Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 69 He’s still in emergency.

Victoria’s POV:

I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. "He’s still in emergency. The doctors asked family to wait here."

My heart had been suspended in my chest since the moment I’d heard Grandfather had collapsed. Nora was restless inside me, sensing my distress, whimpering at the thought of losing our only family alpha.

Damien moved closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. The warmth of his touch sent Arthur’s calming presence washing over me.

"He’ll be alright, little wolf," he murmured, his fingers gently squeezing my shoulder in reassurance. "Your grandfather is strong. Alphas like him don’t give up easily."

I nodded, but how could I not worry? The waiting was excruciating, each minute stretching into what felt like hours with no news from the doctors. The longer the emergency team worked on him, the more my anxiety grew.

"No news is good news," Damien said softly. "If it were truly dire, they would have issued critical condition notices by now. They’re still fighting, which means he’s still fighting."

He guided me to the nearby chairs, and I let myself be led, my body feeling oddly disconnected from my racing mind. Without thinking, I began speaking, the words tumbling out like water breaking through a dam.

"Grandfather is everything to me," I confessed. "He’s my only family. My parents died in an accident when I was very small. It’s just been the two of us, relying on each other. He gave me all the love he had—I never felt the absence of my parents because he filled that void so completely."

Damien’s presence beside me was solid, grounding. His scent—cedar and midnight rose—wrapped around me like a protective blanket.

"I was never bullied for being parentless," I continued. "No child ever dared mention my situation. I knew even then that Grandfather had made sure of it, had spoken to parents and teachers alike to shield me from that pain."

I stared down at my hands, remembering. "He always considered my feelings first. From childhood, he told me to pursue whatever made me happy. He promised to catch me if I fell, to support whatever path I chose. He never wanted me to force myself into a mold for anyone else’s sake. ’Love who you want to love,’ he’d say. ’Life is short—live it for your own happiness, not for others’ expectations.’"

My voice cracked slightly. "I’ve been so selfish, focused on my own life. I never wanted to acknowledge that he was getting older."

Nora whined inside me, the wolf in me grieving at the thought of our pack alpha—our only family—possibly leaving us. Without him, I would truly be alone in the world, the last Lancaster wolf.

I felt Damien watching me intently as I spoke, his eyes taking in my trembling form. The fierce Alpha of ME Corporation, who made business rivals quake with a single glance, was looking at me with something that resembled tenderness.

"Your grandfather loves you deeply," he said quietly. "He knows someone is waiting for him, worrying about him. That alone gives wolves like us tremendous strength to fight. The bond between pack members—especially family—is powerful medicine."

I nodded. "You’re right."

As my emotions settled slightly, realization dawned on me. What had I just done? In my distress, I’d revealed everything about my family situation to Damien. My parents’ deaths, being raised by my grandfather... Any intelligent person—especially someone as shrewd as Damien—would easily connect the dots to my true identity.

My carefully maintained cover as a simple secretary at Lancaster Corporation was completely blown.

I glanced at him cautiously. "If I told you I have no connection to Lancaster Corporation beyond being a secretary, would you believe me?"

Damien’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "What do you think, Miss Lancaster?"

I froze. The way he said my name—so certain, so matter-of-fact—told me everything.

"How long have you known?" I asked, defeated.

"Your cover story had holes large enough to drive a truck through, little wolf," he replied, amusement dancing in his eyes. "From the first time we dined together in that private room, I had you investigated. Your grandfather protected you well—no public appearances, no photographs identifying you as the Lancaster heiress circulating in the media—but it wasn’t difficult to piece together."

I frowned, my embarrassment quickly turning to indignation. "If you knew all along, why play along with my secretary story? Why not call me out?"

"If the little wolf wanted to play dress-up, who was I to spoil her fun?" The corner of his mouth lifted in that infuriating half-smile. "I was curious to see how long you’d keep up the charade."

I bit my lip, accepting defeat. There was no point in pretending anymore.

"Don’t tell anyone else about my identity," I said firmly.

"Why not?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. "If Ethan knew you were the Lancaster heiress and future Alpha of Crescent Dawn Pack, do you think he would have chosen Scarlett? You never considered revealing yourself to him?"

I could hear the unasked question beneath his words: had I ever trusted Ethan enough to show him my true self?

"It doesn’t matter now," I said quietly. "I’ve seen who he truly is, and I’m grateful I kept my secrets. If he couldn’t love me as a simple secretary, he doesn’t deserve to know me as an Alpha heir."

The truth was, I’d planned to tell Ethan everything once we were engaged, once I was certain of his love. Thank the Goddess that day never came.

"Just don’t tell Ethan," I added. "I don’t want to give him another reason to come crawling back."

Damien nodded. "So who else knows about your true identity?"

I considered the question. "Not many. At the company, only Kane knows. Among my friends, just Grace."

Something shifted in Damien’s expression then—a softening around the eyes, a slight relaxation of his jawline. Kane didn’t count as he was practically pack, and Grace was my childhood friend. Among outsiders—among potential mates—only Damien knew my secret.

"This stays between us," I warned him. "If word gets out, I’ll know exactly who to blame."

Damien raised an eyebrow. "That’s hardly fair. Accusing me before any crime has been committed?"

"I might be persuaded to trust you," I said, attempting a lighter tone despite the circumstances, "if you asked nicely."

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. "Me, beg you? Now that’s interesting." He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I could be convinced to plead with you, little wolf, but my methods of persuasion might be too... intense for this public setting. Your place or mine?"

Heat flooded my cheeks. "That’s not what I meant!"

Just the mention of our homes brought memories rushing back of that night—his hands on my skin, Arthur and Nora recognizing each other in ways our human sides refused to acknowledge.

Damien’s breath was warm against my ear as he leaned in closer. "Isn’t that how you want me to beg, little wolf? I promise my methods will leave you quite... satisfied. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two for the next time you need to plead your case with me."