Claimed by My Ex's Half-Brother

Lilith’s POV

Back at the hospital, I received a call from my brother Leo.

"Lilith, have you no shame?" Leo’s voice was filled with rage.

I was bewildered, "Leo, what happened?"

"What happened? It’s all over werewolf social media! Photos of you and Cassian embracing at the café! You seduced Finn Blackwood who’s still locked up in the Alpha Council’s dungeon.When he couldn’t help you anymore,you went after Brett. But he didn’t fall for your ac，he saw right through your lies about the terminal illness and the child. And now you’re trying to seduce his Beta? Sabrina was your best friend, and you’re trying to seduce her mate?"

I finally understood he meant today’s accident. "Leo, let me explain..."

"Explain what?"he interrupted."Five years ago, you betrayed Brett to steal Aurora BioSciences’s secrets.Now you’re destroying someone else’s marriage? Have you considered how this scandal affects Cassian and Sabrina?"

"It was an accident!"I desperately explained."If not for Cassian today, I might have..."

"Enough!" Leo cut me off harshly."You’re just a banished Rogue! A Beta of Brett’s associating with someone like you is scandal enough!"

Hearing the word "Rogue" from my own brother cut deep.

"I just wanted to return Clara’s medical expenses to Brett," I fought back tears. "And today’s incident, I feel like someone behind the scenes..."

"Shut up!" Leo exploded. "I heard you already took two million from Brett, but now you’re acting all noble about returning these medical expenses? And what’s this about someone plotting against you? Are you going to accuse Vanessa again, just like you did five years ago?"

"She works tirelessly for both our packs’ medical advancement. What can you do besides destroying relationships? Lilith, Brett was right,you deserve the Moon Goddess’s curse, then you can’t hurt anyone else."

I smiled bitterly. I was his real sister, yet he always defended Vanessa without reason.

I fell silent. The death curse chilled me, but hearing these words from my own brother hurt even more.

Vanessa’s sweet voice came through the phone, "Leo, the lab is waiting for new data, and you promised to take me for overtime, remember?"

Even for overtime work, she needed my brother’s personal escort. I laughed inwardly, as Aurora BioSciences’ Chief Researcher, Vanessa had her own designated driver.

"Don’t worry," I said softly, "I won’t trouble you anymore."

I hung up.

As my phone screen darkened, I saw my pale reflection. Death was indeed coming for me. Ironically, his curse had already come true,he just didn’t know it yet.

I opened Wolf Connect,the werewolf social network.My heart sank as several trending headlines immediately popped up.

"Shocking! Alpha Brett’s Beta in Intimate Embrace with Rogue!"

"Exclusive: Blood Moon Pack Scandal - Married Beta’s Alleged Affair with Former Criminal"

"Cassian Walker’s Extramarital Affair? Deep Connections to Medical Secrets Leak Case Suspect from Five Years Ago"

These headlines stung my eyes.Worse still, they’d already climbed to the top of Trending Topics. Someone had even dug up photos of me talking with Finn Blackwood outside ME Building five years ago, paired with sensational text: "Criminal History Exposed! The Truth Behind Lilith Hartwell’s Past."

I slumped exhaustedly in the hospital room chair. This felt painfully familiar, like reliving the nightmare from five years ago. Just like then, countless out-of-context photos and reports would eventually push me into the abyss.

Clara slept peacefully in her hospital bed, her sweet face serene beneath her hearing aid. Looking at my daughter, I managed a weak smile. How could I ever prove my innocence?

My phone rang, and I immediately answered, stepping out of the room.

"Lillie, are you okay? I saw all the news." Sabrina’s voice was full of concern.

"Sabrina, I need to explain about today..."

"Lillie," she gently interrupted, "Cassian told me everything. I believe you both."

I froze. "You... you believe me?" Even my own brother Leo had turned against me, yet Sabrina chose to trust me.

"Of course. I believe in you, and in Cassian. I know my mate, and I know you, my childhood friend. Neither of you is that kind of person."

Her words made my eyes well up.

"Actually, I’ve always regretted what happened five years ago. Back then, the evidence seemed conclusive,the leaked medical secrets, lab surveillance footage, your photos with Finn... Everyone said you betrayed the pack, and I doubted you too. But looking back now, that evidence appeared too conveniently, too perfect to be real."

