The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 108

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT CLAIRE’S POV

Hospitals were supposed to feel safe.

That was the one thought replaying in my mind, over and over again, as I lay there, staring at the white

ceiling.

The pain came in waves now. It no longer felt distant, no longer felt dull. It pulsed behind my eyes, settled into my skull, and threaded through my body in a way that made every small movement feel heavy.

I shifted slightly against the bed, then winced as the movement pulled at the cuts along my arm.

The sting was sharp- like it wanted to remind me I was awake, present. Alive.

The room was quiet.

When I tried to turn my head, the world tilted slightly before settling again.

The lights were dimmed, casting the room in a soft glow that should have been comforting. It wasn’t.

I could hear the occasional murmur of voices from outside the door, fading just as quickly as they came.

It was already night, somehow. Late enough for things to slow down.

My fingers curled slightly against the sheets.

And just like at the event, something didn’t feel right here.

It started small.

A nurse earlier-hesitating just a second too long before speaking. She checked my IV the first time. Then the second, and the third, like she didn’t trust what she saw the first time.

And I could have sworn I saw someone standing outside my door for longer than necessary before

moving on.

None of it meant anything on its own. But together…

I swallowed, my throat dry, my mind moving slowly, like it was navigating a fog.

The event. The feeling of being watched. The sound.

The shift in the air right before everything came down.

“This wasn’t an accident,” Margot had said.

My gaze drifted to the IV line connected to my hand. Clear, steady fluid.

Nathaniel shifted in the chair beside me, immediately alert.

“You shouldn’t be thinking too much that right now,” he said quietly.

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NORE AND LIGHT CLAME CAS

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I glanced at him then. He still hadn’t left the hospital- and my side.

His jacket was off, sleeves slightly rolled. His posture was composed but obviously not relaxed. There

was a tension in him that hadn’t been there before.

Or maybe it had, and I was just noticing it now.

“You haven’t slept,” I said.

His mouth curved into a faintly smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Neither have you.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it?”

I didn’t answer. Because the truth is, every time I closed my eyes, I saw it again.

Felt it again- the force. The fall.

Lucian’s hand… the way he moved without hesitation. The way he held me like-

I brushed the thought away immediately.

“You need to rest, Claire,” Nathaniel said gently.

“I don’t think I can.” I replied honestly.

He studied me thoughtfully for a moment. “Why?” He asked.

I hesitated, then resorted to an honest answer. “It doesn’t feel safe.”

The room was silent for a good minute. But at least Nathaniel didn’t dismiss it or brush it off.

His expression shifted slightly instead, becoming more alert. “Why would you say that?”

I glanced toward the door again… toward the quiet hallway.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s just-something feels off.”

The door opened softly then and the same nurse stepped in.

Routine.

Everything about her should have been normal. But something wasn’t.

I noticed it immediately. The way she avoided my eyes. The way her voice, when she spoke, was just slightly too even.

“Just checking your vitals,” she said.

Her name badge was turned slightly, the edge catching the light just enough to make it unreadable.

Her hands were steady. Not nervous, not distracted- steady.

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