The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 217

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN_CLAIRE’S POV

One minute I was sitting opposite Eva Sterling and her lawyer.

The next —

My phone rang.

Nathaniel.

Something inside me tightened immediately.

Because the speed at which him and the detective had left the interrogation room had been abnormal.

I answered.

“Nathaniel?”

Silence.

Then:

“Claire.”

My stomach dropped.

He sounded strained. Maybe even scared.

I had never known Nathaniel to be scared.

My grip tightened around the phone. “What happened?”

Another pause

“They got Hart.” He finally answered.

For a second, relief exploded through me.

Finally, they got that lunatic!

After all these months of his threatening and stalking and attacking.

After everything, they had finally gotten him. I couldn’t describe the relief I was feeling with words.

Then Nathaniel spoke again.

“But Lucian…”

The relief vanished at once.

I felt my heartbeat slow. “Nathaniel.”

My voice sounded strange to my own ears. Weak.

“What happened?” I asked.

“He was stabbed.”

The world tilted.

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1/8

MAPIEN TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTION, CLARES POV

Around me, the voices continued overlapping. Police officers moved, phones rang.

Eva was still talking somewhere behind me.

But suddenly, everything felt distant.

Muted, like I was drowning.

“What?” Was all I managed to say.

“He was found at an abandoned construction site.”

Nathaniel sounded like he was choosing every word carefully.

“They got Hart.” He repeated, like I hadn’t heard it before.

My knees nearly buckled.

“But Lucian lost a lot of blood.” Nathaniel added.

No. No, no, not again.

Not because of me.

“Is he alive?” I squeaked desperately.

Nathaniel hesitated for a second.

And that must have been the most terrifying second of my life.

“Yes.”

I closed my eyes.

Thank God.

Thank God!

Then Nathaniel continued. “They’ve taken him into surgery.”

+15 Bgnus

I didn’t remember leaving the station.

I only remembered getting into Nathaniel’s car, and then we were moving. Speeding.

The beauty of the city at night was lost on me.

I only stared ahead, unable to breathe properly or even think. Unable to stop imagining blood.

Too much blood.

Nathaniel kept both hands on the wheel. He remained silent, as he always did during situations like these.

He knew I needed the silence. And I appreciated it.

Because if he had tried comforting me right now, I probably would have broken down.

Five minutes passed- maybe ten.

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HARTER IWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN CLAIRES POV

+15 Bonus

Then:

“Is he alive?” I asked again, before I could stop myself.

Nathaniel glanced at me for a split second. “Yes.” He answered. “The hospital would’ve called if something has happened.”

I nodded.

A few minutes later, I found myself asking the same question again. “Is he alive?”

“Yes.”

Again.

And again.

I must have asked three more times.

Every time the answer remained the same. But somehow, it never felt like enough.

The moment we arrived at the hospital, I knew something terrible had happened.

The hospital was in absolute chaos.

Too many people, too much movement, and way too many worried faces.

Lucian’s assistant Tessa was there.

So was Professor Grant and several police officers.

Security crowded the entire building.

Everyone looked tense and worried.

I spoke with his assistant first.

She looked like she’d aged ten years. The moment she saw me her eyes filled with tears.

My stomach dropped.

I grabbed her arm. “Where is he?”

“Surgery.” Her voice cracked on the word. “They took him in forty minutes ago.’

Forty minutes.

My God.

“How bad is it?”

Tessa looked away.

The surgeon appeared almost an hour later, looking completely wiped out. His scrubs were stained, his face drawn.

The hallway fell silent.

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HAPTER TWO HONORED AND SEVENTEEN CLARES POV

Everyone stood immediately.

Every single person.

When I realized that Lucian had no real family member here, I stepped forward.

My voice shook. “Will he survive?”

The surgeon looked at me, then looked away.

It was brief, but it was enough.

I knew that look.

“We’re doing everything we can.”

I could have sworn that the door beneath me vanished them.

Hours passed- slow and cruel.

I sat outside the operating room, staring at the doors.

Not moving, not speaking, not working and certainly not reading.

I was only trying to control my breath. L

For the first time in so long, I wasn’t Claire Moreau, attorney.

I wasn’t Mrs. Dhark.

I wasn’t Sinclair & Co’s rising star.

I wasn’t Margot’s protégé.

I wasn’t Eva Sterling’s worst nightmare.

I was just a woman waiting to hear whether the man she loved was going to die.

The realization hit so suddenly I almost recoiled from it.

Loved.

Present tense.

Not loved.

Love.

My fingers drifted absentmindedly to my left hand.

To the place where my wedding ring used to sit.

The ring was gone. It had been for almost a year.

But the faint pale mark remained.

And suddenly-

+15 Bonus

15 Barius

4/8

HAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN CLAIRES POV

+15 Bgnus

I was somewhere else.

The cathedral had been beautiful.

White roses.

Gold candles.

Soft music.

The smell of fresh flowers everywhere.

I remembered standing at the entrance, my heart pounding.

My hands were shaking even as I held the bouquet.

Then the doors opened and I saw him.

Lucian was standing at the altar, looking even more terrified than I was.

Not nervous. Terrified.

I remembered laughing afterward because he looked more frightened than I did.

I remembered the way his eyes found mine instantly.

The way he smiled. The way every ounce of tension disappeared from both our faces.

It was as though he’d been holding his breath until he saw me.

I remembered walking toward him.

I remembered his hands shaking when he took mine.

I remembered the vows we had said.

The promises, the kisses, the applause.

I remembered what real happiness felt like.

Afterward, when everyone else was distracted, he’d leaned close and whispered:

“You look beautiful.”

I laughed it off. “You’ve said that six times today.”

Lucian’s grin had widened. “Only six?”

I shoved him lightly as he laughed.

God.

I hadn’t thought about that day in years. Not really.

Because remembering the beginning of our marriage always made the ending hurt more.

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MACIES PATH AND VENTEIN CLA

The operating room doors remained closed.

Lucian was still inside, fighting for his life.

And suddenly I understood something I’d spent months avoiding.

Something I’d buried beneath all the anger and resentment. Beneath heartbreak.

I never stopped loving him.

I had wanted to. God knew I wanted to.

It would have made things so much easier.

But sitting there outside that operating room, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore.

A couple of hours must have passed before I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

I looked up to see Nathaniel.

He sat beside me without speaking, and for a long moment neither of us said anything.

Then Nathaniel broke the silence. “He’s stubborn.”

A small laugh escaped me. “That’s one word for it.”

Nathaniel nodded. “He’ll survive.”

I looked at him. “You don’t know that.”

“No.” He agreed, his expression softening. “But he’ll be angry if he dies.” “No.”

A laugh burst out of me unexpectedly. Unfortunately, tears immediately followed that laugh.

They dropped from my eyes like a waterfall.

God.

I couldn’t stop crying.