The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 100

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED_CLAIRE’S POV

I hadn’t been back to the Dhark mansion since the day I walked out of it.

Not once.

Not even in passing.

And yet, the moment I stepped through the entrance, it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

That was the unsettling part.

The lights were softer than I remembered- warmer even.

The golden chandeliers glowed from above, casting a glow over the polished floors and the exquisite décor. The kind that spoke of wealth without needing to announce it.

The guests wore tailored suits and silk dresses, their low laughter and expensive perfume lingering in

the air.

Everything was glamorous. Expensive. Perfect.

I paused just inside the entrance, letting my eyes drift across the room, taking in my surroundings.

The staircase, the gallery hall… the corridor that led toward the private wing.

I used to live here.

The thought came and went as easily as the memories did.

I gulped, forcing myself out of my own thoughts.

“Miss Claire.”

I turned slightly at the voice, then started greeting a few familiar faces with a polite smile.

Investors, reporters, colleagues- people who now saw me as something more than just someone’s wife.

Still, even as I spoke and nodded and smiled, I felt it.

A gaze on me- steady and unmoving.

I didn’t turn immediately. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

Lucian.

The way he stared at me wasn’t subtle- not in the least. In fact, it never had been.

And tonight, he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

I continued the conversation in front of me, ignoring his gaze.

I excused myself smoothly a few minutes later, and moved deeper into the mansion, away from the main

177

NEHUNDRED CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

hall.

Not toward the crowd, but away from it.

I walked calmly towards the kitchens.

I noticed the change in the atmosphere the moment I stepped inside.

The kitchen was in total chaos.

The voices of the staff layered over one another. Trays moved quickly, utensils clashed against each other.

The staff were strained. Overworked.

“Claire?” A voice called.

I smiled before I even turned fully.

“Camilla.”

The reaction was immediate; warm and real, not just polite.

The kind of reception that hadn’t changed.

“You came,” she said, pulling me into a warm embrace before letting me go.

“I was invited,” I replied lightly.

A few of the other staff greeted me too, their excitement genuine, but it didn’t hide their fatigue.

I noticed it in the way they moved- too fast and too careful.

“It’s busy tonight,” I said, my gaze flicking briefly around the room.

Camilla exhaled quietly. “It’s been… a lot.”

That was all she said. But it was enough.

I didn’t need details to understand.

“It looks beautiful out there,” I added.

Camilla smiled faintly. “It has to.” She paused, then added quietly- “It’s not the same anymore.”

Something in her tone lingered, but before I could respond-

I felt it again.

That shift. A certain kind of awareness.

I turned immediately, and scanned the doorway behind me.

217

CHAR FRONE HUNDRED CLAIRE’S POV

Nothing.

Just movement- staff passing through like normal.

I dismissed it.

There were too many people here. Too many eyes.

“Enjoy the evening,” Camilla said gently.

“I will,” I replied, bid her goodbye and stepped back out into the main hall.

And the moment I did- “There you are.”

Nathaniel.

I turned toward him, my expression steady, even as something quiet tightened in my chest.

We hadn’t spoken since that night.

Since- well, the kiss.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said. Not unkindly, just… factual.

I shook my head slightly. “No, I haven’t.”

A paused, before deciding to go on with the truth

“I’ve been thinking.”

His gaze held mine for a moment longer than necessary.

“About?” He enquired.

I exhaled softly. “Everything.”

That seemed to satisfy him. And if he wasn’t satisfied, he still didn’t push.

But before either of us could say more-

“Am I interrupting something interesting?”

Margot appeared, her gaze flickering between us once-sharp, observant-before changing into something more neutral.

“Just catching up,” Nathaniel replied easily.

“Mm,” Margot hummed. “That’s one way to put it.”

I almost smiled. Margot could be quite protective of me when the need arose.

Then her attention shifted fully to Nathaniel.

+25 Bonus

3/7

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED CLAIRES POV

“I heard you resigned from representing Dhark Holdings.”

“I did.” Nathaniel answered simply. No details.

“Good,” she nodded once. “I respect that.”

A beat passed, then she added-

“Still questionable judgment for taking it in the first place.”

If she wanted to make him dislike her, it wasn’t working.

Nathaniel let out a quiet, amused sigh, catching my eyes for a moment.

“Duly noted.” He said.

Margot’s gaze lingered on him a moment longer, evaluating.

“Regardless,” she added, “you’ve proven useful since.”

Coming from Margot Sinclair, that was high praise.

The conversation shifted naturally after that, into something more professional. Something more focused. More comfortable.

And yet, even as I spoke… even as I listened- I felt it.

That gaze was still there, still very much fixed on me.

Lucian.

This time, I didn’t ignore it.

I turned immediately and met his deep green eyes across the room.

There was no hesitation. No pretense. Not even an attempt to look away.

It held for a second longer than it should have. Then I broke it first.

“Your ex-husband is doing a terrible job pretending not to stare,” Margot said dryly.

I sighed. “I noticed.”

But that wasn’t the only reason.

Because even as I turned my attention back-

Even as the conversation resumed-

That other feeling remained- subtle, inconsistent, but there.

As if someone else was watching.

+25 Bonus

4/7

CHAPS ONE HUNDRED CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

I didn’t mention it. Didn’t linger on it.

There were too many people present, too many reasons it could mean nothing. So I brushed it off. I let it

The event progressed rapidly as the night went by. More guests arrived, which meant more movement

and more attention.

And then the lights dimmed slightly.

Lucian stepped forward and the room quieted down almost instantly.

He stood at the front with effortless authority, dressed in black, composed in a way that felt commanding. Almost intimidating.

Like the CEO I fell in love with years ago.

His gaze swept the quiet room once, then settled.

Not on me- at least not directly.

But close enough.

He began to speak about his mother- her, vision, her foundation, the reason all of this existed.

His voice was steady and measured, but there was something beneath it.

Something quieter. Something real. Something almost similar to emotion.

“…She believed that impact wasn’t defined by scale,” he said, his gaze lowering briefly before lifting again. “But by intention.”

Everyone in the room remained attentive, absorbing every single word he said respectfully.

“She believed in integrity,” he continued. “In doing what was right-even when it wasn’t easy.”

Lucian paused and I could have sworn he looked at me. “And in the people who choose that path.”

His tone was different-softer. And I noticed it.

That wasn’t for the room- That was for me.

My fingers curled slightly at my side, and then- I felt it again.

The feeling was stronger this time-sharper.

I turned instinctively, scanning the room- left, righy and then behind.

Nothing.

But the feeling didn’t leave- it lingered. Like a quiet warning I couldn’t quite place.

5/7

HUNDRED CLAIRES POV

When Lucian’s speech ended, applause followed.