Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 113 Who fired the gun?

Victoria’s POV

I ended my call with Grace after reassuring her. "I might not be back tonight. Get some sleep, okay?"

"Alright, I won’t wait up then," Grace replied, finally sounding relieved now that she knew I was safe. "Just be careful."

"I will. Sleep well."

After hanging up, the car fell into an awkward silence. The confined space suddenly felt charged with unspoken words and lingering tension. I fidgeted with my hands, pressing my fingernails into my palms as I searched for something—anything—appropriate to say.

Several times I opened my mouth to speak, only to close it again. Nora nudged inside me, encouraging me to acknowledge what had happened, what he’d done for us.

Finally, I gathered my courage. "Damien, thank you." The words felt inadequate for what he’d done tonight, but they were all I could manage.

His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, but I caught the subtle quirk of his lips. "Does this make me your official savior now?" His tone was light, but there was something deeper beneath the question.

"Yes," I admitted, nodding slowly. "It does."

"You know how people typically repay those who save their lives?" Damien asked, one eyebrow arched as he glanced in my direction.

"How? With eternal gratitude?" I quipped. "Should I dig you a well in front of your house as some symbolic gesture?"

Damien’s expression was priceless. "...What would I do with a well?"

"Isn’t that what they do in old stories? ’A spring of gratitude’ or something?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of pledging yourself to your savior," he countered smoothly, the teasing note in his voice making my wolf stir with interest.

I rolled my eyes, knowing he was just falling back on his habitual flirting. Damien Sterling never seemed capable of serious conversation for long, especially when it ventured into emotionally vulnerable territory. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Let’s not joke about this," I said. "But truly, if you ever need anything from me, I won’t hesitate. We’re bound by a deeper alliance now, wouldn’t you say?"

Damien kept his attention on the road, his strong profile illuminated by passing streetlights. "I thought we were business rivals? If you’re feeling so grateful, perhaps you could sign over half of Lancaster Industries to me."

I couldn’t help but laugh. "Sure, why not? If you’ve got the energy to run it, I’d happily hand Lancaster Industries over to you. You can make money for me while I travel the world."

The mental image was rather appealing, actually.

"You’re not afraid I’d swallow your company whole?" Damien asked, his voice dropping lower. "You seem to trust me more than I expected."

"If you tried to steal my company," I replied with a mischievous grin, "I’d just have to move into your house permanently. I’d camp out on your doorstep, become an unwelcome houseguest you couldn’t get rid of. Make you wait on me hand and foot."

The corner of Damien’s mouth curved upward, and I caught a glimpse of Arthur, his wolf, in the predatory gleam of his smile. "Deal."

That single word sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.

---

We arrived at the police station shortly after. The officers informed us that Ethan had been transported to the hospital. Despite sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, none were life-threatening—though his recovery was another question entirely.

"Five gunshot wounds?" Damien’s voice cut through the conversation, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What’s wrong?" I turned toward him, sensing the sudden shift in his demeanor. I knew he’d fired several shots, but I hadn’t kept count in the chaos.

"I only fired four times," he stated firmly.

The officer consulted the preliminary medical report. "One shot in each leg, one in the arm, one in the wrist, and one in the groin area. Is there a discrepancy?"

I hadn’t realized Damien had shot Ethan in the groin. While I couldn’t summon much sympathy—a wolf who would force himself on another deserved whatever came to him—I was surprised by Damien’s thoroughness in ensuring Ethan would never threaten another female again.

"The shot to the arm wasn’t mine," Damien insisted, his posture growing rigid.

The officers exchanged glances of confusion. If not Damien, who else could have fired that shot? According to the initial statements, only Damien had discharged a weapon at the scene.

"Check the bullet," Damien instructed. "I guarantee it won’t match my gun. I know exactly how many shots I fired."

As the officers stepped away to make the arrangements, I felt a chill run through me. I thought back to the sequence of events at the dock. The first shot had come when Ethan was about to force himself on me, just after he’d torn at my clothes. I’d assumed that was Damien’s subordinates arriving, but...

So,someone else had been there watching. Someone else had intervened before Damien arrived.

But who? The police hadn’t been there yet, and I hadn’t sensed another presence. Wolf senses were keen—I should have detected another person nearby, especially another wolf.

Nora grew restless inside me, hackles raised at the thought of an unknown observer during my moment of vulnerability. Who could have been there? And more importantly, why hadn’t they revealed themselves?

I glanced at Damien, whose jaw was set in a hard line. Arthur, his wolf, was clearly agitated too. I could see it in the rigid set of Damien’s shoulders and the intense focus in his eyes.

Someone else had been watching us. Someone else had fired at Ethan.

And neither of us had any idea who it might be.