The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 198

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT CLAIRE’S POV

The conference room was silent- but this wasn’t the comfortable kind.

It was the kind of silence that settled over people when bad news only kept getting worse.

Laurel stood beside the screen, tablet in hand.

Everyone in the room looked tense.

Laurel exhaled slowly. “We have confirmation that KVEK just accepted Eva as a client.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

I simply stared at her.

When we had heard rumors of Eva trying to weasel her way into KVEK’s good graces now that they had dropped Lucian, I imagined Nathaniel would put a quick stop to it.

I leaned back slightly in my chair, thinking.

Nathaniel must have refused.

He might be mad at me, but Nathaniel Vale was a good man.

I knew that much.

Which meant Victoria Merlyn had gotten her way, somehow.

Victoria was a competitive woman. She must have seen it as a second chance to beat me in court- a

rematch.

The realization settled heavily in my chest.

This wasn’t just another lawsuit anymore.

This was Sinclair & Co. versus KVEK- again.

Claire Moreau versus Victoria Merlyn- again.

And this time, the stakes were infinitely higher.

Daniel watched me carefully, his expression darkening. “And there’s something else.”

My head snapped all the way back to look at him.

He slid a folder across the table, letting it stop directly in front of me.

I looked down at it, then back up at him.

Daniel’s voice lowered.

“Dr. Ramon sent this to Sinclair&co, approximately twelve hours before he disappeared.”

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NE HONORED AND NINETY FRONT CLAIRES POV

+15 Bonus

Every muscle in my body tightened.

The room seemed to grow even quieter- whatever the folder contained, everyone in the room must have seen it while I was in the hospital with Margot.

I opened the folder.

Inside were documents- emails, bank records, correspondence between Eva and Dr. Ramon.

A cold chill slid through me.

“Where did this come from?” I asked.

“His personal email.” Daniel answered. “He sent it all directly to Sinclair & Co.”

I flipped through the pages.

“He knew he was in trouble.”

One of the executives nodded. “That is the assumption.”

“And it looks like he was just about ready to turn on Eva.” Daniel stated.

A senior executive spoke from the far end of the table. “The missing persons report has been filed but so far the police has nothing.”

I glanced toward him.

He continued. “His home was empty and his car hasn’t been located.”

A heavy silence followed.

And although the implications were obvious, nobody wanted to say them aloud.

But everyone was thinking the same thing.

Someone had gotten to Ramon.

The question was whether he was hiding…

or whether someone had made sure he couldn’t testify.

I closed the folder slowly, feeling the atmosphere shift immediately.

The executives moved the discussion forward.

To them, this was all about business. Preparation. Pressure- lots of pressure.

One of the senior partners leaned forward. “This case will be televised.”

Another nodded. “The media attention will be unprecedented.”

“Every hearing, every filing, every statement.”

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NE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIGHT CLAIRES POV

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“They’ll all be scrutinized.” Laurel said.

I already knew where this was heading.

A third executive spoke. “This is your second time facing Victoria Merlyn. You have to make sure it’s not your first time losing to her.”

I remained silent.

“Sinclair & Co. cannot lose.”

The words hung in the air- sharp, blunt and uncomfortable.

Then came the part I had been expecting.

The warning: the thing nobody wanted to say but everyone felt.

One of the partners cleared his throat. “We understand this case is personal for you.”

I met his gaze.

He continued carefully, regardless. “But you cannot lead with emotion.”

Another executive nodded.

“You cannot allow your feelings for our client to affect your judgment.”

My jaw tightened.

Nobody looked away.

Nobody softened the statement.

Because they were right and they they knew it.

The room waited.

I could feel all their eyes on me- watching.

Judging my reaction.

Testing my resolve.

Finally, I sat up straighter and opened the file again.

Then I closed it.

Decision made.

“We file today.”

The room froze.

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BALS & ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT CLAIRES POV

Several people blinked.

Even Daniel looked surprised.

“Today?” He repeated.

“Yes.” I nodded.

One of the executives frowned.

“Claire-”

“Today.”

My voice was firm and unwavering- Margot would be proud.

Not next week.

Not after additional review.

Not after more meetings.

Today.

The silence stretched.

Daniel studied me.

Then slowly smiled.

