Betrayed I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 156

In the business world, everyone was sharp. That call from Gavin didn’t just clear her name; it subtly signaled that she had some kind of connection to the Windsor family.

When she got her phone back from the cops, one of the firm’s partners had called, full of concern, practically asking her outright what her relationship with Gavin was.

When we got home and stepped out of the elevator, we ran into a familiar face.

Aiden seemed to be just leaving Gavin’s place. The gold–rimmed glasses he wore softened the sharpness in his eyes. “You alright?” he asked. He was clearly not talking to me.

I was taken aback. Since when were he and Chloe this familiar?

Chloe’s expression was neutral. “I’m fine.” She tried to pull me past him towards our apartment.

Unexpectedly, as we passed, Aiden lifted his arm and pressed his palm to her forehead, stopping her in her tracks.

His hand was as cool as ever.

Aiden’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked at me. “She’s burning up. Must be at least 101.”

“Yeah.” I’d noticed Chloe had a fever before we got out of the car. Probably from the cold in the station last night. “I’ll give her something as soon as we’re inside.”

I always kept some basic meds at home. Enough to handle a common cold.

But Aiden didn’t seem inclined to let us go just yet. Or rather, he didn’t seem inclined to let Chloe go.

I was finally starting to realize there was something going on between these two that I didn’t know about when I heard a click behind me.

Gavin stood there, now dressed in a custom–tailored suit. He gestured with his chin towards me, his command simple and direct. “Over here.”

Like he was calling for Scott.

But I was in no position to refuse. A mistress should know her place.

My eyes darted between Chloe and Aiden, picking up on the strange tension. I took the hint and left.

Before going, I said to Chloe, “Call me when you’re done.”

Third–person POV

When the door clicked shut and the elevator lobby settled back into silence, Chloe took a calm step back.

The polished, gleaming elevator doors reflected her disheveled state with brutal clarity.

The man standing beside her, however, remained a picture of effortless composure.

Aiden was the first to break the silence. “Were you scared?” He was asking about the whole ordeal.

Chloe’s lips twisted into a faint, wry smile. “No.” From start to finish, she hadn’t been worried. She’d known Elara would find a way.

He’d never encountered this kind of conversation–ender from anyone but her.

Aiden studied her subtly, the crease between his brows deepening. “Still determined to keep me at arm’s length?”

A sleepless night, compounded by the fever, made her body feel heavy and her mind

feel heavy and her mind foggy. Staring at the man before her, she heard the words leave her mouth, almost as if by their own volition: “Would you marry me?”

The moment the question hung in the air, she saw the flicker of stunned hesitation cross his face, and she understood. It was an answer she’d known for three years. Men from his world were happy to play with someone like her. Marrying her? Utterly impossible.

A distant, detached smile touched her lips. “See? We’re not from the same world. You know it. And L…”

“Give me some time,” Aiden said, cutting her off.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, trying to clear the fog in her head. “What did you say?”

Elara’s POV

Inside, I toed off my shoes by the door first. Looking at the man across the room, a wave of relief made me speak. “About Chloe. thank you.”

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