Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 136

“In your dreams,” Gavin shot back coolly.

Aiden smirked, his voice dripping with playful accusation. “Your dream, actually. You’re the one who wants to hide away your ‘little sister’ like some secret treasure.” He leaned forward, glancing toward the wide-open bedroom door, which was clearly empty. Shaking his head with mock disappointment, he added, “Too bad she’s not exactly lining up to be tucked away by you.”

Gavin’s eyes darkened with a cold glint. “You’re obsessed with gossip. You should’ve been a paparazzo,” he said, his tone sharp.

Aiden chuckled, unfazed. “And risk my old man breaking my legs? No thanks.”

He thought about Gavin’s family—a high-ranking military grandfather, uncles entrenched in politics—a picture-perfect, conservative lineage. They had already bent the rules to let Aiden become a doctor; he knew better than to stir up more trouble.

Through the headset, the soft rhythm of the girl’s breathing shifted, growing deeper and more even. She was still asleep, peaceful.

Gavin’s expression softened just slightly. “Why are you really here?” he asked quietly.

Aiden shrugged, scanning the kitchen. With no offer of hospitality forthcoming, he took the liberty of grabbing a bag of coffee beans and pouring them into the machine. “About the housewarming,” he explained casually. “The guys heard you moved. They’re all insisting on coming over tonight to christen the new place.”

“No tonight,” Gavin said without hesitation.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Next,” Gavin replied, dodging the question smoothly.

“Zane’ll probably come,” Aiden added.

“Good,” Gavin answered, his voice low.

He listened to the steady breaths coming through the headset, then glanced toward his front door. His eyes darkened, unreadable. There was a weight behind his words—she was just on the other side of that door now.

Aiden caught the tension in his voice and smirked. “Not worried Zane will figure out what you’re up to?”

He knew the question was pointless. Since when did Gavin Windsor ever care about what anyone thought?

True to form, Gavin ignored the question, checked his watch, and stood up. “You’ve said your piece. Time for you to see yourself out.”

Aiden clicked his tongue but stayed put. “What are you doing tonight, man?”

The more Gavin kept things to himself, the more suspicious it seemed.

Gavin strode toward the bathroom, long legs eating up the floor. Aiden was left with a strange unease. He bent down and ruffled the dog’s head. “Scott, come on, tell Uncle Aiden the truth. What’s your dad really planning?”

Since when did Gavin keep secrets from him?

But Scott was loyal to a fault. He shook off Aiden’s hand, reclaimed his spot by the floor-to-ceiling window, and settled down comfortably.

When Gavin reappeared later, fresh from the shower and changed, Aiden finally understood what felt so off.

As an heir to the Windsor family, Gavin’s wardrobe had always been private label or high-end custom, pre-washed and sanitized before he even tried anything on.

“None of your business,” Gavin snapped, grabbing a jacket. He no longer bothered to kick Aiden out. “I’m heading out. Since you’ve got nothing better to do, you can take Scott for a walk. Make it a full half-hour.”

Before Aiden could protest, the front door clicked shut behind Gavin.

He abandons his friends the second a girl’s involved! No loyalty!

—

Elara’s POV

The doorbell rang incessantly, piercing through the fog of my deep sleep like an unwelcome alarm.

I yanked the comforter over my head, pressing my hands firmly against my ears, desperate to block out the relentless noise.

“Jess, it’s almost six,” a low, warm, achingly familiar male voice whispered right next to my ear.

I grumbled instinctively, “I don’t care what time it is, I’m sleeping.”

Suddenly, a jolt of adrenaline surged through me. I flipped over and sat straight up in bed, heart pounding.