Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 53 Don’t flatter yourself!

Victoria’s POV::

"Don’t flatter yourself! I made it for myself but accidentally made too much. I thought my neighbor might be hungry, so I’m sharing a bit with you."

I followed him inside, closing the door behind me.

Damian placed the pasta on the dining table, and I sat across from him. "Try it."

Besides, I owed him a meal from before. This could count as repayment.

He began eating with relish, nodding appreciatively as he ate.

"Not bad, right? My cooking skills are quite good," I said, not hiding my pride in my culinary abilities.

"Acceptable," he replied with a slight smile. "If your secretary job doesn’t work out, you could always open a restaurant."

"You should hope for better things for me," I laughed. "Don’t get used to my cooking. You won’t get a meal from me this easily in the future!"

If I became a chef, my grandfather might die of heartbreak. A Lancaster heir, cooking for others? Unthinkable!

Damian’s lips curved into a smile as he finished every bite in his bowl. Though I claimed I had made too much, it was obvious I had made it specifically for him. Still, he seemed genuinely grateful for my effort.

After eating, I gestured toward the kitchen. "I cooked, so you wash the dishes. Fair division of labor, don’t you think?"

Damian didn’t object. He took our bowls to the kitchen to wash them while I began picking up some of the debris from the floor.

When he returned, he took the cleaning supplies from my hands. "Leave that. I’ll have a cleaning service come tomorrow. It’s late—you should go rest."

"Alright, you get some good rest too," I agreed.

"About the contract," he said as I headed toward the door, "I’m free the day after tomorrow evening. Bring your documents and treat me to dinner."

"No problem! Damian, you’re the best alpha in the world!" I exclaimed, thrilled that I had finally managed to get this stubborn Alpha to agree to sign the contract.

The weekend arrived, but due to the mountain of work at Lancaster Company, I still found myself heading to the office. In just one more day, I’d finally be able to get Damian Sterling to sign our contract—the thought alone lightened the weight in my chest.

Thinking about Damian now, he wasn’t as terrifying as the rumors suggested. Sure, sometimes he seemed almost inhuman, cold and calculating—but other times, he showed a warmth that surprised me. At least we had common ground in our mutual distaste for Ethan. That counted for something, right?

I really hoped tomorrow night’s contract signing would go smoothly. No more unexpected complications or interruptions. Damian had given his word, and even an Alpha like him wouldn’t go back on it. Would he?

Since Damian was letting me treat him to dinner, I personally made reservations at one of my favorite restaurants. It wasn’t the most luxurious place, but the food was amazing—Grace Mitchell and I went there often.

I had once recommended this place to Ethan too, but he’d scoffed at it, claiming only "ordinary wolves" dined there. Typical. Despite his snobbery, the food really was delicious, and I loved it there.

Though I wasn’t sure if Damian would have the same elitist attitude as Ethan. To be safe, I made backup reservations at several upscale restaurants. If the first restaurant didn’t meet his standards, we could easily relocate.

Saturday passed quickly, and I went to bed early, my wolf Nora surprisingly calm. The next morning, I woke up refreshed and decided to have breakfast with Grandfather at the Lancaster estate.

William was already seated at the table when I arrived, his powerful presence filling the room even in casual morning attire. The rich scent of his coffee mingled with the aroma of freshly prepared breakfast from our pack’s kitchen staff.

"Good morning, little one," he greeted, the corners of his eyes crinkling with genuine affection. As Alpha of Crescent Dawn Pack, he rarely showed such softness to others, but with me, his mask always fell away.

Halfway through our breakfast, my phone rang, Grace’s name flashing on the screen.

"Victoria, I need your help—this is an emergency!" Grace’s panicked voice came through the phone.

"What’s wrong, Grace? Take a deep breath and tell me what happened," I said calmly, though Nora immediately went on alert within me.

"Remember that important fashion show I told you about? It’s tonight, and one of my models woke up with a sprained ankle. I had a backup, but she just canceled—I’m almost certain my competitor bribed her. I’m desperate, Victoria. Can you fill in? Please?"

