My best friend, Scarlett Vaughn, who'd sworn she was a bachelorette for life, went with me to a fertility clinic today. Then, she suddenly snatched away the file of the sperm donor I had chosen.

In that moment, I knew. She had been reborn, too.

In my past life, all I wanted was a child with superior genes, so I enrolled in a secret donation program. That single choice made me the nominal fiancée of a Carbone, plunging me into a life in a gilded cage, surrounded by constant peril.

The donor I had selected was none other than Julian Carbone, heir to the most powerful mafia family in New York City. A man of mixed heritage from four countries, his empire spanned the globe. He insisted on publicly declaring me his fiancée and promised that our child would be the family's future heir.

The entire family doted on me and our child, showering me with so many jewels that my safe overflowed.

Meanwhile, Scarlett, consumed by jealousy, sabotaged me at every turn. Finally, at the first birthday party I threw for my son, she orchestrated an "accident," murdering my son with her own hands before silencing me in a blaze that consumed everything.

"You don't deserve any of this! You're just a worthless bitch!"

But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day I’d asked her to go to the fertility clinic with me.

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1

"I want this donor!"

Scarlett Vaughn, who’d always sworn off marriage and kids, suddenly shoved me aside, shielding the tablet with the donor information. Seeing her frantic expression, I knew. She had been reborn, too.

I stared at her fingers, which were clutching the tablet in a death grip, and said nothing.

She rolled her eyes at me. "What? It's one donor. There are thousands more on the list. Can't you just let me have this one? His profile is so vague, I'm just helping you vet him!"

If it weren't for the greedy smirk plastered across her face, I might have believed her.

I feigned a moment of sudden clarity, shaking my head. "You know what, Scarlett? You're right. Having a baby is a waste. I'm not doing it."

She squinted at me. "Seriously? But you wanted a child so badly before..."

She thought I had already discovered the donor's true identity. But the truth was, in my previous life, I was only trying to fulfill my mother's last wish. I had no idea that this specific donor was the heir to the Carbone family, Julian Carbone.

Scarlett's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

The clinic manager gave me a puzzled look. "Ms. Donovan, you've paid a one-hundred-thousand-dollar deposit for this appointment. If you cancel now, you'll be blacklisted from all top-tier clinics. Are you certain..."

"I'm sure," I interrupted.

Hearing this, Scarlett immediately motioned for the manager to bring over the contract.

The staff tried to explain the program's procedures and risks in detail, but Scarlett just waved them away. "It's just having a baby. I have a feeling the father of my child is a big shot. Once I have his baby, I'll be set for life!"

I had to bite back a laugh. Of course, I knew exactly why she was so confident.

In my previous life, after choosing that donor, it only took two weeks for Julian to find me. He took me to a ceremony the media dubbed "the grandest social event of the decade."

Meanwhile, Scarlett's life had gotten worse year after year, and she blamed it all on bad luck. So this time, her first move was to steal the opportunity I once had, determined to become the next Mrs. Carbone herself.

Scarlett signed the papers at lightning speed, scribbling her name across every consent form. By the time she walked out of the clinic, she was already emailing our boss her resignation.

I widened my eyes, feigning surprise.

She smirked triumphantly. "I can feel it. I'm about to reach the pinnacle of my life. And you, Cassia? You won't even have a kid now. You'll be stuck drawing blueprints, a corporate drone for the rest of your life!"

She turned and charged straight toward the luxury boutiques on Fifth Avenue.

Watching her smug retreat, I allowed myself a small smile. Go ahead, marry into the Carbone family, Scarlett. Let's see if you're still laughing when you find out the truth.

After Scarlett quit, all the projects she was responsible for were dumped on me. Just as I was drowning under a mountain of deadlines, a commotion erupted in the office.

"Scarlett, you look like a new woman!"

I looked up to see Scarlett striding in, laden with Hermès shopping bags. With her chin held high, she patted her stomach. "Of course! My son is heir to an empire!"

Everyone stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. Not long ago, she was the one sneering at anyone who got engaged or pregnant, preaching that marriage was a trap and kids were a financial black hole. Now, just a few days later, she was claiming to be pregnant.

When she mentioned she had already sold her apartment, a few well-meaning colleagues tried to warn her.

"Be careful, Scarlett. No one truly prominent donates at clinics. Don't get scammed."

She rolled her eyes. "What, you think I'm Cassia? That idiot was just going to pick someone without a clue who the father was. I'd rather die than be that stupid."

Then, she strode over and slapped a gold-foil invitation on my desk. "In five days, my fiancé is coming to claim me. You should come and see what real wealth looks like."

