Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 68 Personal matter

Victoria’s POV:

"So yes, I’m trying to bribe Mr. Sterling," I said with a light laugh. "Maybe if I feed you well enough, you’ll finally sign that contract we discussed."

His deep chuckle vibrated through the phone. "And what other matters bring you calling, little wolf?"

"Does it matter what type of business it is?" I asked.

"Of course it does," Damien replied, his voice dropping to that dangerous register that always made Nora restless. "If it’s business, you’ll need to schedule with my assistant. My calendar is quite full—might be next month before I can fit you in."

He paused, and I could almost see the predatory smile on his face.

"However, if this is a personal matter..." his voice grew silky, "I might be persuaded to squeeze you in tonight."

Personal matter. The way he said it sent heat flooding through my body, memories of our night together flashing unbidden through my mind. Nora stirred eagerly within me, recognizing Arthur’s call even through the phone.

"It’s business," I replied firmly, trying to ignore my wolf’s disappointed whine. "Whether you want to hear it is up to you, but you might regret ignoring what I have to tell you."

I wasn’t obligated to share this information with him. This was me being considerate—repaying him for the assistance he’d offered before, nothing more. At least, that’s what I told myself.

"This sounds rather serious," he said, interest clearly piqued.

"It is. And time-sensitive." My wolf paced anxiously within me.

A soft laugh came through the phone. "Well then, since you’re so eager to see me, I’ll give you the opportunity. Today works for me."

I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. We’d tried to meet for dinner several times before, but each attempt had been derailed by some emergency or another. He seemed determined not to let that happen again.

"What would you like to eat?" I asked, mentally calculating. This was a fair exchange—I’d warn him about Peter Morrison’s company potentially imploding, and in return, he’d sign our contract. He’d owe me a favor then, and surely he wouldn’t refuse to sign after that.

"I’m not particular," Damien replied. "I’m more interested in seeing how much you value my time, little wolf."

I remembered the restaurant I’d planned to take him to last time—excellent food but not ostentatiously decorated like those high-end places where appearances mattered more than taste.

"Any dietary restrictions or preferences?" I asked. "Do you specifically need somewhere fancy?"

"As I said, I’m leaving it to you to show me how much you value this meeting."

"Fine, I’ll text you the address later," I said, eager to wrap up the call before Nora could push me into saying something embarrassing.

"Where’s the dedication?" he challenged. "If you’re truly serious, you should pick me up personally."

I bit back a groan. "Fine. I’ll come get you before I leave work."

As I was about to hang up, his voice came through once more: "I sincerely hope we won’t have any uninvited guests or interruptions this time."

"I promise," I assured him. "I’ll even turn my phone off. Nothing will get in the way this time."

"Let’s hope not," he said, his tone carrying both amusement and warning.

I checked my schedule again—completely clear for the evening. Surely the universe couldn’t conspire against us eating a simple meal together again. We couldn’t possibly be that star-crossed.

But plans, as they often do, fell apart spectacularly.

I had just left the office and was heading to my car when my phone rang—it was Jenkins, my grandfather’s house manager.

"Miss Victoria, something terrible has happened," his usually composed voice was shaking. "Your grandfather collapsed suddenly. The ambulance just took him to the hospital."

My blood turned to ice. "Which hospital?"

Jenkins gave me the information, and I immediately jumped into my car, heart hammering against my ribs. I drove as fast as I dared through the rush hour traffic, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

William Lancaster was my only living relative, the only true family I had left in this world. If anything happened to him... I couldn’t even complete the thought. My grandfather had been in declining health over the past few years, but he’d always maintained his strong spirit and Alpha presence. I’d foolishly believed he’d be with me for many more years.

It wasn’t until I was halfway to the hospital that I remembered—Damien. I’d completely forgotten about our dinner.

And this time, I truly hadn’t meant to stand him up.

With shaking hands, I called him. The phone rang several times before he answered.

"Already arrived?" His voice held a note of surprise.

"Damien, I..." My voice caught, betraying my distress.

There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his tone had changed completely. "You can’t make it."

It wasn’t a question but a statement of fact.

"I swear I’m not doing this on purpose," I said, hating how my voice trembled. "My grandfather collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. I’m so sorry. I know you must be furious with me by now, but I—I just can’t—"

"Which hospital?" he interrupted, his voice unexpectedly gentle.

I couldn’t tell if he was angry or not, his tone carefully neutral.

I told him the hospital name, and he simply replied, "I see."

Then he hung up.

He was definitely angry—how could he not be? This was the third or fourth time I’d canceled on him at the last minute. But I couldn’t worry about that now. My grandfather was my priority; I would never abandon him for a dinner date, even with Damien.

I promised myself I’d never try to schedule another meal with Damien again. We seemed cursed to never actually sit down and eat together. And today of all days—when I’d been so certain nothing would go wrong.

Please, Goddess, let Grandfather be alright. The prayer echoed through my mind as Nora whimpered anxiously within me.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached the hospital and rushed to the emergency department. My grandfather was still in the resuscitation room, leaving me pacing anxiously in the waiting area, my heart in my throat.

Each second that passed felt like an hour, the uncertainty gnawing at me. I trusted the doctors were doing everything they could, but still...

My wolf was restless, sensing my distress and wanting to howl her worry to the moon. I paced back and forth, unable to sit still, my mind racing with all the worst possibilities.

"Victoria!"

A familiar deep voice called my name from behind. I turned to find Damien striding toward me, his tall figure commanding attention even in the sterile hospital environment. Arthur’s scent reached me before he did—cedar and midnight rose, powerful and comforting all at once.

"Damien? What are you doing here?" I was genuinely shocked to see him. Had he come to demand an explanation? To express his frustration at yet another canceled dinner?

I bit my lip, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I’m sorry about tonight. I really can’t leave while my grandfather is... is..." I couldn’t finish the sentence. "You should go have dinner without me, or find someone else to join you."

Damien reached out, his hand gently ruffling my hair in a surprisingly tender gesture.

"What kind of person do you think I am, little wolf?" His voice was soft, without a trace of the irritation I’d expected. "Do you think all I care about is dinner? How is your grandfather doing?"

The concern in his eyes was genuine. Not the reaction I’d anticipated at all. Lancaster Pack was down to just my grandfather and me—William was my only family. If something happened to him, I would be truly alone. Somehow, Damien seemed to understand exactly what that meant to me.