Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother-Chapter 190 You’re quite the schemer

Victoria’s POV

Marcia Cross was already asleep when Lawrence Sterling slipped into the bathroom once again, this time conjuring images of Mona as he sought release. His desire had been building for weeks, and tonight’s alcohol had weakened his already fragile self-control.

Mona had previously worked at Sterling Enterprises, naturally maintaining connections with people there. Now that she held a position within the Sterling family, countless individuals sought to curry favor with her. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to cultivate her own loyal following.

Having once served as Ethan’s secretary, Mona had planted her own people in the secretarial department, making it easy to access Lawrence’s schedule. She knew he had a business event tonight, with secretarial staff accompanying him.

Mona felt the time was right to set her trap. Earlier that day, she had cleverly arranged for Marcia to visit her family, convincing her to return to her parents’ home. As for the household servants, they posed no threat. Even if they witnessed something, what could they do? If her plan succeeded, Lawrence would certainly silence them. Mona felt no concern whatsoever.

Under Mona’s influence, the secretary accompanying Lawrence kept plying him with alcohol until he was thoroughly intoxicated. By the time they returned home, it was deep into the night.

The night air on the journey home had sobered Lawrence somewhat. He was still drunk, but with a dangerous clarity that Mona hadn’t anticipated.

The driver helped Lawrence into the house, where Mona was waiting in the living room. She feigned surprise, her voice a mixture of concern and innocence. "Father! How much did you drink? Quick, help him to the bedroom."

With Marcia visiting her family, the master bedroom was empty—the perfect stage for Mona’s performance.

After dismissing the driver, Mona knew her opportunity had come. She entered the master bedroom, her gaze falling on the man lying on the bed. Without hesitation, she moved toward him, her fingers beginning to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt.

Lawrence wasn’t completely unconscious. His hand shot out with surprising strength, gripping Mona’s wrist. The momentum caused her to fall against his chest, an expression of innocent shock on her face. "Father... what are you doing?" she gasped, feeling not fear but anticipation rising within her.

"Mona," Lawrence growled low, his wolf instincts cutting through the alcoholic haze, "you’re quite the schemer, aren’t you?"

Mona deliberately pressed her body against his chest, feeling his body respond despite his words. Did he really believe she didn’t know what she was doing?

"Father, I don’t know what you mean," she played innocent, feeling his grip tighten.

"Ha! Get out! Now!" Lawrence pushed her away, commanding her to leave.

Even in his vulnerable state, there were lines he couldn’t cross. The wolf within him howled in anguish, desperate to release weeks of pent-up tension.

Having come this far, Mona refused to abandon her plan. Such a perfect opportunity might never present itself again. Her wolf nature instinctively sensed the potential powerful mate, driving her to continue despite the taboo.

"Father, you’ve had so much to drink, you must feel terrible. Have some water," she said, offering him a glass. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I told you to get out!" Lawrence pushed her away forcefully.

Mona seized the opportunity, deliberately spilling water on herself. The white gossamer nightgown she’d specifically chosen for tonight immediately clung to her skin, outlining her curves. Her scent of arousal filled the room, awakening Lawrence’s deepest predatory instincts.

"Father, are you alright? Did I splash water on you? Let me dry you off," she said, her voice dropping to a husky whisper.

Her hands roamed slowly over his body, finally settling on his lower region. Something flickered in Lawrence’s eyes—alcohol, opportunity, and the willing woman before him awakened primal desires buried deep within.

He couldn’t deny her beauty. That face reminded him of Victoria—though not as radiant and breathtaking as Victoria, pregnancy had given Mona a unique allure. Her scent had changed too, becoming sweeter, more enticing.

Lawrence’s restraint finally crumbled. He pinned Mona to the bed, his massive frame completely dominating her.

Mona pushed gently against his chest, her voice contradictorily whispering, "Father, we shouldn’t..." But her body betrayed her words, arms wrapping around his neck, hips arching up to meet him.

When Lawrence’s lips crashed down on hers, Mona knew her plan had succeeded. His kiss was rough and dominating, completely different from their tentative first encounter. His tongue forced its way into her mouth, hands tearing at her nightgown with savage growls, the thin fabric shredding to pieces.