With that, she flipped her hair and strutted out.

We were already swamped with work, and her theatrics annoyed everyone.

"Cassia, isn't Scarlett your friend? Is she delusional? Fantasizing about some billionaire fiancé?"

"The kind of guy who donates to a clinic isn't going to be a billionaire. And now she thinks she's better than everyone just because she's pregnant?"

"She sold her apartment and spent all the money on luxury goods. I'd like to see how she plans to support a child! And remember how she mocked me for trying to get pregnant?"

Scarlett's little show had disgusted everyone. They all advised me to cut ties with a psycho like her.

Before long, Scarlett sent a location to our company group chat. It was the private club owned by the Carbone family.

"This Saturday, my fiancé is hosting a dinner party here. Don't miss it. This is your rare chance to rub shoulders with high society!"

No one expected her to actually pull it off. That private club was famous for its astronomical prices, where even a bottle of water cost a three-figure sum.

Scarlett's social media feed turned into a showcase of her wealth, and she tagged me in every post. In photo after photo, she was draped in couture, smiling like the cat that got the cream.

I snorted softly. Let her laugh. It won't last.

On the day of the party, my colleagues dragged me to the club. "There's no way Scarlett lucked into a billionaire's baby. After she threw you under the bus, we are not missing this train wreck!"

A lavish portrait of Scarlett and a handsome man was displayed at the entrance.

Just then, Scarlett spotted me. She lifted her chin, linked her arm with Julian Carbone's, and strode over. "Well, if it isn't my pathetic ex-best friend. I thought you wouldn't show! Since you clearly don't have my instincts for picking winners, you must be dying of jealousy right now!"

She was so proud of her "keen instincts," but she was completely blind to the icy void in Julian's gaze.

I offered a faint smile. "Jealous? Hardly. I'm thrilled for you."

Scarlett proudly introduced her fiancé, Julian, the heir to the Carbone family.

"Julian says that as soon as our baby is born, he'll be the sole heir. You all have time to suck up to me now. Otherwise, with a single word from me, your company could go bankrupt. And Cassia, you'll lose your job too."

Everyone sensed something was off, but Scarlett was lost in her own delusion of grandeur.

While Scarlett was off showing off to others, my colleague Chloe pulled me aside.

"Why would the heir to a family like that even need a clinic? And I've heard the Carbone family has strict rules. How could they let an outsider into their inner circle so quickly and even promise her child will inherit everything?"

But Julian's generosity was hard to argue with. Scarlett complained that the party was boring. Less than half an hour later, his assistant came over and arranged a European shopping trip for the following week.

The envious gazes in the room only made Scarlett look more smug.

Julian had been the same way with me in my past life. The slightest hint of morning sickness would send him into a panic, summoning the best doctors in the world. Even so, I had the same doubts as Chloe back then.

I had never met Julian before I became pregnant. Why was he so devoted to me just because I was carrying his child? Why did the entire Carbone family treat me like I was made of glass?

I was a nobody. Beyond carrying his child, there was no reason for him to put me on such a pedestal. So, I remained vigilant and eventually discovered the secret.

Meanwhile, Scarlett had swallowed the bait—hook, line, and sinker.

A few colleagues tried to warn her, but she just yelled at them, "You're all just jealous! I'm beautiful, independent, and smart. Of course Julian would fall for me at first sight."

Julian, in his magnetic voice, delivered a saccharine "declaration of love" to Scarlett. He gently caressed her stomach. For a moment, I saw a predatory glint in his eyes that no one else seemed to notice.

Seeing me talking to an industry tycoon, Scarlett flew into a rage. She stormed over and dumped a glass of red wine on my dress, accusing me of trying to seduce her man. "Have you no shame, Cassia? Stop trying to seduce my man!"

Before she could lunge at me, Julian caught her arm, his expression turning frigid. "You're pregnant. Don't cause a scene. If anything happens to the baby, I'll kill you."

Everyone could see that Julian cared more about the baby than he did about Scarlett.

Somehow, that's not what Scarlett heard. "See? He loves me so much he said he'd kill me if I lost the baby! That's how much he values our child!"

As she spoke, a look of pure disgust—the kind one reserves for an inanimate object—flashed across Julian's face. While he steadied Scarlett, my colleagues rushed to help me up. They shot furious looks at Scarlett, but who would dare offend the fiancée of a Carbone?

I waved them off. "Forget it. Just ignore her."

I finished the thought silently. In nine months, she'd be trapped in a fate worse than death.