One Night, Endless Secrets: Forbidden Love With My Aloof Brother

"I helped you stay out of trouble. How do you plan to thank me?" asked Aileen Bradley.

In the dance of shadows and light, two figures were wrapped in each other on silk sheets.

Aileen felt the warmth of the man's large hand as it lifted her waist, and she bit her lip to maintain her calm.

"Trouble?" the man groaned, his voice rough. "I thought you were the trouble."

Aileen, filled with anger, bit down hard on his finger. "Derek! You're being unfair! You were the one drugged, and I came to rescue you!"

Derek Jefferson didn't react angrily to the bite; instead, he chuckled. "You no longer see me as your brother, do you?"

Brother?

What kind of siblings were they?

Aileen's mother was the Jefferson family's servant, and her father was their driver.

Later, when Rosalie Jefferson, Derek's little sister, was kidnapped and went missing, Derek's grandmother, Gretchen Jefferson, was devastated. Aileen's parents sent her to keep Gretchen company, and she was taken in by Derek's parents as an adopted daughter.

Over the years, the Jefferson family never truly accepted Aileen as their family. They treated her more like a pet of Gretchen's.

She received a lot of "charity" from the Jefferson family, but no one ever asked if she wanted it.

Her parents were money-minded, and she had a weak younger brother who depended on her.

In contrast, Derek was a graduate of Klaedon University's business school and the recognized heir of the Jefferson family.

Caught between her own family and the Jeffersons, Aileen felt cornered. After years of hardship, she had no option but to lean on Derek for support.

Aileen had heard rumors that someone was planning to entrap Derek, hoping to seduce him and secure a future as the wife of the Jefferson family heir.

Considering her circumstances, she decided to use this opportunity to gain Derek's favor and find a path for herself.

However, ending up as Derek's one-night stand was never part of her plan.

Aileen initially intended to warn him, hoping to earn a favor in return, but she hadn't anticipated Derek's overwhelming lust leading them straight to bed.

After sacrificing her dignity to help him, Aileen was determined to make Derek compensate her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she suppressed her sorrow and looked at Derek. "I've teamed up with a friend to start a company. Could you allow us to participate in the bidding for the Genesis Plaza project?"

"No." Derek dismissed her request without hesitation.

Aileen was stunned.

She couldn't understand how this man, so passionate in bed, could be so cold and dismissive in conversation.

She clenched her teeth. "It's just an entry to a bidding event. You've slept with me, yet you can't even grant me something so little?"

Derek's passion had faded, and he quickly pulled away and rose from the bed.

He slipped into his pants, picked up his shirt from the floor, and buttoned it methodically.

He transformed back into the controlled and arrogant heir of the Jefferson family.

All the earlier chaos and craziness disappeared in an instant, replaced by indifference and sharp observation in Derek's eyes.

He sat at the edge of the bed, his hand briefly touching Aileen's cheek.

Suddenly, he stopped, feeling her warm tears.

She was crying.

"You could have asked for money, power, or even to be my girlfriend," Derek said, his expression turning to one of surprise and confusion. "But all you wanted was a ticket to a bidding event? Aileen, why don't you just ask me to help you win the bid?"

Aileen abruptly stopped crying. She smiled and held Derek's hand against her cheek. "We believe we can succeed based on our merits alone. All we need is a fair opportunity to compete with the other companies."

Her voice took on an overly sweet tone, and her teary eyes locked onto his, causing Derek to zone out momentarily.

He barely knew Aileen, having mostly heard of her through his grandmother, and their meetings were few and far between.

However, just then, Derek thought her eyes looked strikingly familiar, which nearly softened his resolve.

Before he could say anything, a knock interrupted the silence.

"Mr. Jefferson, your grandmother's birthday banquet is about to begin," announced a voice from outside.

"Alright," Derek replied, withdrew his hand sharply, and stood to grab his jacket.

As he prepared to leave, Aileen slid off the bed and quickly seized his hand. "Derek, the bidding..."

Before she could complete her sentence, Derek seized her chin.

He narrowed his eyes, lifting an eyebrow. "You think one night is sufficient to sway me? You are vastly overestimating yourself. Get dressed and come downstairs," he stated before turning to leave.

Aileen remained motionless, shocked that Derek was actually leaving after all that had transpired.

What a jerk!

She reclined on the bed, feeling pain in her waist and legs.

Recalling it was Gretchen's birthday celebration that evening, Aileen quickly prepared herself and hurried downstairs.

Upon exiting the elevator, she was met with a scornful voice.

"How dare you arrive late to Grandma's birthday celebration! Don't you have any manners?"

She looked up to see Rosalie standing at the entrance.

Rosalie stood proudly, her gaze full of scorn. "What are you looking at? We generously took you in. Shouldn't you have been here early to serve the guests? Do you actually think you belong to the Jefferson family now?"

Feeling humiliated, Aileen tightened her hands into fists.

Ever since Rosalie had been found, she believed that Aileen had taken her rightful place. She had tormented Aileen throughout their childhood, never offering her a shred of respect.

"Sorry, Rosalie," Aileen responded, her head bowed, her voice steady and submissive. "However, the banquet does not start until twelve, and I am not late."

"You're talking back?" Rosalie's expression turned even icier. "As a servant, shouldn't you have arrived earlier to prepare for the banquet?"

Her use of the term "servant" caused onlookers to pause.

"Isn't she the adopted daughter, whose biological parents are the Jefferson family's driver and servant?"

