The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 128

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT_ CLAIRE’S POV

I didn’t just ease into work.

By the time the city had fully settled into its rhythm, I was already at my desk, with files open and notes spread out in front of me.

The new office still felt unfamiliar in small ways-the layout, the lighting, the quiet hum of a space that now belonged to me-but I didn’t dwell on it.

There wasn’t time for that.

After the last hearing, after everything that had shifted-especially Nathaniel’s firm stepping in on the opposing side-there was only one direction left to move.

Forward.

And faster.

The room reflected it.

Focused. Quiet. Controlled.

My attention stayed fixed on the documents in front of me-financial records, contract breakdowns, liability chains mapped out across multiple pages. I moved between them with intent, tracing connections, checking figures, cross-referencing timelines.

Something wasn’t right.

I paused, eyes narrowing slightly as I went over the same section again.

Virex Holdings.

The safety compliance reports didn’t align.

Not just minor inconsistencies-structured ones. Clean on the surface, but wrong underneath.

I flipped back a few pages, comparing entries.

There.

A shift in reporting that didn’t match the operational timeline.

My pen tapped once against the desk.

“Falsified,” I murmured under my breath.

The word settled easily.

Because it fit.

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We fell into work naturally after that.

Like we always had.

Even now-on opposite sides-we moved in sync.

I walked him through my findings, laying out the inconsistencies, the reporting gaps, the way the compliance structure didn’t hold under scrutiny.

Nathaniel listened, then stepped in.

“If I were representing Virex,” he said, leaning slightly against the desk, “I’d attack your timeline.”

I didn’t hesitate.

“Then I’ll strengthen it.”

He nodded once.

“Good. Because that’s exactly what’s coming.”

I shifted slightly, already adjusting my notes, recalibrating the sequence of events in my head.

Then let them try.”

There was a brief pause.

Then Nathaniel’s tone changed-just slightly.

“Claire.”

I looked up.

“Victoria Merlyn is leading the case.”

For a second, nothing moved.

Then everything did.

I leaned back slowly, the name settling with weight I hadn’t expected-but recognized instantly.

Of course it was her.

Victoria Merlyn.

I remembered her clearly.

Too clearly.

The shift in Lucian’s defense back then. The way Victoria had taken over without hesitation, turning what had been a legal process into something far more personal.

Calculated.

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NUINE AND TWENTY HOT CLAIRES POV

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Sharp.

Cruel, when necessary.

She hadn’t just defended.

She had attacked.

Publicly. Strategically.

The infertility.

The narrative.

The way she had framed me-not as a woman navigating a failing marriage, but as something smaller, something opportunistic.

A gold digger.

A liability.

My jaw tightened slightly at the memory.

“I remember,” I said, my voice steady.

Nathaniel didn’t soften it.

“She’s good,” he said. “But not here.”

My eyes lifted.

“This isn’t her strongest field,” he continued. “Corporate law isn’t where she built her reputation. Litigation is.”

He stepped closer to the desk, pointing lightly at the documents.

“She’ll rely on aggression. On pressure. On destabilizing you.”

A pause.

“Don’t let her.”

My gaze sharpened slightly.

“I won’t.”

He held my eyes for a second longer, then added-

“You have something she doesn’t.”

I didn’t ask what.

He answered anyway.

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“Real insight into how these companies operate.”

A beat.

“You’ve lived inside it.”

I didn’t move.

Because he was right.

The years I had spent beside Lucian-the access, the exposure, the understanding of how decisions were made behind closed doors-

It wasn’t theoretical.

It was lived.

And now-

It was useful.

“You’re already good,” Nathaniel said quietly. “This just gives you an edge.”

I let out a slow breath, the tension in my shoulders easing just slightly.

“Then I’ll use it.”

The silence that followed wasn’t heavy.

Just… still.

Nathaniel was watching me.

Not assessing.

Not questioning.

Just seeing me.

“For what it’s worth,” he said after a moment, “you’re exactly where you should be.”

I met his gaze.

And for the first time that day, I allowed myself to feel it.

Not pressure.

Not expectation.

Just certainty.

“Thank you.”

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The words came quieter than I expected.

But they held.

He stepped closer. Not abrupt, not forceful.

Just close enough.

I didn’t take a step back or try to move away.

So when he leaned in, I didn’t stop him.

The kiss wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t uncertain.

It was steady.

Intentional.

And this time… I didn’t hesitate.

Instead. I responded. Fully.

This time, I wasn’t going to try to analyze it.

I would let myself feel it.

For a moment, everything else fell away.

The case, the pressure, the noise.

None of it mattered anymore.

Then door opened.

The sound was soft, but it was enough to alert us.

I pulled back instinctively, my breath catching slightly as I turned.

My blood instantly ran cold.

Lucian stood at the entrance. 1

Still. Silent.

Watching.

His gaze didn’t move between us.

It only stayed on me, sharp and focused. As always, I couldn’t read his expression.

But it wasn’t empty. It was never empty.

The space between us shifted instantly-thick and charged, impossible to ignore.

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CHACTORCONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIGHT CLAIRES POV

For a second, no one spoke. No one dared to move.

And then Hia eyes flickered once, briefly, to Nathaniel… before returning to me.

I felt my pulse kick harder than it should have.

Not because I was unsure, but because I knew exactly what this looked like.

Lucian took a step forward, slow and controlled as always.

“Am I interrupting something?”

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CHARTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE LUCUAN’S POV

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