The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 221

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE_CLAIRE’S POV

By the time I left the police station, I was running on only caffeine and grief.

Hart Sullivan’s confession still echoed inside my head.

Lucian lying unconscious in a hospital bed echoed louder.

Nathaniel walked beside me in silence.

To be honest, neither of us had much left to say.

The city lights blurred beyond the windshield as we drove away from the station.

I rubbed my eyes with my hands a few times.

Everything hurt- my head, my chest, my heart.

Especially my heart.

My phone started ringing in my pocket.

I pulled it out and answered immediately.

“Tessa?”

The second she spoke, I sat upright.

Because she sounded terrified.

“Claire, they’re doing it.”

A knot formed in my stomach immediately. “Doing what?”

“The board.” She said, her voice cracking on the word. “They’ve called an emergency meeting.’

“When?”

“Now.”

For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. “They’re moving to appoint an interim CEO.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Nathaniel immediately noticed.

“What happened?”

I held up a finger, still listening.

Tessa continued. “They didn’t wait for Lucian to wake up.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“They didn’t wait for anything.”

Of course they didn’t.

Because sharks never waited.

+15 Banus

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4M 36TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY ON! CLAIRES POV

They only smelled blood.

And Lucian was bleeding badly.

“If they get the wrong person into that position…” Tessa whispered.

She didn’t need to finish.

I already knew what was at stake.

If the wrong person took Lucian’s chair, Lucian might never get it back.

The board was moving while he was unconscious.

Like vultures.

“I’ll handle it.” I said, then ended the call.

Nathaniel looked at me. “What happened?”

I didn’t have the luxury to answer.

I already had my phone back in my hand, calling Margot.

She answered before the second ring.

Of course she did.

“I know.”

She said immediately. No greeting, no explanation.

Just those two words.

I closed my eyes. Of course she knew.

“Margot-”

“Get to Dhark Holdings.” She instructed, her voice cold.

Dangerously cold.

The kind of cold that ruined careers.

“Margot-”

“Now.”

The line went dead.

Nathaniel sighed. “I assume we’re not going home.”

“No.”

I stared out the window. “We’re going to war.”

The drive to Dhark Holdings felt endless.

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217

HARTER TWOHNDLY AND TWENTY ONE CLAN SPOV

Tessa met us downstairs.

Margot arrived shortly afterward, in a wheelchair.

Professor Grant was pushing her, looking absolutely miserable.

“You’re supposed to be in a hospital bed,” I told her.

Margot looked offended. “And miss this?”

Professor Grant pinched the bridge of his nose. “She threatened the doctor.”

“I did not.” Margot retorted.

“You absolutely did.”

“I merely informed him that they couldn’t stop me.’

Professor Grant looked at me.

“She threatened the doctor.”

Margot shrugged. “Okay, maybe I did.” She admitted. “Now let’s go.

The Dhark Holdings boardroom looked like it was designed to make people feel small.

Massive, expensive, powerful.

A room built by people who controlled billions.

A room built by people who believed they controlled everyone else too.

Board members already filled the seats.

Executives, investors, lawyers- sharks.

Several faces immediately turned toward me.

Some were hostile, some curious.

Others were simply dismissive.

I recognized the looks.

The discarded wife.

The scandal.

The embarrassment.

The woman everyone had either mocked or pitied.

Not anymore.

Today, I walked beside Margot Sinclair.

The attorney currently helping dismantle Eva Sterling.

The woman who had filed the lawsuit.

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CHAPHER WASHUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE CLAIRES POV

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The woman who had exposed a national scandal.

Today, I was a different woman.

One of the board members stood.

“We appreciate your concerns, but we must consider the company’s future.”

I almost laughed.

No.

This wasn’t about the company’s future. This was about opportunity.

Another board member spoke.

“Lucian may be incapacitated for months.”

Another.

“We have responsibilities to shareholders.”

“The company requires leadership.”

Then Margot spoke. “Oh good.”

The room went silent.

Margot looked around slowly. “I see the vultures arrived early.”

Nobody answered.

Nobody dared.

Even in a room filled with powerful men, she was still Margot Sinclair.

The silence was almost beautiful.

Margot settled back in her wheelchair, then looked at me.

Deliberately.

Margot wanted me to shine.

I stepped forward calmly. Professionally.

“The board originally gave Lucian two weeks before the election.”

Several faces changed.

I continued. “That deadline has not yet expired.”

Nobody interrupted.

Good.

“Secondly, Lucian Dhark was shot.” I said, looking around the room. “By a criminal directly connected to the case this company initiated.”

More silence.

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START ATWYHUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE CLAIRES ROV

+15 Bane

The message was clear: removing Lucian now would look exactly like what it was.

Panic. Weakness. Instability.

“The media would destroy Dhark Holdings.” I folded my hands. “And that’s when the investors would truly question leadership.”

Every argument was precise and very true.

I could see Margot from the corner of my eyes, watching me with something that resembled pride.

I hated how much that mattered.

Then I dropped the bomb.

“There’s another issue.”

The room stilled.

I met their eyes one by one.

“Years ago, after Elena Dhark’s death, Lucian signed emergency succession documents.”

Silence.Complete silence.

I continued anyway.

“If Lucian becomes incapacitated, there is a mandatory review process before any permanent replacement can be appointed.”

A board member frowned.

“What review process?”

I answered without hesitation. “The one outlined in those documents.”

The lie rolled off my tongue smoothly.

Too smoothly.

Weeks with Margot Sinclair had taught me many things. Including how to bluff.

“Which means this board cannot legally proceed today.”

The room froze.

Everything stopped.

Because nobody knew whether I was bluffing, and nobody wanted to risk being wrong.

I saw it happen.

The exact moment they realized they’d moved too soon.

The vote died before it began.

For now.

Lucian kept his position.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE CLAIRES POV

For now.

And that was enough.

One by one they left the room. Angry. Frustrated. Defeated.

Exactly as they deserved.

Eventually it was just Margot and me.

The room felt strangely quiet.

Professor Grant had stepped out, Nathaniel had gone to speak with Tessa and the rest of Lucian’s team.

For the first time all day, Margot and I were alone.