Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 129 what are you doing here?

Victoria’s POV

I heard the ambulance doors slam as they took Marcia Cross away, the rest of the Sterling family scrambling after her. The tide of public opinion had already begun to shift in my favor.

Over the next twenty-four hours, I learned several interesting developments about the Sterling family drama.

Apparently, Scarlett Sutton had confronted Mona, threatening to "teach her a lesson." What she hadn’t expected was discovering that Mona was pregnant—with Ethan’s child, no less.

I didn’t know the details of what happened afterward, but I couldn’t help feeling a grim satisfaction. Cruel people often find their match in those even crueler.

"The universe really does have a way of balancing things," I said, not feeling an ounce of sympathy for either of them. My wolf, Nora, purred with satisfaction in the back of my mind, pleased to see those who had wronged us facing their own trials.

Grace sprawled across my couch, scrolling through her phone. "I’ve been following the trending topics these past two days. It’s like two extreme camps—one praising you to the heavens, the other trashing the Sterling family."

She looked up at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Seriously, how did the Northstream Pack manage to collect so many toxic personalities under one roof? It’s like a masterclass in pure dysfunction. What did Lawrence Sterling ever see in Marcia Cross? She’s practically feral, and not in a good way."

I shrugged, taking a sip of my tea. "Marcia actually has a certain charm about her. Despite her age, she’s maintained herself well. I don’t think Lawrence necessarily loves her—there’s likely a political play there. Maybe consolidating his hold, ensuring pack loyalty. Plus, Ethan’s already grown, so marrying Marcia didn’t really cost him anything beyond a reputation hit."

"Still, it happened so fast," Grace muttered. "I’ll never understand it. Whatever—some men are just built differently, and not in a good way. That entire Sterling pack is rotten to the core." She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Thank the Moon Goddess you escaped that cesspool, Victoria. Can you imagine being stuck with those people as your in-laws?"

"Yeah," I found myself saying. "When you think about it, Damien’s situation was pretty rough, growing up there."

Growing up in that toxic environment... Damien was nothing like the rest of his pack. In many ways, he was a wounded wolf in expensive clothing.

Grace nearly choked on her drink. "Victoria Lancaster, are you seriously feeling sorry for a billionaire Alpha? How exactly is Damien Sterling pitiful? He has more money than he could spend in several lifetimes."

She had a point. Money does have a way of cushioning life’s blows.

I suddenly remembered I’d meant to message Damien about our contract. It had been a full day now. I picked up my phone and opened our conversation thread, typed out a message, then deleted it. I tried again, organizing my thoughts differently, then deleted that too. After several failed attempts, my phone buzzed with an incoming message from him: "Are you free? Dinner?"

Well, speak of the devil. Perfect timing, as I wanted to ask him about our collaboration anyway. I quickly replied: "Sure."

Was this some kind of instinctive pull at work? I’d been trying to message him just as he reached out to me. The thought made my wolf stir with interest.

"What would you like to eat? I’ll make reservations," his next message read.

Little did I know, he’d been watching my typing indicator appear and disappear for several minutes, wondering what I was struggling to say before deciding to make the first move.

"Italian sounds good," I replied.

"Done."

I set my phone down and headed to my meeting.

I’d become quite knowledgeable about our company projects by now, discussing them with confidence and authority. The meeting dragged on, and I found myself growing thirsty. I reached for my water glass, taking a long sip, and as I tilted my head back, I caught a glimpse through the glass wall—Damien!

My heart fluttered, my wolf immediately alert and excited. What was he doing here?

"Let’s take a quick break, everyone," I announced, trying to keep my voice steady as I exited the conference room.

"Damien, what are you doing here?" I asked as soon as the door closed behind me.

His tall frame leaned casually against the wall, emanating that distinct smoky cedar and midnight rose scent that made my wolf want to press closer. "Didn’t we agree to have dinner?" he replied, his voice deep and smooth.

"It’s only four-thirty. Seriously, you’re hungry already?"

"I’m not rushing you," he said, his intense gaze never leaving my face. "I didn’t have anything pressing to do, so I came early. Go ahead and finish your work—I can wait."

Standing this close to him, I could see why Nora was so drawn to him. His presence commanded attention, powerful and unmistakably Alpha. No wonder Arthur, his wolf, had such a reputation among our kind.

"Alright, you can wait in my office," I said, trying to sound casual. "I’ll come find you when I’m done."

"Take your time," he nodded, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips.

I returned to the conference room, attempting to refocus on the meeting. But knowing Damien was just outside made concentration nearly impossible. How had I not noticed him earlier? His presence was impossible to ignore—tall and commanding in his perfectly tailored suit.

This was our first face-to-face meeting since that wild night together. The memories of our bodies entwined, his hands exploring every inch of me, his teeth grazing my neck without marking me... My wolf whimpered at the memory, and I felt my legs weaken slightly.

The remainder of the meeting became a blur. I kept losing my train of thought, my eyes drifting to the glass wall.

"Ms. Lancaster? Ms. Lancaster?" Someone called my name twice before I snapped back to reality.

I stood abruptly. "Excuse me for a moment."

I marched out to where Damien was still waiting and confronted him. "Seriously, you gotta move!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Am I distracting you?"

Oh, you have no idea! I’d been unable to focus for the past several minutes, my thoughts continuously drifting to him.

But I couldn’t admit that—his ego was substantial enough already. "Look, I’m worried about corporate espionage. What if you steal my projects? Go wait in my office instead."

I began pushing him away from the conference room.

He chuckled, a sound that vibrated through me. "Won’t your office be even more ripe with confidential info? Aren’t you worried I’ll raid the place?"

"That’s a risk I’ll have to take. Just not out here, in plain sight!" I insisted.

At least if he wasn’t in my line of sight, I might be able to concentrate.

After removing Damien from the vicinity, I felt much better. I returned to my seat and tried to regain control of the meeting. "Let’s pick up where we left off—could everyone please recap what you were saying?"

The meeting continued for another hour and a half. By the time we finished, it was well past closing hours, and I had the nagging feeling I’d forgotten something important.

Then it hit me—Damien! I’d completely forgotten he was waiting in my office.

I rushed back to find him sitting comfortably in my chair, legs crossed, looking every bit like the powerful Alpha. There was something dangerous and alluring about him, like a predator lurking in the shadows.