I bit my lip, thinking about how important this show was for Grace’s brand. The last time I visited her studio, I’d seen her perfecting designs late into the night, and the sample garments already looked stunning. She’d even joked about having me model for her someday.

"But Grace, I’ve never modeled before. I don’t know how to walk a runway. What if I ruin your important night?" I hesitated, genuinely worried.

"You’ll be perfect! I have complete faith in you. Please, Victoria, I have no other choice," she pleaded.

"But tonight, I..." I stopped, thinking about my dinner with Damian.

This contract had already faced too many delays and complications. If I stood Damian up now, I might never have another chance to partner with Blood Moon Enterprises. The business implications were enormous.

But Grace was one of my dearest friends—one of the few who had supported me through the entire Ethan and Scarlett ordeal. Our friendship meant the world to me.

My wolf whimpered softly, torn between loyalty to a friend and the opportunity waiting with Damian. In the end, it wasn’t really a decision at all.

"Don’t worry, Grace. I’ll be there," I promised. "Where are you? I’ll come right away."

As for Damian, I’d have to ask for forgiveness later. If I were still at the new home, I could simply go upstairs and explain face-to-face. Unfortunately, the Lancaster estate was quite far away.

I set down my utensils and turned to Grandfather. "I need to go, Grandfather. Grace has an emergency."

William nodded understandingly, his eyes showing quiet approval for my loyalty to a friend. That was one thing about being part of a pack—we understood the importance of bonds.

As I hurried toward my car, I called Damian. The phone rang several times before he finally answered.

"What is it?" His voice was cold and distant.

I swallowed hard. "Damian, did I wake you?"

"What is it?" he asked, his tone unreadable.

On Damian’s end, he stood in his bathroom, fresh from a shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water droplets clung to his muscled torso as he was about to select an outfit for tonight’s dinner. The dinner where we would finally sign the contract.

"I... I need to tell you something, and I hope you won’t be angry. Please don’t let this affect... anything between us," I said, trying to appeal to whatever sense of connection we might have developed.

Damian’s voice immediately turned colder. "I don’t know what’s between us, little wolf. Unless you’re referring to the fact that you were once my half-brother’s girlfriend? Is that the connection you mean?"

His cold response made my heart sink. Nora growled softly within me, disliking his dismissive tone.

"That was unnecessarily cruel," I replied. "We’ve met several times now. We’re at least friends, aren’t we? Future business partners? Speaking of which, your future business partner has encountered another unexpected situation. I can’t make our dinner tonight. I’m sorry—I know you must be furious, but I really have no choice."

I rushed to explain before he could interrupt. "My best friend just called. One of the models for her fashion show tonight got injured, and she needs me to fill in. She’s really one of my closest friends, and if your friend needed emergency help, wouldn’t you prioritize them too? If you’re angry, you can scold me in person next time, I promise."

There was a moment of silence on the line after my breathless explanation.

"Victoria," Damian finally said, his voice dangerously quiet, "am I always the least important person in your considerations?"

My wolf whimpered at the unexpected hurt I detected beneath his cold words. "Of course not! But Grace, she—"

I knew I was in the wrong here. "Look, next time if you need to stand me up or disappoint me in some way, I won’t be upset. Consider this a rain check you can cash in later, okay?"

"Since you’ve already made your decision, why bother asking me? Goodbye, Victoria." The line went dead.

Damian’s POV:

At the carefully selected outfit I’d laid out before my shower. Despite it being just a dinner appointment, I’d started preparing early, choosing everything with meticulous care. And for what? Victoria had stood me up again.

My wolf, Arthur, paced restlessly inside me, equally annoyed at being denied the chance to be near her.

After a few minutes of simmering anger, I picked up my phone again and messaged Jeff Parker: "Find out if there are any fashion shows happening tonight."

I wanted to confirm whether Victoria was actually telling me the truth or if this was just another excuse.