catskills property. Don't let any uninvited guests in."

Ethan's face tightened. "Ellie!" He grabbed my wrist again, his grip painful. "She's my cousin. She'll be your family too. Can't you be a little understanding?"

I laughed, a short, harsh sound, and yanked my arm free. "Who said anything about us being family?"

His eyes widened, a flicker of hurt in them. "What's gotten into you? Is this about Olivia borrowing your hairclip that one time? You have boxes of jewelry. What's the big deal?"

Olivia started to sob, tears welling. "Ethan, please... it's my fault. Miss Vanderbilt looks down on me... I don't deserve..."

I was done with this act. I turned to leave. "I said no. That means no."

Back in my suite, I buried myself under the covers. The disorientation of rebirth still swirled.

An insistent ringing jolted me awake.

"Miss Vanderbilt!" Sophie's voice was frantic, tearful. "Mr. Hayes... he's at the Catskills resort with Miss Vance! He brought some of your security team! They just walked in! I couldn't stop them... the guards, they all listen to him!"

I shot upright.

The kidnapping. The bodyguards abandoning me. It was happening again.

When I stormed into the resort, one of the guards – *my* guard – actually tried to block me. "Miss Vanderbilt, Mr. Hayes said no one is to disturb them."

*Crack*.

The sound of my palm connecting with his cheek echoed in the marble lobby.

"You eat my food, and you take his orders?" I was shaking with fury. "Get out! All of you who let them in, get out now!"

I threw open the doors to the private thermal pool. The scene inside made my blood run cold.

Steam swirled around Olivia Vance as she leaned, boneless and pale, against the edge of the hot spring.

Her face was flushed an unnatural red. "Ethan... I feel so dizzy..."

Her voice trailed off as her body went limp, sliding beneath the water's surface.

Ethan dove in without a second's hesitation, pulling her up.

Water streamed down his sharp jawline, dripping onto Olivia's bare shoulder.

"Ethan," I said, my voice cutting through the humid air. "I told you. You're not welcome here."

He froze, Olivia trembling in his arms, her eyelashes fluttering.

"Ellie!" A flash of panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by anger. "Must you always be so aggressive? She nearly fainted! Can't you show a little compassion?"

Suddenly, Olivia wrenched herself from his grasp. *Thump*. She knelt before me, her forehead hitting the stone floor hard.

"Miss Vanderbilt, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

Blood trickled down her pale cheek.

Then, she lunged, grabbing my legs. The next instant, as if shoved, she tumbled back into the pool.

She thrashed wildly. "Help! A cramp... I can't..."

Ethan jumped in again, scooping her up. As he climbed out, his eyes, fixed on me, were filled with disgust.

"You've gone too far, Ellie."

He shoved me. Hard.

*Bang*. My arm slammed against the pool's edge. A sharp pain shot through it.

"If you bully Olivia like this again," he snarled, cradling the shivering girl, his voice like ice, "I won't marry you."

Watching them leave, I dragged myself out of the water, my arm throbbing.

"Everyone who let them in today," I yelled, my voice hoarse. "Fired! Get them out of my sight!"

Later, as I was changing, Sophie rushed in, breathless.

"Miss Vanderbilt! We found something... about Jax Knight."