The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 134

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR MARGOT’S POV

I stood slightly away from the courthouse steps, watching everything unfold.

The press was still loud-voices overlapping, cameras flashing, questions thrown in every direction without pause. Pure chaos, as expected.

But I wasn’t watching them.

I was watching Claire.

She emerged from the courthouse with the same composure she had held inside it.

She didn’t rush. In fact, she showed no visible reaction to the noise surrounding her.

Claire Moreau held.

Not just emotionally.

Legally.

That was what mattered.

Not survival- but growth.

She moved through the crowd without breaking stride, ignoring the calls of her name, the speculation, the attempts to pull her into something performative.

Good.

She was here as a lawyer, not as Lucian Dhark’s ex-wife.

Her focus hadn’t shifted, and that was exactly what I needed.

She spotted me a moment later and adjusted her direction immediately, without a word, walking toward

me with the same measured calmness.

I held her gaze as she approached, and for a second-

Just a second-

I almost told her.

My lips parted slightly.

I could feel the words sitting there, right at the top of my tongue, waiting to come out. 1

“Claire-” I started.

“Claire, that was insane!”

The interruption came fast.

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Daniel Reyes appeared at her side, energy carrying ahead of him. His tone was sharp, overwhelmed with

adrenaline and disbelief.

“You were incredible in there,” he continued without pause. “That compliance breakdown? Victoria didn’t see that coming.”

Claire didn’t react the way most would.

Much to my surprise, she didn’t smile, or show any visible signs of relief.

She only listened.

Thinking.

“She’s already on the defensive,” Daniel added. “You pushed her into a corner she didn’t expect.”

I watched Claire closely.

She wasn’t just absorbing praise.

She was recalibrating.

Good.

That told me she wasn’t distracted.

“She’ll adjust,” Claire said calmly. “That wasn’t her final move.”

Daniel blinked once, then let out a short breath. “Still. You set the tone.”

“Let’s go,” I said, already turning toward the car, and the conversation shifted immediately.

As it should.

When the car door closed, the noise outside dropped into something distant and muted.

Something irrelevant.

Daniel leaned forward slightly from the back seat. “KVEK won’t take that hit quietly.”

“They can’t afford to,” I replied.

Silence followed. Focused silence.

Everyone in the car was thinking of one thing: the next steps.

Claire leaned back slightly, fixing her gaze straight ahead. It made it easy for me to see it-the movement behind her eyes. Already restructuring, already reinforcing.

“They’ll attack the timeline harder,” she said, breaking the silence. “And try to discredit the reporting

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inconsistencies as procedural error.”

“Then we remove that angle entirely,” I suggested.

Claire nodded once.

“Independent verification,” she added. “And layered documentation.”

Daniel exhaled. “You’re already three steps ahead.”

Claire barely acknowledged the praise.

Because she was already moving to the fourth.

By the time we arrived at Sinclair & Co., the shift was undeniable.

The moment we stepped inside, the screens caught attention first.

Every one of them lit up.

Coverage was running continuously, headlines scrolling beneath them.

“Langford Gains Ground in Virex Case.”

“Claire Moreau Dominates Courtroom Exchange.”

“Victoria Merlyn Faces Unexpected Resistance.”

I didn’t slow down to look at the screens, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice them.

Everyone did.

In fact, people weren’t pretending not to look anymore.

Now, they were watching openly now. With respect and attention.

A different kind of silence followed us as we walked through the lobby. It wasn’t just the absence of sound. It was the presence of awareness.

The narrative had changed.

And this time-

Claire controlled it.

She didn’t stop to acknowledge it.

Good.

Recognition was useful. Distraction was not.

My office door finally closed behind us, cutting off the outside completely.

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Now, we got to work.

“They’ll come harder next time,” I said, moving towards my desk.

Claire was already there, pulling the files closer.

“Then we’ll be ready.” She replied immediately, no hesitation, no doubt.

Very good.

Daniel leaned against the side table, with his arms crossed. “Merlyn won’t repeat today’s mistake. She’ll shift strategy.”

“She already has,” Claire replied. “She just hasn’t executed it yet.”

Correct.

I nodded slightly.

“This isn’t just about winning anymore,” I stated, my tone leveling.

Claire’s hand paused against the document as she listened to what I had to say.

I continued. “It’s about finishing it.”

Silence settled.

I watched Claire as she absorbed my words.

Her sheer determination, the focus, the clarity, the stability she had rebuilt piece by piece.

If I told her now-

Everything would shift.

The report, the truth, Eva.

Having to go through another test…..

Another fracture in a place she had only just reinforced.

It wouldn’t just be information. It would be disruption. Distraction.

Emotional shock destabilized professionals.

It would be a loss of edge she could not afford-not now. Not when she was this close.

This case-

This was the moment that would define her.

And timing…

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Sometimes, timing mattered more than truth.

Especially now.

The good thing was that I already had what I needed. The evidence wasn’t going anywhere. Eva wasn’t going anywhere.

I didn’t need urgency anymore.

No, what I needed now, was precision.

“This case…” I said, my voice cutting cleanly through the silence.

Claire looked up.

“This is the one that defines you.” I stated.