Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 180

**Pushing the Edge 180**

In “Pushing the Edge 180,” the atmosphere crackles with tension as Amelia finds herself being dragged forcefully toward the basement by Zane’s assistant. Her heart races, panic surging through her veins, when suddenly, a sleek luxury car screeches to a halt at the entrance. Out steps Victoria, Zane’s mother, her presence commanding and fierce, as she strides toward her son with an unmistakable purpose.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” Victoria’s voice cuts through the air, sharp as a blade. “She’s your sister-in-law! How much more are you willing to put her through?” The words spill out, heavy with concern and indignation.

Zane, his demeanor icy and unyielding, responds coolly, “Mother, don’t you think you’re overstepping your boundaries?” His tone is dismissive, but Victoria knows her son well enough to see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

“Think of Max,” she implores, her voice softening as she appeals to his better nature. “Your brother hasn’t been gone long. How can you bear the thought of Max losing his father and barely seeing his mother?” The mention of Ethan, Zane’s deceased brother, hangs in the air like a specter, invoking memories of family bonds that once were.

Seeing the brief crack in Zane’s stoic facade, Victoria presses on, her voice steady and filled with urgency. “No matter what Amelia has done, she is still the birth mother of your nephew. Do this for Ethan’s sake, please?” The bond between Zane and Ethan had always been strong, free from the typical rivalries that often plague brothers.

Zane had revered Ethan, the family’s designated heir, and when Amelia had married Ethan so suddenly, Zane had remained silent, a watchful guardian from afar. He had cherished the memory of his brother and the life they once shared.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, Zane’s brow furrows slightly, the weight of his mother’s words sinking in. “I can let her go this once,” he concedes, though his voice is laced with a warning. “But you’d better keep her on a tight leash. Don’t let her cause any more trouble.”

Relief floods through Amelia, and as the bodyguard finally releases his grip, she crumples to the ground, her legs giving way beneath her. The adrenaline that had coursed through her moments ago now leaves her trembling, and even after Zane and his entourage have driven away, a suffocating fear clings to her heart.

Victoria, however, stands apart, her gaze fixed on Amelia with a mix of disdain and curiosity. “Well? You said you had something important about Zane to tell me. What is it?” Her tone is demanding, as if she is not there to offer support but rather to extract information.

An hour prior, Amelia’s unexpected message had stirred something in Victoria. Initially, she had dismissed it, not intending to come at all. The resentment she harbored toward Amelia had been festering for years, the wounds of the past still raw. Amelia had seduced both her sons—one had lost his life, and the other, his reputation.

With a mother like Amelia, how could Max possibly turn out well? Victoria had often thought it might be best for Zane to handle Amelia as he saw fit, wishing all the while that Amelia would simply vanish from their lives.

But the promise of information about Zane had piqued her interest, and that was why she had come.

As Amelia gathers her strength, propping herself against the cold, unforgiving wall, her eyes narrow with determination. “Do you know why Zane was so kind to me before?” she challenges, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.

Amelia’s voice drops to a near whisper, a hint of bitterness lacing her words. “Zane has been searching for that little girl who saved you. He thought… that girl was me.” The admission carries a weight, revealing the depth of Zane’s misplaced affection.

Victoria’s laughter erupts, filled with contempt. “I knew it! I knew Zane couldn’t have been infatuated with you for no reason. You’ve stolen that affection!” Her disdain is palpable, as she accuses Amelia of impersonating someone else’s identity, her methods utterly despicable.

“I didn’t steal anything!” Amelia fires back, her voice rising. “If I had been the one to witness that accident, I would have saved you too! I just didn’t have Elara’s damn luck!” The frustration spills over, her words tinged with a sense of injustice.

Elara, the girl who had been in the right place at the right time, had a police officer for a father. It was the kind of serendipitous fate that seemed almost fictional. Amelia had always imagined that if she had been there, she would have rushed in without a second thought, expecting rewards from the wealthy family.

Victoria’s expression hardens as she processes Amelia’s words. “Elara? Are you saying… the person who saved us back then was Elara?” The realization dawns on her, and the implications of it all begin to unravel.

In this charged exchange, the weight of their shared past looms large, and both women find themselves standing at the crossroads of anger and understanding. Amelia, battered yet unbroken, and Victoria, grappling with her own grief and resentment, are left to navigate the tangled web of their intertwined fates.

As the chapter closes, the potential for a fragile truce flickers in the air, suggesting that amidst the chaos of their shared history, there might yet be a path toward healing and redemption. The tension between them thickens, a storm brewing on the horizon, as they confront the ghosts of their past and the uncertain future that lies ahead.