The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 171

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE CLAIRE’S POV

The courthouse felt colder than usual that morning.

Or maybe it was just me.

I stood near the counsel table quietly flipping through my notes even though I already knew every argument by memory at this point.

Victoria Merlyn sat on the other side of the courtroom, beside the Virex legal team looking immaculate

as always.

Except today, she didn’t look untouchable.

As someone who had spent a good amount of time studying her, I could tell she looked tense.

That alone was satisfying.

I spoke to the other lawyers on my team, calm and steady, the complete opposite of the storm currently brewing inside my chest.

Because despite everything happening today, my mind kept drifting backward.

To last night.

To Lucian standing in my apartment looking completely shattered.

“We could’ve had a family.”

I swallowed hard and forced myself back into the present.

Not now.

I couldn’t think about that right now.

The courtroom settled immediately the judge entered.

Everyone stood, then sat again moments later.

As the proceedings began, my heartbeat became painfully loud.

This was it-

Months of work.

Months of humiliation.

Months of rebuilding my career from almost nothing.

And now the next several minutes would determine the outcome of everything.

The judge adjusted his glasses before he began speaking.

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The courtroom was so silent, one could hear paper shifting and rustling.

“After reviewing the motions filed by Virex Holdings and the responses submitted by Sinclair & Co, the court finds insufficient basis to delay judgment-”

I let out a slow breath of relief.

Beside me, Daniel Reyes straightened slightly.

Victoria’s expression hardened every the second the judge said something new.

“The court further finds that Langford Industries suffered substantial damages as a direct result of Virex Corporation’s contractual breaches and unlawful conduct-”

Every word that followed felt surreal.

Because we had one. 1

Not almost. Not potentially.

We had actually won!

The final ruling landed like a hammer.

Virex’s motions were denied in full.

Langford prevailed.

And just like that-

it was finally be over.

A quiet murmur swept through the courtroom immediately.

Daniel let out an audible breath beside me.

One of the associates behind us whispered, “Holy shit.”

And for the first time all morning-

I smiled.

Not small, not uncertain.

But a full grin-real and exhilarated.

“You did it,” Daniel said quietly.

Something in his voice nearly made me emotional all over again.

Because I knew it wasn’t performative.

Every single one of my colleagues and associates at Sinclair&co was genuinely proud of me.

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Across the courtroom, Victoria gathered her files quickly but aggressively.

Her face remained composed- but barely.

As she passed our side of the courtroom, her eyes landed on me.

She was furious.

“This isn’t over.”

Then she walked away without waiting for a response.

Daniel let out a low whistle from beside me.

“You just publicly humiliated Victoria Merlyn in court.” She said.

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

God.

Victory still didn’t feel real.

People started approaching almost immediately afterward- congratulations, handshakes and praise followed.

More noise than I could process at once.

And through all of it, one thought kept hurting quietly beneath the victory.

Margot should have been here.

My chest tightened painfully.

Because none of this would have happened without her.

She was the one who had encouraged me through all of this.

She was the one who had given me this opportunity in the first place.

Outside the courthouse, the press was already waiting in clusters, they almost overwhelmed me.

Microphones immediately lifted toward me the second I stepped outside.

“Ms. Moreau!”

“How does it feel defeating KVEK?”

“Was this the biggest victory of your career?”

“Any statement regarding Margot Sinclair’s condition?”

Camera flashes exploded everywhere, but this time-unlike all the other times-I didn’t feel hunted.

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Instead, I stood straighter.

Calmer and more certain.

Someone shouted another question.

“Any comment regarding Lucian Dhark and Eva Sterling?”

“No comment.” I answered without hesitation.

Then I kept walking.

–

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By evening, Daniel Reyes had practically forced me out with the rest of the Sinclair & Co team.

“You’re not going home to brood after beating KVEK, and winning the biggest case we’ve had this year.” He had declared firmly.

So now, I sat in a crowded upscale bar downtown, surrounded by associates, laughter, glasses clinking together, and enough alcohol to drown half the city.

Daniel raised his glass dramatically.

“To Claire Moreau.”

The table cheered instantly.

I laughed helplessly while shaking my head.

“She carried Sinclair & Co through one of the biggest corporate cases this year,” another associate added loudly.

“And while Margot was out,” someone else said.

Daniel pointed at me. “That part especially.”

I smiled softly at that.

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