"Just like this time," I said softly.

"Yes, it’s too similar. Lillie, don’t you think everything happening to you lately seems strange?"

I fell silent, carefully considering: Clara’s paternity test results being compromised, today’s secret photos and ’accident’,everything felt meticulously orchestrated.

"I..." I hesitated, unsure whether to voice my suspicions. To everyone else, Vanessa was the perfect image of gentleness and dedication. Even Leo followed her every word without question.

"Do you suspect someone?" Sabrina picked up on my hesitation.

"I suspect Vanessa." I held my breath after saying her name, waiting for Sabrina’s reaction.

"Vanessa?" Sabrina’s voice turned serious. "Indeed, she’s highly suspicious. You’re sisters, both Alpha Silas’s daughters. In the lab back then, besides you, she had the most access to medical secrets due to your positions. And..."

She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully, "If Clara really is Brett’s child, then the story about you and Finn makes no sense. In that case, her upcoming mating ceremony with Brett would..."

Sabrina trailed off, "Lilith, I’ll help you investigate. This time, I’m choosing to trust you, to trust my instincts."

"Sabrina..." I choked up.

"Don’t cry," she said gently. "I’ll be by your side this time. We’ll uncover the truth together."

After hanging up, I looked at Clara sleeping in her hospital bed, feeling a wave of bitterness. Sabrina promised to stay by my side, but I didn’t know how long I had left to live. How I wished I could spend my remaining time uncovering the truth with this regained friend.

But at least I wasn’t fighting alone anymore.

Brett’s POV

I was having dinner with Vanessa after picking her up from the lab where she’d been working overtime.

We were at her favorite Michelin-starred restaurant, where she particularly loved the caviar and foie gras.

While waiting for our food, Vanessa handed me her phone, saying, "Lilith is trending on Wolf Connect."

I frowned as I took her phone and scrolled through the news. When I saw the photos, my wolf Jacob growled deep within me. The images showed Lilith and Cassian locked in a tight embrace.

"Is everything okay, Brett?" Vanessa asked from across the table, her voice gentle.

I clenched my jaw. "Damn it."

"Poor Sabrina," she said softly. "She doesn’t deserve this. First, Lilith betrays the pack by stealing medical research, and now she comes back to steal Cassian away?"

"Sabrina must be devastated," I agreed while dialing her number. In my mind, she had always been the pampered princess Cassian spoiled rotten. I still remember how she cried for days when Cassian forgot their mating anniversary.

When Sabrina answered, I immediately said, "Sabrina, are you okay? You should trust Cassian. He’s always been there for you, protecting you, treating you like the most important person in his life.You’ve been mates for six years,he wouldn’t betray you."

Sabrina’s voice was surprisingly calm: "Thank you for your concern, Alpha. I know all this. I trust Cassian completely,it’s just meaningless gossip."

I had expected tears and anger,but this calm composure was nothing like the temperamental Sabrina I knew.

"That’s good. But Cassian and Lilith making headlines like this isn’t ideal. You know I can talk to Cassian if—"

"That won’t be necessary.Alpha, thank you for calling, but I trust that things between Cassian and Lilith are innocent."

She politely ended the call.

When I thought about why Lilith might be approaching Cassian, my expression darkened. Vanessa looked at me with concern.

"Lilith failed to get what she wanted from me, so now she’s targeting Cassian," I said coldly. "It seems she won’t rest until she gets her hands on our research secrets for the werewolf gene-defect treatment."

"What did Sabrina say? Was she angry? Was she crying? Did she fight with Cassian?" Vanessa asked softly, her eyes full of concern.

"Strangely, no."

Vanessa fell silent at my answer.

She furrowed her brow, lost in thought for a moment.

I was about to order another dessert she loved, but she waved it away. "Let’s head back to the lab. I want to work more with the professors. Don’t you want the medication developed as soon as possible?"

"You haven’t eaten or rested properly for days," I said worriedly. "No overtime tonight."

She gave me a gentle smile. "It’s fine, I’m still young. If we can complete the research before our mating ceremony, we might still save your mentor’s life. Come on, let’s get back to the lab. I promised to work until midnight."

I gazed at her determined expression, thinking about our mating ceremony that would take place in just two months.