Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 125 Don’t worry

Victoria’s POV

I stopped struggling. Fine. It was still early, and a little more sleep wouldn’t hurt.

I closed my eyes again, and before I knew it, we’d slept until late morning. When I woke again and saw it was already nine, I didn’t even have time to confront Damien about anything—I needed to get to the office.

"Lock the door when you leave," was all I said before rushing to get dressed, wash up, and hurry out.

Whether I was truly in a hurry or simply avoiding dealing with what had happened between us, I couldn’t say.

At the office, I drank two glasses of water to calm myself down.

Kane noticed my flushed face and asked, "Ms. Lancaster, is everything alright?"

I shook my head. "Everything’s fine, fine."

"If you’re feeling unwell, please rest. Your health comes first, and your grandfather would worry."

"I’m perfectly healthy. I know my limits, don’t worry!"

I threw myself into work. Although the Lancaster Corporation’s branch here was just a subsidiary, I was planning to shift our focus here in the coming years. I might rarely return to our main corporate hub for business after that.

This country had been developing exceptionally well recently. I’d even discussed relocating our headquarters here with my grandfather, and he fully supported my idea!

I asked Kane to gather the executives for a meeting to discuss integrating some projects from our primary operations.

"What about the collaboration with ME? Should that take priority? ME has been making big moves lately. Should we follow that trend?" one executive asked.

"Wasn’t the ME project not finalized yet?" I asked, confused.

This time, it was the others who looked surprised. "Ms. Lancaster, isn’t the collaboration already underway?"

"What?" I frowned. When had this happened without my knowledge?

"Are you saying the deal with ME is signed?" I asked uncertainly.

They nodded. "Yes? Your grandfather finalized it. It’s been signed for quite some time now. You weren’t aware of this?"

They looked at me cautiously, probably wondering if there was some problem with the project.

I was genuinely surprised that Damien had already signed the contract. I had no idea when this had happened, and through Kane no less. Why hadn’t Kane informed me about this? Talk about divided loyalties!

"Perhaps I’ve been too busy lately. Let’s continue," I said, and we resumed the meeting. I also checked the ME collaboration afterward and confirmed it was indeed in progress.

The meeting ran long, and by the time I left the conference room, I was feeling hungry.

Just as I returned to my office, Kane knocked and entered.

I had been meaning to ask him about the collaboration with Damien, but he spoke first: "Victoria, the Sterling family is downstairs."

"The Sterlings? Who exactly?"

"I believe it’s Lawrence Sterling, the family head, along with his wife and daughter-in-law – it seems like a full family delegation. Security stopped them. They haven’t been allowed upstairs," Kane explained.

I could already guess why the Sterling family was looking for me. It had to be about Ethan.

With Ethan languishing in jail and me refusing to drop the charges, they couldn’t even secure a visitation. Lawrence Sterling had overstepped his bounds last time, going directly to my grandfather about the situation—a slight I still hadn’t settled with the Northstream Pack Alpha.

"Let them wait outside," I said to Kane, my loyal secretary and fellow pack member. "If they try to force their way in, call the police."

The evening air was growing sharp, the temperature dropping rapidly. If they wished to shiver through the night waiting for me to change my mind, that was their prerogative. I certainly hadn’t extended an invitation for them to camp outside my office building.

I turned my attention to another matter that had nagged at me all day. "About the collaboration with ME... don’t you think you owe me an explanation?" I fixed my gaze on Kane, observing his uncomfortable shift under my stare. My wolf, Nora, stirred inside me, a low growl forming at the back of my throat, mirroring my irritation. "If I hadn’t overheard it mentioned in today’s meeting, I wouldn’t even know the project was already underway."

Kane lowered his head slightly—a submissive gesture that came naturally to wolves even in human form. "I’m sorry, Alpha. It’s my fault for not informing you sooner."

"Don’t shoulder all the responsibility yourself," I said, softening my tone. I’d known Kane since we were pups; unwavering loyalty was his defining trait. "I know you better than that. This has Damien Sterling’s fingerprints all over it, doesn’t it?"

The mention of Damien made my wolf perk up with interest. I quickly pushed down that reaction.

"Damien actually signed the contract weeks ago," Kane admitted. "He specifically asked me not to tell you. Then you left for Europe, and I... I should have found a better moment to inform you. It is my responsibility, Alpha. I apologize."

I waved away his concerns. "It’s not your fault, Kane. And honestly, it’s not that big of an issue." I leaned back in my chair, striving for a casual tone. "But don’t ever help Damien keep secrets from me again."

That infuriating Alpha! Signing contracts behind my back and then swearing my staff to secrecy. Yet, I couldn’t deny the project’s brilliant structure. As much as it pained my pride to admit, Damien was a natural at this—his project proposal was even more comprehensive than what I had initially drafted.

I picked up my phone, tempted to send him a scathing message demanding to know why he’d gone behind my back with this contract. But memories of last night surged back—his scent of smoky cedar and midnight rose flooding my senses, his hands on my skin, the way his wolf Arthur had called to Nora, their two souls recognizing an undeniable pull.

I bit my lip and set the phone down again.