Because he understood.

I looked around the room.

“If Eva wants a war,” I said quietly, “she can have one.”

Nobody argued after that.

Because everyone knew the decision had already been made.

My phone started ringing less than thirty minutes later.

I already knew who it was before answering.

Lucian-well, not Lucian.

My client.

That distinction mattered. It had to matter.

I accepted the call. “Mr. Dhark.”

For a few seconds, he didn’t speak.

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CHAIN ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY LIGHT CLAIRES POV

Then finally, “Ms. Moreau.”

Professional. Controlled. Polite.

Both of us pretending.

I looked through the finalized filing documents.

“The lawsuit will be filed today.” I said.

For one long moment, Lucian was silent.

Then-

“Good.”

I closed my eyes briefly, thinking.

Because what I heard wasn’t triumph.

It wasn’t satisfaction or victory either.

It was relief- pure, unfiltered relief.

The kind that came from finally seeing a way forward after months of being trapped in darkness.

“We’ll proceed immediately,” I added.

“Thank you.” Lucian replied-professional and simple.

And even after that, neither of us hung up immediately.

For some reason, a small silence lingered.

Then Lucian spoke again.

“Claire.”

The use of my first name felt dangerous.

Too familiar.

Too personal.

I swallowed before answering. “Yes?”

Another pause.

“I appreciate what you’re doing.”

My chest tightened unexpectedly.

I bit my lip, forcing myself back into lawyer mode.

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NETINDRED AND NINETY FIGHT CLAIRES POV

“I’m doing my job.”

“Yes.” His voice softened by an inch. “But I appreciate it anyway.”

Neither of us said goodbye properly.

The call ended anyways.

And somehow, I sat staring at the phone for several seconds afterward.

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From the moment I accepted this case, I decided I would file the lawsuit myself.

Not a junior or senior associate.

Not Daniel.

Me.

I walked into the courthouse carrying the documents personally, every step feeling heavier than it should have.

Because this wasn’t just another case.

This wasn’t another corporate dispute.

This wasn’t another client.

This was Eva Sterling.

The woman who had spent years systematically dismantling people’s lives.

The woman who had convinced the world I was broken.

The woman who had stolen things I could never get back.

The clerk accepted the documents easily, reviewed them, and reached for the stamp.

The sound echoed loudly- at least to me.

THUD.

Filed. Official. Real.

For a moment, I simply stared.

Months ago I had been the woman people either pitied or ridiculed.

The infertile wife. The discarded wife. The woman Eva Sterling replaced.

Now?

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GATILE ON HUNDRED AND NINETY LIGHT CLAIRE SPOV

Now I was the attorney suing Eva Sterling.

Now… I was finally beginning to feel powerful.

The country exploded in a matter of hours.

Every major media network was running the same headline:

“DHARK HOLDINGS FILES CIVIL ACTION AGAINST EVA STERLING”

Social media. News channels. Commentators. They all erupted.

Everybody suddenly had an opinion.

People started picking sides again.

For the first time since this nightmare began- Eva wasn’t the victim.

She was the defendant.

And the country noticed it too.

It was almost nine o’clock when I finally left Sinclair & Co.

Rain had started falling again- soft but persistent.

The parking garage was mostly empty, and I was exhausted- mentally and physically so.

All I wanted was to go home.

When I finally I reached my car; something made me stop in my tracks.

Something white protruded beneath the windshield wiper.

My stomach dropped in an instant.

The envelope had no stamp, no address, no return label.

Just one word written across the front.

Claire.

My pulse quickened as I reached for it.

I removed it slowly- carefully, like I was touching a bomb.

Then I opened it.

And froze.

A photograph slid into my hand, making my blood run cold.

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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT CLAIRES POV

It was a picture of me, walking into Sinclair & Co earlier today.

The exact clothes I was wearing, the exact umbrella I had carried.

The exact moment I had stepped onto the sidewalk.

Someone had been watching.

Someone had been close enough to photograph me.

My hands trembled slightly as I turned the photograph over.

There was handwriting on the back.

“You don’t listen.

Now I will do something you’ll have to live with forever.”

It was from Hart Sullivan.

That, I had no doubts about.

And suddenly the parking garage felt much, much darker.

Claire Ree Author

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