"Receiving favors from the Jeffersons, yet she fails to recognize her place. She remains a poor, lowly girl, unable to rid herself of that poverty stench."

Aileen heard these words, dripping with blatant hostility.

Facing Rosalie's conceited smirk, Aileen replied smoothly, "If you expect me, as the adopted daughter, to assume the duties of a servant, I am willing. Ultimately, the reputation of the Jefferson family is what's at risk here."

"How dare you!"

Rosalie had only intended to trouble Aileen. The sharpness of Aileen's comeback made her clench her teeth.

Having been pampered since childhood, and especially after her rescue from a kidnapping incident, the family treated her with even greater tenderness. Now, to be publicly shamed by someone she saw as merely a servant was intolerable to her.

She lifted her hand and struck Aileen sharply across the face.

Aileen failed to dodge, and her cheek quickly reddened and swelled. Her hands balled into fists.

Rosalie felt a surge of satisfaction seeing Aileen silently bear the pain. Her mood improved as she continued her taunts. "Do you see your error now? If you kneel and apologize, it might still be forgivable."

Whispers spread among the onlookers, and derisive glances were cast at Aileen.

The disturbance eventually drew Gretchen's attention.

"What is happening here?" Gretchen, encircled by attendees, emerged and scowled at the scene.

Before Aileen could explain, Rosalie interjected, "Grandma, I noticed Aileen was tardy, so I thought to remind her to be earlier, to avoid appearing disrespectful, but she retorted rudely."

Gretchen directed her gaze at Aileen. Overlooking her swollen cheek, she admonished, "Aileen, why must you be so thoughtless? Apologize to your sister; don't create a spectacle."

Aileen dropped her gaze, feeling a knot in her throat.

This was always the pattern-never an attempt to uncover the truth, always blaming her by default.

She had become accustomed to it.

Aileen shut her eyes, containing the bitterness within her, when a deep male voice suddenly intervened.

"Even if she warrants correction, it needn't be done before an audience."

Derek appeared from behind Gretchen, wearing a dark gray cashmere coat that added to his elegant demeanor. His deep blue tie was perfectly tied, enhancing his distinguished appearance.

Derek's voice came out cold and detached. "Causing a scene in front of the guests is inappropriate."

Aileen was caught off guard; she hadn't expected Derek to defend her.

Rosalie clenched her jaw. "Derek, how can you side with an outsider?"

"Isn't she our sister, adopted by our parents?" Derek shot a glance at Aileen, his eyes showing a flicker of something she couldn't quite read. "Or am I mistaken?"

Aileen instinctively averted her eyes, but she still felt the intensity of his gaze, her body growing tense.

Memories of those chaotic moments in the suite flashed through her mind, making her heartbeat quicken.

The guests were left speechless, and Rosalie didn't dare to argue further.

Gretchen said thoughtfully, "You're right. We are all family. There's no need for this drama. Rosalie, apologize to Aileen."

Rosalie ground her teeth but grudgingly gave an apology.

With the issue resolved, the crowd began to scatter.

However, Aileen's attention remained fixed on Derek.

If he intended to pretend nothing had happened, she'd be sure to give him subtle reminders now and then.

Without hesitation, Aileen approached Derek with a smile. "Derek, thank you."

Her smile was clearly intended to curry favor with him, and anyone watching could easily guess her true motives.

Derek gave her a quick glance but remained silent.

Rosalie chuckled at this interaction.

Aileen merely lowered her gaze a bit, showing no emotion, seemingly accustomed to such treatment.

"Well then, Derek, I'll be heading off." With that, Aileen turned and walked away.

Behind her, Derek's brow furrowed slightly as he watched her retreating figure, deep in thought.

He noted that Aileen didn't just have eyes like that person-her silhouette was strikingly similar as well.

Before he could ponder this further, Gretchen approached. "Derek, you're already twenty-five. Now that you're back, it's time to think about settling down. There are many suitable young women here today. Take a look."

Derek was jolted back to the present, adjusted his cuff, and responded evenly, "As you wish, Grandma. I'm going to meet with some business associates."

Gretchen seemed to want to continue the conversation but restrained herself, letting him leave as she turned to join the younger guests.

After Aileen had left, she attempted to slip away to the backyard for a moment of solitude but was stopped by Derek's assistant.

He handed her a business card. "Mr. Jefferson suggested you prepare your proposal and present it to him."

Aileen was slightly taken aback as she examined the card.

Was Derek extending an olive branch?

She quickly accepted the card, nodded, and expressed her thanks.

Once the assistant had departed, Aileen returned to her hotel room and took out her phone to call her business partner, Ramona Reynolds.

"Regarding the Genesis Plaza project, we should start working on the proposal to enter the bidding."

On the other end, Ramona sounded surprised. "What? I haven't even contacted anyone at Genesis Group yet. Weren't we disqualified previously?"

Aileen pursed her lips. "I've handled it."

"Wow, that's impressive!" Ramona couldn't hide her amazement. "How did you manage that? I thought we had decided not to pursue that project anymore."

Aileen brushed it off. "Don't worry about it. I'll be back at the office soon. Call everyone together for a meeting."

After ending the call, Aileen returned to the office, gathered her team, and started to compile the necessary documents to draft the proposal.

Just as they were establishing a preliminary plan, Aileen's phone rang.

The caller ID showed a photo of her biological mother, Laura Bradley.

Aileen stopped typing and looked down for a moment before picking up the phone.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Alex needs surgery, and the hospital is asking for the payment upfront. We need about a million."