The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 158

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT CLAIRE’S POV

The first thing I noticed when I stepped onto the Sinclair & Co floor that morning was that Margot’s office lights were still off.

The glass walls remained closed. Untouched.

No assistants moving in and out, no clipped instructions, no sharp voice directing chaos back into order.

Only silence.

I stopped briefly outside the office before forcing myself to keep walking.

The firm still functioned.

Phones still rang, associates still moved quickly between offices, meetings were still happening.

But without Margot Sinclair… something fundamental felt missing.

Something steady. Something strong.

“She’s awake?”

I looked up immediately at Daniel Reyes as he approached me.

He shook his head once. “Still no change.”

Disappointment washed over me, but I pushed it down quickly.

There wasn’t time for that right now- not anymore.

“Victoria filed three motions this morning,” he continued grimly, handing me a stack of documents.” KVEK’s trying to delay the verdict hearing.”

Of course they were.

I scanned the paperwork quickly as we walked.

Procedural objections, evidence reconsideration, witness reliability review.

Nothing truly substantial.

“They’re buying time,” I stated flatly.

That was their strategy.

“And trying to destabilize us while Margot’s out.” Daniel added.

I looked toward the conference room immediately.

“Get everyone together in ten minutes.”

Daniel blinked once, then nodded.

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NENORIES AND FIFTY LIGHT CLAIRE POV

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“Right.”

The next hours blurred together:

Filings, case strategy and counter motions.

By noon, my coffee had gone cold beside me for the third time. Untouched.

By 3pm, I was correcting senior associates on procedural timing errors, which I normally would have second-guessed myself over months ago.

But now?

There was no room for hesitation. No room for even the slightest mistake.

Not with Virex circling harder.

Not with Margot unconscious.

Not with the entire firm waiting to see if I could actually hold this case together without her.

Now, more than ever, there was no room to fall apart.

Too many people were already anticipating it.

“Victoria’s trying to force reconsideration on the expert testimony,” one associate warned.

“She won’t get it,” I replied almost immediately.

“You sound very sure.”

“I am.”

Because Victoria Merlyn wasn’t just fighting to win anymore.

She was fighting not to lose face publicly.

And that was the difference between the two of us.

By the time evening finally came, my head hurt so bad that even reading another paragraph felt like I was going to collapse.

I was still gathering my files when my office door opened.

Nathaniel leaned against the doorway casually, dressed in an a smart black suit.

“You look terrible,” he observed.

I exhaled softly, trying not to snap at him- I wasn’t exactly feeling chatty.

“That obvious?” I sassed instead.

Nathaniel smirked slightly. “A little.”

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Despite myself, a small smile lit up my face- a real one.

And somehow, Nathaniel’s presence alone eased something tight inside my chest.

He crossed the room slowly before taking the files gently from my hands.

“You’re done for tonight.” He said.

“I still have-”

“You’re done.” Then his firm voice softened slightly. “Let’s get something to eat.”

Dinner should have felt normal.

The restaurant was quiet enough, warmly lit and most importantly, private enough that nobody bothered

Nathaniel had clearly chosen it intentionally.

That was good, because I did need a break from everything.

For the first twenty minutes, we barely discussed work at all.

And honestly?

That felt a little bit strange.

I hadn’t realized how long it had been since someone had simply wanted to hear me speak and breathe when it didn’t involve Langford vs Virex.

Nathaniel poured wine into my glass while looking at me carefully.

“So,” he said. “Tell me what happened after I left the hospital.”

I hesitated briefly before I started talking.

I told him about Lucian arriving.

About the attack.

About the man shutting off Margot’s machines.

Nathaniel’s expression darkened immediately.

“Lucian fought him?” He asked, evidently surprised.

I nodded. “What’s more interesting is that he said the man fought like military.”

Nathaniel leaned back slightly, his jaw tightening. I could almost see the variables flashing through his mind.

“And Lucian just happened to be there.”

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PRONEHINDRID AND HEY FIGHT, CLAIRES POV

I looked up at him immediately.

“Nathaniel-”

“I’m just saying; the timing is very interesting.”

“He saved her life.” I stated firmly. Because that’s what truly mattered.

Silence.

Then-

“You called him?”

“No.” I replied quickly.

Nathaniel looked down briefly at his glass before speaking again.

“But somehow he was there.”

Something in his tone made me pause.

It wasn’t anger exactly.

It was something quieter.

Something more… human than that.

Jealousy.

I reached for his hand carefully across the table.

“Nathaniel.” I called.

He looked up.

“I don’t have feelings for Lucian.” I said.

This time, the words came out easily. Because they were honest.

“I told him about us.”

Nathaniel stilled visibly. “You did?”

I nodded. “I told him I was with you.”

Some tension visibly left his shoulders after I said that.

“I chose you,” I added softly.

And in that moment, I meant it completely.

Nathaniel’s fingers tightened lightly around mine before he lifted my hand gently toward his lips.

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4/6

ONCHUNDRED AND FIFTY-RIGHT CLAIRES POV

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The gesture was tender, yet it managed to make my chest ache unexpectedly.

Because this felt… safe.

By the time I got home that night, my bones were racked with exhaustion.

I kicked off my heels near the door and loosened the clasp of my earrings slowly before walking further into the apartment.