Betrayed? I Upgraded to His Billionaire Brother novel Chapter 211

**Pushing the Edge 211**

**Chapter 211**

In a tense atmosphere, Zane scrutinized the group of newcomers with a palpable sense of caution. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice steady, yet laced with an underlying tension.

“Withdraw,” came the curt command from their leader, who, upon confirming Elara’s safety, completely disregarded Zane’s presence. With a swift, practiced motion, he gestured to his team of elite operatives, all clad in sleek black attire, and they retreated with an efficiency that spoke volumes of their training.

As they made their way towards the hospital, Zane’s instincts were on high alert. He could feel the weight of unseen eyes tracking their movements, a sensation that gnawed at the back of his mind.

In the passenger seat beside him, his assistant continued to explain, his voice tinged with regret. “Boss, I’m truly sorry. I should have acted more swiftly. My focus was solely on pursuing the kidnappers, and I failed to anticipate that you and Mrs. Grayson would be trapped inside.”

Zane waved off the apology with a dismissive gesture, his mind racing. “Forget the tail. Just get us to the hospital,” he instructed the driver, his voice firm and unyielding.

Meanwhile, high above in the sky, a private jet sliced through the Mexican air, descending gracefully before it taxied on the runway and came to a halt.

Inside, Neil received a phone call, and the moment he answered, his expression darkened. “Is the young lady alright?” he asked, concern etched across his features.

At the sound of Neil’s voice, Gavin, who had been resting with a sleep mask over his eyes, abruptly removed it, his piercing blue eyes narrowing in anticipation.

Sensing the intensity of his boss’s gaze, Neil kept the call open, lowering his voice to convey the urgency. “Boss, there’s been an incident involving the young lady.”

“Hand me the phone.” Gavin’s demeanor shifted into something icy, a palpable aura of menace surrounding him as he extended his hand. Without hesitation, Neil passed the device over.

Gavin took the phone, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “I ordered you to protect her. What is her status?”

“Boss, it was our failure!” came the frantic response from the man on the line. Gavin had dispatched a team specifically to safeguard Elara before he left, and no one had anticipated a breach on the very first day.

“The young lady appears to be mostly unharmed,” the subordinate assured, his voice hurried but steady. “She was taken from the corporate underground garage. We realized what was happening immediately and gave chase, but we were uncertain about the conditions inside the location where they took her. We couldn’t act recklessly.”

“I took the opportunity, while they were distracted, to scale the exterior wall to the second floor and disarm the explosive device. I only felt it was safe to lead the team in to extract the young lady after the perpetrators had retreated. However, we have all the men who took her in custody.”

Gavin’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Explosives? Fire? They intended to kill her?”

“Based on the setup, that seems to be the case, sir,” the subordinate confirmed, his voice trembling slightly as he recounted the scene.

“Where is she now? Put her on the phone,” Gavin demanded, his voice a low growl.

“She’s… the young lady is in Zane’s vehicle.”

A chilling silence enveloped Gavin’s features, and without another word, he ended the call, his expression a mask of fury and determination as he turned to Neil.

“Prepare the helicopter. We’re heading home.”

As I spoke, I became acutely aware of the warmth radiating from his body through the fabric of his clothes. Instinctively, I braced my hand against the seat, attempting to shift away from him.

-I didn’t like this closeness.

Zane noticed my discomfort immediately. I could see the flicker of hurt in his eyes, but he seemed to understand that pushing me right now would be a mistake. He allowed me to adjust my position, then spoke gently, “Let’s just get you checked at the hospital first. Your wrists and ankles are injured. We should ensure there’s nothing more serious.”

Before I could respond, the car pulled up at the emergency room entrance.

I felt utterly drained, too fatigued to argue any further. I stepped out and let the doctors conduct their examinations, my compliance almost automatic, as if I were moving through a fog.

Zane was a whirlwind of activity, bustling around the hospital—filling out forms, paying fees, collecting medication from the pharmacy.

When he returned with the supplies, a nurse began to clean my wounds, her voice carrying a hint of admiration as she spoke. “Your husband is so devoted. He’s running around nonstop for you. And look at him now, watching my every move like he’s afraid I’ll hurt you.”

At her words, I glanced up, catching Zane’s gaze.

Just as the nurse had said, his eyes were fixed intently on her hands as she worked, a protective instinct radiating from him.

When he noticed me looking, our eyes locked, and his brow furrowed with concern. “Does it hurt?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.