His new stepsister His biggest threat (Claire and Elijah) novel Chapter 99

**TITLE: Betrayal Births by Joseph King**
**Chapter 99**

**Claire’s POV**

At this point, it was safe to say that the dress and I had developed a strong mutual disdain.

I couldn’t quite pinpoint the source of my irritation—was it the stubborn zipper, the unforgiving straps, or was it simply that this entire gown seemed designed to mock me? Whatever the reason, I was teetering on the edge of a meltdown, ready to tear it off and pretend it had never graced my closet.

With a deep breath, I attempted once more to twist my arm behind me, desperately wishing for an extra five inches of reach. But the zipper remained obstinately stuck, as if it had made a pact with the fabric to thwart my every effort.

The material pulled at an awkward angle, and I felt a sharp, painful tremor run through my elbow. My pride was wounded far more than my shoulder ever could be.

Outside my door, Elijah had been lingering for what felt like an eternity, probably leaning against the wall with that infuriatingly calm expression he wore whenever I found myself in a struggle.

It was the kind of expression that only intensified my frustration, because he never uttered a word. He simply waited. Patiently. Quietly. Judging.

After what felt like an eternity of wrestling with the gown, I realized I was out of options. Swallowing my pride felt akin to chewing on shards of glass as I finally called out his name, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Elijah?”

There was a soft shuffle from the other side of the door, followed by his casual, “Yeah?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I uttered the words I had been dreading. “I… need help.”

—

The door didn’t just open; it swung wide as if he had been bracing himself for a crisis, ready to swoop in and save the day.

He stepped inside clad only in grey sweats, his chest still glistening with droplets from a recent shower, his hair tousled as if he had raked his fingers through it in a hurry. He scanned the room at a leisurely pace before his gaze settled on me, and despite the absurdity of the moment, a small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Turn,” he commanded, amusement lacing his tone.

I huffed but complied, turning as he requested. The moment he caught sight of the tangled mess that was my dress, a quiet laugh escaped him.

“Wow,” he murmured, his voice a low warmth that brushed against the nape of my neck. “You really fought for your life in this thing.”

“Shut up,” I grumbled, already regretting my decision to call him for help.

His hands moved toward the straps, steady and confident. The moment his fingertips grazed my skin, my entire body went rigid. He wasn’t rough or teasing; he simply adjusted the gown with a practiced ease that made me wonder how many times he had assisted me like this before the accident.

—

His fingers glided along the fabric, smoothing it down my shoulders with deliberate care. The gentle brush of his knuckles against my spine sent an unexpected shiver coursing through me, and I instinctively braced myself against the dresser for support.

“Hold still,” he instructed softly, reaching for the zipper. His voice took on that low, focused rasp that always seemed to draw me in.

I held my breath, the world around us fading into silence.

The zipper slid up effortlessly, a smooth, flawless motion that made me want to scream into a pillow. So it hadn’t been stuck after all; it had just been my own clumsiness.

Of course.

When he finished, he didn’t immediately step away. His hands lingered at the small of my back, warm and grounding, as if he were anchoring me in that moment.

Only after a heartbeat did he finally retreat, yet he lingered behind me instead of moving across the room.

“You’re impossible,” I muttered under my breath, my irritation mingling with something else entirely.

“And you’re dramatic,” he shot back, a hint of satisfaction evident in his tone.

I turned to shoot him a glare, but the expression on his face shifted as his gaze traveled slowly down the length of the gown.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify