The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 192

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO_CLAIRE’S POV

The moment I stepped into Sinclair & Co., I knew Daniel Reyes had a lot to say.

Not just by because he was standing outside my office, but because he had that look- the one that usually meant he was about to lecture me about either a career-defining opportunity, or a catastrophic problem.

Lately, the two seemed to arrive together.

“Morning,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes. “What is it?”

Daniel laughed. “I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Exactly.”

He held up a thick folder, and suddenly I knew.

“No.” I groaned.

“Yes.” Daniel followed me into my office.

I shut the door behind us as we entered.

“Margot approved it yesterday.”

“Daniel-”

“Before you yell at me,” he interrupted, dropping into one of the chairs opposite my desk, “I already tried

to dissuade her.”

That stopped me. “You did?”

“I swear. I told her it might be awkward.”

“Might be?” I sassed.

Daniel shrugged. “Fine. Extremely awkward.”

I dropped into my chair.

Daniel slid the folder across the desk.

I looked down at the all-too-familiar logo on the front.

Dhark Holdings.

My pulse immediately started misbehaving.

Officially signed.

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Officially represented.

Officially Sinclair & Co.’s client.

And officially, Claire Moreau was lead counsel.

For several seconds, I simply stared at the folder.

There was no escaping now. No hiding. No handing it off.

God.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment. “I spent months trying to get Lucian Dhark out of my life.” I stated.” And somehow, I had become his lawyer instead.”

Daniel winced. “Yeah.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.”

I rubbed my forehead. “What exactly did Margot tell you?”

Daniel looked too amused for my liking. “Not much, but she believes that nobody else should handle it.”

“Wonderful.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Her words, not mine.”

I groaned, just before Daniel’s expression softened slightly.

“For what it’s worth…”

I looked up.

“…I understand.”

That surprised me.

Daniel continued. “I know everything that’s happened. I know Eva ruined your marriage.” His voice lowered. “And if you genuinely don’t want the case, I can fight Margot even harder.”

For a moment, I was tempted. Very tempted.

Then I thought about Eva.

About Margot.

About all the victims inside that file sitting in Margot’s safe.

Years of manipulation, years of damage.

Stories no one else knew about. But I knew.

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“No.” I said finally. “I’m taking the case.”

Daniel nodded slowly. “I figured.”

Silence settled between us, then Daniel pushed another document toward me.

“The first strategy meeting is this afternoon.”

I frowned.

“Today?”

“Today.”

My headache immediately returned. This was all happening too fast.

“Who’s attending?”

Daniel began counting on his fingers. “PR.”

I sighed.

“Operations.”

Worse.

“Legal.”

Of course.

“Executive leadership.”

I sighed.

I already knew the final answer before he said it.

“And the man plaintiff himself; Lucian Dhark.” He added dramatically.

Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

The meeting would cover evidence.

Hart Sullivan, Eva Sterling, Dr. Ramon.

Media strategy, the upcoming lawsuit- everything.

And somehow I would have to sit across from Lucian Dhark and pretend we were nothing more than attorney and client.

I hated it immediately.

Not because I didn’t want the case, but because I knew exactly who would be walking through that conference room door.

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I knew him too well.

And lately, being around Lucian felt dangerous in ways I couldn’t explain.

Dangerous because of what I remembered – what his presence reminded me of.

Dangerous because of what I still felt.

Dangerous because I wasn’t entirely certain where the line was anymore.

Daniel eventually left, and I spent the next hour attempting to work.

Attempting.

My phone rang shortly before lunch.

It was Margot.

I answered immediately. “How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” She answered, dry as usual.

“That’s reassuring.”

“It should be.”

I smiled despite myself.

Margot’s voice sounded stronger every day. Not fully recovered, but closer. Much closer.

Then her voice softened.

“Claire.”

I immediately straightened. “What?”

“Eva destroyed enough lives.” The amusement disappeared completely as she said those words. “Don’t let your personal history become her final victory.”

The words landed harder than I expected.

Because she was so right. Painfully right.

Eventually I said quietly, “I know.”

Margot hummed.

“Good.”

Then she hung up.

And somehow those words stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon.

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At three o’clock, I walked into Conference Room A, and immediately wished I hadn’t.

The room looked perfectly normal.

Documents arranged on the long table, glass walls, corporate furniture.

It looked safe. It looked as ordinary as it was professional.

Then Lucian walked in. He wasn’t alone.

His executive assistant, Tessa, entered first.

Then an older man, whom I recognized as his PR director, a senior operations executive and a lady whose aura immediately told me she was legal.

And finally, Lucian himself walked in.

Every bit of air seemed to disappear from the room.

God.

We hadn’t seen each other since that night at the hospital. Since the night we had spent at my apartment.

Since I had fallen asleep in his arms.

And today, neither of us acknowledged any of it. Nor will we.

And somehow, that made everything more suffocating.

The meeting began at once.

We discussed Hart Sullivan at length, Eva Sterling, Dr. Ramon.

Media strategy, evidence, and risk assessment.

And undeniably, public perception.

Everyone contributed. Everyone acted perfectly professional.

Including me- mostly.

Until I stopped listening.

My gaze had drifted toward one of the reports spread across the table.

I realized too late that wasn’t even reading it anymore. I was thinking.

Spiraling, even. Remembering things I shouldn’t.

A voice suddenly cut through the room. “Claire?”

I didn’t answer.

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“Claire?”

Still nothing.

Then-

Lucian answered for me.

Instinctively, without even thinking. The exact way he used to during our marriage.

The room went quiet then, just for a second-half a second at most.