The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 175

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE CLAIRE’S POV

Margot’s eyes were closed again by the time the doctor rushed into the room.

Two nurses followed behind him quickly while I stood near the bed, my pulse still racing more than it

ever had.

“She opened her eyes,” I said immediately. “I saw her- she looked at me.’

The doctor moved calmly toward the monitors while one of the nurses checked Margot’s vitals.

“Margot?” I called softly again, moving closer. “Margot, can you hear me?”

Nothing.

No movement- not even a little.

The disappointment hit me harder than expected.

For one brief second, I had thought she was finally awake.

The doctor checked her pupils carefully before glancing toward me reassuringly.

“This can happen,” he explained gently. “Patients in comas sometimes regain partial responsiveness before fully waking.”

“So that’s… normal?” I asked, hope still creeping up to me.

“It’s encouraging,” he corrected.

My chest tightened again.

“The swelling in her brain has reduced significantly over the last few days,” he continued. “If she responded once, there’s a very good chance she’ll regain consciousness properly soon.”

Relief nearly made my knees weak.

I looked back at Margot’s face.

“Soon,” I whispered.

One of the nurses offered me a sympathetic smile.

“She’s fighting.”

I nodded slowly.

Of course she was.

Margot Sinclair absolutely would fight.

The drive home was quieter than usual.

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ONEHUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE CLAIRES POV

Not outside… not the road. But inside me.

My thoughts drifted somewhere dangerous again.

Toward Lucian.

Toward the carnations.

Toward memories I should have stopped revisiting months ago.

But my mind betrayed me anyway.

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It had been raining lightly that evening too- not heavily like the night we met, but just enough to make the streets shine beneath the city’s golden lights.

I checked my phone again irritably while sitting at the restaurant table.

Twenty-four minutes late.

I let out a sharp, irritated sigh.

Normally, I would have left already.

But this was Lucian.

And somehow, even after only two weeks, Lucian Dhark had already become impossible to ignore.

“Claire.”

I looked up just in time to see him hurrying up to table.

Lucian looked breathless.

Actually breathless.

His dark coat was slightly damp from the rain outside, his tie loosened enough to tell me he had rushed here directly from work.

And for the first time since meeting him-

Lucian looked genuinely nervous.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately. “I know I’m late.”

“You think?” I snapped.

“I deserve that.” He said as he removed his coat.

I crossed my arms in front of me. “I cancelled plans for this dinner.”

“I know.” He said, voice low.

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MLCANDY SEVENTY FIVELAIRES POV

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“And I’ve been sitting here alone for almost half an hour.”

“I know,” he repeated quietly.

Something about how sincere he sounded softened my irritation slightly, despite my efforts to remain

stern.

Lucian sat down carefully across from me.

“I should’ve called earlier.”

“Yes,” I replied sharply. “You should have.”

“I’m sorry.”

I exhaled slowly.

The thing about Lucian was that he rarely apologized unnecessarily.

So when he did-

I knew he meant it.

And that made it difficult to stay angry.

Especially after finding out the previous week who he actually was.

Lucian Dhark.

CEO of Dhark Holdings.

One of the most powerful men in the country.

I still remembered staring at him in complete and utter disbelief after learning it.

Because the exhausted man I met in the rain hadn’t felt untouchable- well, not exactly.

He had just felt lonely.

Lucian leaned back slightly in gi seat.

“My mother used to say punctuality was a form of respect.”

I narrowed my eyes at him immediately.

“Oh, absolutely not.”

His eyebrows lifted faintly, but I continued anyways.

“You don’t get to quote your mother at me when you’re the one who was late.”

To my surprise, Lucian laughed softly- a real laugh.

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UNDRELY AND SEVENTY FIVE CLAIRES POV

Rare enough then that it immediately distracted me.

“She was usually early whenever it involved people she cared about,” he explained.

I opened my mouth immediately, ready to snap back.

Then Lucian added quietly:

“I always wanted to be more like her.”

The irritation left me almost instantly.

Something vulnerable flickered briefly across his face before disappearing again.

And suddenly-

I understood.

This wasn’t criticism.

This was regret.

I softened slightly.

“Does that mean,” I asked lightly, “you care about me a lot already?”

I expected teasing.

Deflection.

Instead, Lucian looked directly into my eyes.

Completely serious.

“You’re all I’ve cared about since I met you two weeks ago.”

The air shifted.

Just like that.

No games.

No hesitation.

Just truth.

My heart stumbled painfully against my ribs.

God.

The intensity of him.

It should’ve frightened me.

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NORITY AND SEVENTY FACE CLAIRES POV

Instead-

it pulled me under completely.

The silence stretched between us quietly before Lucian finally looked away first.

“That sounded insane.”

I smiled despite myself.

“No,” I corrected softly.

“I like you that way.”

His gaze returned to mine immediately.

Dangerously intense now.

Then slowly, he smiled.

Small, but beautiful. And entirely mine.

“What are your favorite flowers?” he asked suddenly.

I blinked.

“What?”

“So I know what to buy you the next time I’m late.”

Warmth spread through my chest instantly.

“Carnations,” I answered.

Lucian nodded once like he was committing it permanently to memory.

And apparently-

he had.

A horn blared loudly behind me.

I jerked violently back into the present.

“Watch where you’re going!” another driver yelled through his open window while speeding past.

“Sorry!” I called reflexively, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

Jesus.

I exhaled shakily.

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ANY SEVENTY FIVE STAGE POV

I was thinking about him too much again.

Far too much.

–

By the time I got back to Nathaniel’s house, I was already physically and emotionally exhausted.