Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 162 Do I look untrustworthy?

Victoria’s POV

As I was about to leave, Patrick’s voice rang out from inside the room again, "Victoria, come back!"

I didn’t hesitate, turning back into the room.

Patrick looked at me, a self-pitying expression on his face. "Victoria, I got hurt because of you." He paused, then added, "You should take care of me."

For a moment, I was stunned. If it was *just* about taking care of him, I could accept that. So I nodded, a tentative agreement.

But then he continued, his voice dropping to a low, possessive tone, "While you’re taking care of me, you should break up with Damian. All your attention needs to be on me."

"Patrick," I managed, my voice tight with disbelief, "What are you saying?" A wave of anxiety crept up my spine, constricting my throat.

Patrick pressed on, his gaze unwavering. "I want you to take responsibility for me. I want you to be with me, to be my partner, and to take care of me forever."

His demand for me to "take responsibility" felt like a colossal weight pressing down on my chest. How was I supposed to take responsibility? What did he even mean by that?

Yes, Patrick had saved me, and I was genuinely grateful. I would make sure he received the best care possible and recovered quickly. But beyond that? My wolf, Nora, stirred restlessly within me, just as confused and agitated by his demands.

There were many ways to show gratitude. If he expected me to tie my entire life to this one incident, I couldn’t do it.

"You’re in this state because you saved me," I said, my voice remarkably calm despite the storm raging inside me. "But that doesn’t mean I’m going to break up with my husband and be with you. I can’t do that. I’ll arrange for someone else to take good care of you. For now, you should rest."

I turned and walked out of the room, unable to tolerate being alone with him any longer. The air felt thick, heavy with expectations I couldn’t – and wouldn’t – fulfill.

"Victoria, don’t go! Please don’t leave!" Patrick cried out desperately behind me. But I pretended not to hear, walking away with firm, determined steps. I heard sounds like fists pounding against the hospital bed from inside, but I kept walking. Let him be angry. I couldn’t be his emotional crutch.

Damian was still waiting in the hallway. From his tense posture, I knew he’d heard everything, and had been on the verge of bursting in.

"You can send your people home now," I said, pushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "I’ll find someone to take care of Patrick."

Damian leaned against the wall, a faint scent of cedarwood emanating from him. "If you need help, just tell me. I’ll get the best doctors to treat him. However, I will absolutely not agree to a divorce from you. And as your husband, knowing his intentions, I also cannot agree to you taking care of him alone."

I stared at the floor tiles, my wolf, Nora, giving a low growl of agreement.

"I won’t be taking care of him alone, I... I don’t have time..." I mumbled. My mind was a jumble of thoughts. My gut told me I shouldn’t compromise because of Patrick. But he *had* gotten hurt because he saved me. If it hadn’t been for me, he might not have been injured at all.

"That’s not the right answer," Damian said, stepping closer to me, his presence suddenly more potent.

"What do you mean?" I asked, instinctively taking half a step back.

"You should be saying you don’t want to take care of him because you don’t *like* him, not because you don’t have time," he continued, his eyes dark and probing. "If time were the *only* issue, you’d surely make time for him, wouldn’t you? Would you become his private caregiver?" He leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous purr. "Didn’t *I* save you that night too? Where’s *my* bedside care? If we’re counting saviors, I’m definitely first in line, Princess."

"That’s completely different," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. "It’s late, Damian, you should go home."

"And you? Planning to spend the night here?" he asked, his gaze tracking my every move.

I nodded. "Yes, Grandpa still needs looking after. I’ll stay here with him."

"If you *must* stay with Grandpa, then do so, but remember to rest," his voice softened abruptly. "Don’t worry about me. You’re busy enough without adding me to your plate."

"Right," I agreed, suddenly realizing how exhausted I was. My mind felt like a tangled web, with no clear beginning or end.

Later, as I sat with Grandpa in his room, my phone buzzed. It was Damian. The call rang for only two seconds before stopping, immediately followed by a text message: "Come to the door."

Driven by curiosity, I walked to the corridor and found Damian standing there, a takeout bag in his hand. The rich aroma of the food made my stomach rumble involuntarily.

"I figured you haven’t eaten tonight," he said, lifting the bag slightly. "Got you something, and something light for your grandpa too."

"Thank you," I said, taking the food. His thoughtfulness came as a complete surprise.

I first brought Grandpa his portion, explaining that it was from Damian.

"Damian’s really considerate. Would you like to try some? If not, that’s perfectly fine, you can just set it aside for now," I offered gently.

Grandpa huffed disapprovingly. "Is that pup still out there?"

I nodded, and his brows furrowed even deeper.

"If you want, I can send him away right now," I suggested, but ended up spending a considerable amount of time outside with Damian instead. We found a quiet corner and shared the meal he’d brought. I couldn’t possibly finish it all by myself, and I suspected Damian had been too busy today to eat properly.

"Thanks again for everything today," I said, unwrapping a sandwich.

"No big deal, don’t worry about it."

"This accident just feels off to me," Damian continued, his expression darkening. "On the surface, it looks like bad luck, but I’m a pessimist by nature. I can’t help but wonder if Patrick orchestrated it himself."

There was no evidence to support his theory – it was purely Damian’s gut feeling. Nevertheless, it unsettled me.

"That’s ridiculous," I retorted. "Who would risk their life like that? That car was coming straight for me. If Patrick hadn’t wanted to save me, he could have just stayed put." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Don’t judge others by your own standards," Damian warned, a flicker of primal fear in his eyes. "Just because you and I think rationally doesn’t mean everyone does. Victoria, be careful. Don’t be so naive as to believe everything at face value."

I studied him for a moment, then quipped, "By your logic, me sitting here and eating with you is naive. After all, you just said I shouldn’t trust anyone – including you."

Damian looked as if he’d fallen right into his own trap. Seeing his expression, I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Do I look untrustworthy?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"There’s not an ounce of honesty on your face," I retorted, letting my gaze linger on him for a moment. Damian Sterling was the very embodiment of dangerous charm. He was breathtakingly handsome, his sharp eyes seeming to see straight through you. A single glance from him was enough to make your heart race. I had to force myself to look away, lest my inner wolf react even more overtly to his presence.

Halfway through our meal, the professional caregiver arranged by Kane arrived. I put down my food, thanked Damian, and then led the staff member to Patrick’s room.

When we entered, Patrick was extremely pale. "Victoria," he said weakly, "My leg hurts terribly."

"I’ll call the doctor right away to have them check on you," I said immediately. "Perhaps they can prescribe something stronger for the pain. Actually, the pain is a good thing – it means you still have sensation. That’s a positive sign. Complete numbness, at least, would be far more worrying."

"By the way, this is Kane. You’ve met before." I gestured to Kane, who stood by the door with a professional demeanor. "He’ll be staying with you tonight, making sure you have everything you need."