The One He Dismissed Became The One He Died For novel Chapter 266

Claire frowned slightly, calmly closing the folder.

"Julian, who told you that?"

It was the first time Julian had seen Claire look so intimidating. His confidence instantly plummeted, but he forced himself to keep going.

"I saw it with my own eyes, Claire. I don't mean anything by it. I just wanted to say that if you're looking for a divorce, I can help you..."

Claire cut him off. "You rushed me into the office today just to pry into my personal life?"

Julian was left momentarily speechless, but the unwillingness in his heart churned violently, his eyes filled with stubborn desperation.

"Claire, I'm just worried about you! Everyone knows Miles's heart only belongs to his first love, Lauren Sinclair."

"Have you forgotten the days we fought side by side to build this? You are the brilliant Nati! You don't need to waste your life on a man whose eyes are only fixed on an unattainable ideal!"

He spoke earnestly, every word seemingly calculated for her benefit.

He ranted on, but Claire's response was entirely placid: "Julian, he treats me very well."

"But the Zimmerman Group is a maze of complications, crawling with wolves. If Miles is kicked out of the hierarchy, he might not even be able to protect you! Especially now that Alistair has completely lost faith in him."

"I know that," Claire said effortlessly, her eyes flashing with unshakable resolve. "Which is exactly why I'm protecting him."

She looked at him and added with absolute finality, "Julian, do not ever bring this up in front of him again."

The last shred of hope and struggle in Julian's eyes shattered.

"Understood, Claire."

Beneath the table, his grip tightened on his phone as he thought about that divorce agreement. His mentor had to be under that man's spell.

That afternoon, Claire received a text from Miles.

[Having a department dinner tonight. Won't be back for dinner. I'll have the housekeeper prepare something for you.]

Claire stared at the screen, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Reporting his whereabouts unprompted? What an excellent husband.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, attaching an adorable sticker of a nodding kitten.

[Got it, Dr. Zimmerman~]

In a private room at a restaurant near the hospital, the internal medicine department was having a lively team-building dinner.

Young doctors and nurses gathered around the table. Just as the food was served, someone enthusiastically proposed an idea.

"Let's play a game! Everyone post a social media story saying, 'Wife/Husband, I'm not coming home tonight,' and set the privacy so only they can see it."

"Whoever gets a call from their partner first gets to eat! If you don't get a call, you can't touch your food. You just have to sit there and watch us!"

The room erupted in cheers, everyone pulling out their phones to join the chaos.

Jared Johnston scowled, his lips twitching.

"Isn't this game just a targeted attack on single people like me?"

"If you're single, just post it for all your friends to see!"

"Professor Zimmerman, you're married now, right? Come on, join in! It's rare we all get together!"

The cheering grew louder.

Miles originally had no intention of playing. If he posted that, would she really call?

It was childish and absurd, but... he desperately wanted to know the answer.

He gave a faint nod, tapped his screen, and posted the most impeccably punctuated update possible.

[Honey, I'm not coming home tonight.]

Visible only to Claire.

He stared at the device, a quiet flutter of anticipation rising in his chest.

He suddenly remembered Julian's call from that morning—*Even if you got rid of Jefferson Sterling, do you really think you can compete with OCHH?*

He picked up his chopsticks, then set them right back down.

He picked up his phone again and opened their chat.

The thread was completely silent. No new messages.

He typed into the text box.

[What are you doing?]

The cursor blinked for two seconds. He stared at the words for a long time before deleting them, letter by letter.

He locked the screen and placed the phone face down on the table, refusing to touch it again.

The sky outside grew dark, and just as the dinner was wrapping up, heavy raindrops began hammering against the windows without warning.

"Where did this rain come from?"

"It's pouring out there. Did anyone bring an umbrella?"

"It's going to be impossible to get a cab in this. The ride-sharing apps are going to crash!"

The group stood up and headed down to the lobby to figure out a way home.

Jared nudged Miles, asking in a low voice.

"I'm calling a designated driver. I can drop you off first..."

"I'm in no rush."

The entire staff stood near the restaurant entrance, trying to formulate a plan.

Suddenly, through the heavy curtain of rain, a soft, incredibly clear voice called out from the distance.

"Dr. Zimmerman, let's go home!"