Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 139 A bit of money?

Author’s POV

With just a few carefully chosen words, Victoria had ignited the tension between Scarlett and Marcia. The effect was immediate.

Scarlett turned toward Marcia, then glanced at Mona with narrowed eyes. "Mother, did you really buy such expensive things for this woman?"

The truth was that Marcia didn’t particularly care for Scarlett either. She acted as though her son was some perfect specimen no woman deserved.

Even though Scarlett had practically thrown herself at Ethan, Marcia never warmed to her. Scarlett constantly flaunted her status as a member of the Sutton family, speaking disrespectfully to Marcia at every opportunity. Mona, on the other hand, knew exactly how to play the game—constantly flattering Marcia, praising her taste and wisdom until the older woman practically preened under the attention.

Marcia hadn’t expected Victoria to summon Scarlett. The sight of her daughter-in-law immediately soured her mood—that woman was nothing but trouble.

Meanwhile, Grace hadn’t anticipated Victoria’s move either. Since Marcia had been preventing them from leaving, this new development promised quite the spectacle.

"Of course not," Marcia said dismissively. "These are hardly worth mentioning."

Victoria smiled slyly. "The receipts are still in the bags. Why don’t you take them out and see for yourself how ’worthless’ they are?"

Hearing this, Scarlett immediately lunged for the shopping bags in Mona’s hands.

Mona instinctively pulled back, unwilling to surrender her treasures. This resistance only fueled Scarlett’s determination to see what was inside. When Scarlett was enraged, she transformed into something feral, all pretense of civilization abandoned. Her inner wolf was clearly straining at the leash.

During the struggle, Mona suddenly lost her balance and nearly fell. Marcia rushed to steady her, concern evident on her face. "Mona, are you alright?"

Mona’s hand instinctively went to her stomach, a gesture not lost on anyone present. "I’m fine," she murmured.

The protective motion was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Scarlett’s eyes widened with realization just as Marcia’s hand shot out, delivering a sharp slap across her daughter-in-law’s face.

Scarlett stood frozen, one hand pressed against her stinging cheek. "Mother, you slapped me for this woman?"

On the sidelines, Grace and Victoria exchanged glances, thoroughly enjoying the unfolding drama. There was something deeply satisfying about watching these wolves tear into each other.

"Show some respect to Mona," Marcia snapped. "Is it worth assaulting someone over a bit of money spent?"

All Marcia could think about was protecting her precious grandchild. The pregnancy was barely a few weeks along—any mishap could end it. She couldn’t help blaming Scarlett for her own failure to conceive despite years of sleeping with Ethan.

"A bit of money?" Scarlett’s voice rose an octave. "If it’s just ’a bit,’ then why hide it?"

With that, she yanked the bags from Mona’s hands and tore into the beautifully packaged boxes. Her face darkened as she examined the items and their price tags—nearly a million dollars worth of jewelry.

Marcia had never bought Scarlett anything close to this extravagant. In a fit of rage, Scarlett hurled the jewelry to the floor.

"A mistress wearing these? Marcia Cross, has being the other woman for so long addled your brain?" Scarlett had abandoned all pretense of respect, using Marcia’s full name and throwing her past in her face.

Marcia nearly choked on her fury. "You—you—!" she sputtered. "Scarlett Sutton! Divorce! My son will divorce you immediately. The Northstream Pack doesn’t need someone like you in our ranks!"

"Divorce? In your dreams!" Scarlett snarled, her wolf rising close to the surface, making her eyes flash with amber. "You think I’ll step aside so this woman can take my place? Your family has wronged me enough. I’ll cling to the Sterling name until I drag you all down with me." She jabbed a finger at Mona. "And why are you buying her such expensive gifts? Is she pregnant? She is, isn’t she?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Marcia’s face drained of color. Her greatest fear was that Scarlett would discover the pregnancy and somehow harm the child. If that happened, Ethan would never have an heir, and the Sterling bloodline would end with him.

"Don’t be ridiculous," Marcia said quickly. "What pregnancy? I simply enjoy her company."

"Then let’s go to the hospital right now. Have her checked," Scarlett demanded. "When you had that long talk with Lawrence, he told me to be nicer to you. I knew something was off. You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you? I underestimated you." She glared at Mona with pure hatred. "I was so focused on Victoria as my enemy, I overlooked this viper with her devious plans."

Mona backed away. "I don’t have to go anywhere with you. I refuse!"

"Refusing because you have something to hide?" Scarlett’s lip curled in disgust. "I’ve seen your type before. That bastard child you’re carrying will never enter the Sterling pack house. As long as I’m around, you’ll never get what you want!"

Scarlett lunged again, her control slipping further. Around them, shoppers had formed a circle, many filming the confrontation on their phones, eager to capture the high-society drama.

None of the combatants paid any attention to Victoria and Grace watching from the sidelines. This was now a battle for dominance and saving face—whoever backed down first would lose everything.

When Scarlett tried to grab Mona, Marcia positioned herself as a shield. Scarlett, beyond reasoning now, shoved the older woman hard.

Marcia, with her aging human reflexes, couldn’t catch herself. She fell heavily to the floor, crying out as she landed on her tailbone.

"Help! Murder! Someone help me!" Marcia wailed dramatically, clutching her lower back. "It hurts so much! Help!"

The bystanders kept their distance, wary of getting involved in what might be an elderly scam. These things happened often enough in malls to make people cautious.

"Mrs. Sterling! Mrs. Sterling!" Mona hurried to Marcia’s side, trying to help her up, but the older woman couldn’t move.

"Call an ambulance! Quickly!" Marcia cried out. "Scarlett, this is attempted murder! I’ll make sure my son divorces you. It will happen, I swear it!" Her hatred for Scarlett had reached new heights.

She spoke of divorce as if Ethan could simply discard Scarlett at his mother’s command—as if pack bonds were so easily severed.

Scarlett made no move to call for help. As far as she was concerned, the world would be better off if the old woman died right there.

Eventually, Mona called for an ambulance herself. When the paramedics arrived, they carefully loaded Marcia onto a stretcher and took her away.

Throughout the entire scene, Victoria and Grace had remained silent spectators, not interfering once.

As the crowd dispersed, Grace applauded. "Victoria, you’re brilliant. That dog-eat-dog show was spectacular. Marcia tried to block our path, and without lifting a finger, you managed to put her in an ambulance. Impressive."

Victoria smiled, satisfaction evident in her expression. "Their family drama was already there, waiting to explode. Scarlett’s real enemy isn’t me anymore—it’s Mona. That woman is crafty, clearly aiming to marry into the pack. Why else would she be with Ethan? With Scarlett in the picture, she’ll have a hard time achieving that goal. Let the three of them tear each other apart."

The more they fought amongst themselves, the less time they would have to cause trouble for Victoria. For now, at least, she could enjoy some peace.

As they walked away, Victoria felt Nora, her wolf, humming with satisfaction inside her. Their bond had grown stronger since she’d stopped hiding her true nature. Though she hadn’t fully embraced her role as the future Alpha of Crescent Dawn Pack yet, moments like this—strategic victories without bloodshed—reminded her of the leader she was born to be.