Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 39 Such a shame

Victoria’s POV::

Sophia Smith stared at me with disbelief in her eyes, clearly refusing to accept what I had just told her.

"You’re the one who called the police and had me taken to the station!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the restaurant as several customers turned to look at us.

My wolf Nora snarled within me. Stay calm, I told her. She’s not worth us losing control.

Sophia continued her tirade, hurling accusations that made my hackles rise. Just as I was about to respond, a stern voice interrupted the commotion.

"Sophia? What do you think you’re doing?"

Her demeanor changed instantly. The fire in her eyes dimmed as she turned toward the voice. "Professor," she said meekly.

"Professor, please give me another chance," she pleaded, her voice suddenly sweet and desperate. "I really want to stay in the research group. You can’t dismiss all my contributions because of one incident. I’ve invested so much in this project." She gestured toward me. "Victoria is here—she can testify for me. I was framed!"

I almost laughed. The audacity was incredible.

The professor—apparently the person Sophia had uninvitedly followed here—shook his head. "My decision isn’t just about your questionable character, Sophia. Your abilities simply don’t meet our standards. You’ve been in the project group for months with no results, and others have had to clean up your messes. Everyone is too busy to continue carrying you."

Tears welled up in Sophia’s eyes. "Professor, I—"

"Victoria?" The distinguished gentleman standing beside the professor interrupted her, his eyes widening as he recognized me.

My heart jumped with delight. "Matthew! It’s been so long!" I never expected to encounter my former mentor’s son here.

Matthew’s face lit up with a genuine smile. "I can’t believe it’s really you! It’s been too long. What have you been up to lately? Come, let me get a good look at you—let’s go over there and catch up."

He gently took my arm and led me away from the awkward scene. As we walked, I could feel Sophia’s shocked gaze drilling into my back. I didn’t need to turn around to know her jaw had probably hit the floor.

Once we reached a quiet spot, Matthew’s expression became more serious. "You’ve lost weight. Why haven’t you kept in touch?"

I sighed, familiar guilt washing over me. "I’m sorry, Matthew. I just... I felt unworthy to face you or your mother."

The truth was, I had never been the type to follow conventional paths. While the Lancaster family—my pack—primarily focused on business, I had always been drawn to scientific research rather than corporate management. Science fascinated me, and I had been the professor’s most promising student.

Both Matthew and I had trained under his mother, and even he admitted I had more natural talent in our research field.

Then I met Ethan... and everything changed.

I began prioritizing him over my studies, spending less time in the lab and more time building what I thought was our shared future. I knew I had disappointed my mentor, and the shame kept me away from her.

"That’s nonsense," Matthew said firmly. "Mom mentions you often. She always says what a waste of talent it is and hopes you’ll come back. She misses you most, Victoria. If you have time, please go see her. She won’t blame you." His expression darkened slightly. "She’s been researching a new direction but hit a bottleneck. She’s been pushing herself too hard and was hospitalized a few days ago."

"She was hospitalized?" My heart sank. I had no idea things had gotten so bad.

"Yes. Seeing you would definitely lift her spirits."

"Could you send me the details of what she’s researching?" I asked, already wondering if I might be able to help.

"Of course. I’ll send them to you right away. But your contact information has changed, right? Let’s exchange numbers first."

After exchanging contact information and getting the hospital details, we chatted a bit more before returning. Sophia and her professor were still there. When they saw us return, the professor and Matthew left together to continue their meal.

Sophia’s attitude toward me had clearly changed. She approached me with a new calculating look in her eyes.

"Victoria, how do you know my professor’s guest?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

I gave her a cold look. "None of your business."

"Look, I may have been a bit hasty earlier," she said, her voice suddenly sweet. "Could you put in a good word for me? Help me get back into the professor’s project group?"

"Why would I do that?" I asked flatly. "That’s your problem. If you really had talent, no one would have kicked you out."

Grace, my loyal friend who had been quietly observing the entire scene, jumped in. "Exactly! Obviously your abilities aren’t up to par, Sophia. Your professor doesn’t want you, and you’re too delusional to accept reality."

"Victoria, this atmosphere is too unpleasant," Grace said, linking her arm with mine. "Let’s go eat somewhere else."

As we walked away, I could almost feel the frustration radiating from Sophia behind us. Let her stew in her own misery.

Now I had completely lost my appetite. All I could think about was my hospitalized mentor.

"Grace," I said softly as we walked through the parking lot, "my mentor is ill. I need to go to the hospital to see her."

"I’ll go with you," she replied without hesitation. This was what I loved about Grace—her unwavering loyalty.

I knew which hospital Professor Crowley would be at, but when we reached her room, I hesitated outside the door. Through the crack, I could hear her familiar authoritative voice speaking to someone inside.

"Suresh, this project cannot be interrupted," she insisted firmly. "If you can’t handle it, I’ll be discharged tomorrow. My health is fine—the research is what matters. That’s final!"

The person she was speaking to seemed to give up arguing. When they left the room, I pressed myself against the wall, not yet ready to be seen. Two researchers walked past, too absorbed in their conversation to notice me.

"If only Victoria were still here," one sighed. "She was the professor’s best student. She might have found a solution, broken through this impasse."

"Such a shame," the other replied bitterly. "The professor loved her so much, and what did she do? Betrayed everyone. So ungrateful."

Their words felt like claws tearing at my heart. I peeked into the room and caught a glimpse of my mentor. Her hair had gone much whiter, and she looked older than when I’d last seen her. But her determination was unchanged—still completely devoted to her research. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

I stood there frozen, unable to move forward or back. My feet felt like they were encased in cement, and for the first time since my breakup with Ethan, I felt genuine shame about my choices.