Lawrence released weeks of pent-up anger and frustration. His hands roamed roughly over her body, fingers digging deep into her skin, leaving lasting marks. When he bit down on Mona’s neck, she gasped—not hard enough to claim her, never that, but enough to make her whimper in the intersection of pain and pleasure.

"This is what you wanted, isn’t it?" he growled against her ear, his breath hot and heavy. His hand slipped between her legs, finding her already wet and ready.

"Yes," she finally admitted, abandoning all pretense. "I’ve wanted this all along."

Their coupling was frenzied and nearly violent. Lawrence took her without gentleness, his powerful thrusts born of both desire and rage. Mona didn’t mind—she welcomed his roughness, nails raking down his back, urging him deeper, harder. The headboard rhythmically slammed against the wall with each thrust, neither caring if others might hear.

When Lawrence finally collapsed beside her, exhausted and breathless, Mona curled against him with a satisfied smile. The trap had been perfectly sprung.

Morning arrived with bitter cold. Lawrence woke to the sound of sobbing beside him. Mona was naked, clutching the sheets, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Father... how could this happen? What am I going to tell Ethan?" her voice was choked with obvious anguish.

Lawrence’s mind snapped to clarity, memories of the previous night flooding back like a tide. Realizing what he’d done—and with whom—felt like a punch to the gut.

"Mona, you’re quite cunning," he said coldly. She’d married his son and now had managed to sleep her way into his bed.

Mona shook her head vigorously, looking innocent and pained. "Father, I don’t know what you mean. Last night you were drunk, and with mother away, I just wanted to bring you water, but..."

"Get out! Now!" Lawrence pointed to the door, his voice dangerously low.

Mona wasn’t in any hurry. The fish was completely hooked. She gathered her torn nightgown and calmly left the room.

Lawrence sat alone, fingers pressing against his throbbing temples as waves of self-loathing crashed over him. His wolf stirred restlessly within him, struggling between satisfaction and shame.

...

A few days later, Ethan was released as Victoria had anticipated. Knowing he would seek revenge, she arranged for bodyguards—not only to protect herself, but also Damian. After all, they both bore responsibility for Ethan’s current predicament, making his retaliation seem inevitable.

Of course, Victoria’s security personnel didn’t escape Damian’s notice. Though they operated discretely, he detected their presence that very day.

As Damian left his office, he spotted the tail in his rearview mirror. They were skilled, maintaining considerable distance that even his driver hadn’t noticed—but Damian’s wolf senses were exceptionally acute.

"Drive toward the industrial district," Damian instructed calmly and steadily. "We’re going to draw out whoever’s following us."

Inside the car, Damian sat with legs crossed, displaying aristocratic elegance. Without Victoria’s presence, his true nature emerged—cold, calculating, deadly. Perhaps only Victoria could affect his emotions, only she could make him lose control.

Without her there, Damian operated with ruthless efficiency. Anyone who posed a threat to him would be eliminated without hesitation.

Not knowing who was following him or why, Damian decided to confront them directly.

His driver suddenly accelerated and turned sharply. The pursuing car was caught off guard by this sudden maneuver, momentarily losing sight of their target. Damian signaled his driver to turn around, effectively reversing their positions—now he was the one doing the chasing.

The followers, realizing they’d lost their target, stopped their car in what they thought was a safe location. Within seconds, they found themselves surrounded by Damian’s security team, who seemed to materialize from thin air.

Damian stepped out of his car, his six-foot-four imposing frame radiating dangerous menace. Just standing there was suffocating, that predatory aura making weaker wolves want to prostrate themselves before him in submission.

"Who are you?" he demanded coldly. "Who sent you? What’s your purpose?"

His patience was clearly limited, the wolf within him eager to establish dominance over these intruders who dared enter his territory.

The two men exchanged tense glances. Their mission had failed completely before it had even properly begun.

"Mr. Sterling," one finally spoke, his voice remaining steady despite obvious discomfort, "we’re here to protect you, not harm you."

"Protect me?" Damian’s mouth twisted in disbelief. These people must think he was a fool. He hadn’t requested protection, and their explanation was obviously false. Who dared manipulate him like this?