Claimed by My Ex Chapter 69 He’s still in emergency

Chapter 69: Chapter 69 He’s still in ergency.

Victoria’s POV:

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

My heart had been suspended in my chest since the mont I’d heard Grandfather had collapsed. Nora was restless inside , 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 .

"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 ergency 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 ans he’s still fighting."

He guided

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 ," 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

all the love he had—I never felt the absence of my parents because he filled that void so completely."

Damien’s presence beside

was solid, grounding. His scent—cedar and midnight rose—wrapped around

like a protective blanket.

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

from that pain."

I stared down at my hands, rembering. "He always considered my feelings first. From childhood, he told

to pursue whatever made

happy. He promised to catch

if I fell, to support whatever path I chose. He never wanted

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 , the wolf in

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

intently as I spoke, his eyes taking in my trembling form. The fierce Alpha of

Corporation, who made business rivals quake with a single glance, was looking at

with sothing that resembled tenderness.

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

I nodded. "You’re right."

As my emotions settled slightly, realization dawned on . 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 soone 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 ?"

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

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

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, amusent dancing in his eyes. "From the first ti 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 dia—but it wasn’t difficult to piece together."

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

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

as a simple secretary, he doesn’t deserve to know

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 ca.

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

Sothing 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 bla."

Damien raised an eyebrow. "That’s hardly fair. Accusing

before any cri 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.