Betrayed I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The Graysons would never risk offending the Windsors for my sake. If Theodore decided to force the issue, they’d bury the scandal–and me–without a second thought.

Every muscle in my body locked. I didn’t dare struggle too obviously. Causing a scene would instantly turn me into the latest tabloid headline–the irony of these so–called elite families. They were obsessed with a woman’s reputation, yet did nothing to actually protect her.

A year ago, I would have prayed for Zane to swoop in and save me. After all, he was the husband I’d chosen. But now? Ha.

No one was coming to my rescue. The very hope for a savior was a flaw in thinking, a weakness I could no longer afford. When you’re fighting to break free, you can only ever rely on yourself. You are the only one who can save yourself, over and over, from the fire.

Alright then, I thought, channeling every badass, single–minded heroine I’d ever admired. I shoved the fear and the visceral disgust for Theodore down, deep down.

Be brave, Elara. Smile through the hardest moments–it will make you untouchable.

With that, I let my lips curve into a faint, mocking smile.

“Are you sure you want to try anything?” I asked, my voice deceptively light.

“Care to guess… if Gavin finds out, would he break your left hand first, or your right? Or maybe he’ll just skip the formalities and feed you to the sharks. That is his favorite way to tidy up loose ends, isn’t it?”

Fear of Gavin was instinctive for him. Theodore flinched, but then his eyes narrowed. “You think I’m stupid? You two haven’t spoken privately since that family dinner.”

My fingertips dug into my palms, but my expression stayed calm. “If not, how do you think I got into the Windsor Group’s research project?”

He’d heard about the cancer drug initiative, of course. But he’d been fooled by me before.

“Coincidence,” he scoffed. “The group has dozens of projects. He doesn’t oversee them all.”

“I’m a nobody,” I said flatly, leaning into the self–deprecation. “No connections, no standout achievements. Without his say–so, you really think I could’ve gotten in?”

That gave him pause.

He stared, suspicion warring with hesitation. “You’re really still in touch with Gavin?”

“Of course,” I nodded, effortless and sure. “Just last week, he drove me home after a team dinner.”

It was the truth. Even if he went digging for security footage, I wasn’t afraid.

His jaw tightened. Pointing a warning finger, he bit out, “You… wait for me. If I find out you’re lying to me again, I’ll make you regret it.”

Third–person POV

The thought that she was under Gavin’s protection was enough to stop him from proceeding further. Theodore was furious, even his walk betraying his frustration.

But Gavin’s name genuinely suppressed him.

“Theodore.”

Just as he returned to the hall, a woman called out to him, approaching with two glasses of champagne.

09:57

Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother

38.1%

Chapter 84

Her face was decent, barely half as good as Elara’s.

But her excessive “rich girl” styling completely didn’t suit his taste.

Theodore lost patience: “What is it?”

“I do have something.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify