The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 224

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR_CLAIRE’S POV

I had barely slept.

The little sleep I managed to get came in broken fragments-twenty minutes here, forty there. Consistently interrupted by hospital monitors, phone calls, and the constant fear that my phone would ring with news I wasn’t ready to hear.

But exhaustion wasn’t an excuse. Not today.

Today was important.

Today was the preliminary hearing.

No matter what was happening in my personal life, I was still a lawyer, and this was still the biggest case of my

career.

I arrived at Sinclair & Co before most of the staff when the city was only beginning to wake up.

By the time I reached the conference room, I looked composed and professional.

No one would have guessed that less than twenty-four hours earlier, I’d been standing outside an operating room wondering whether my ex-husband would survive the night.

The conference room was already partially occupied.

Stacks of documents covered the table, coffee cups sat beside laptops, legal pads were open.

Preparations were underway.

Laurel Falcon was already there, and so was Jonathan Cole, one of my superiors at Sinclair&co.

Both were reviewing documents when I entered.

Laurel glanced up first. “You look terrible.” She remarked.

I dropped into my seat. “Good morning to you too.”

Jonathan shrugged. “She’s right.” He said. “I do hope you’re well prepared.”

I reached for a cup of coffee. “Thank you both for the encouragement. You’ve been so helpful.”

Neither looked particularly apologetic.

The truth was, all three of us knew this hearing mattered.

We also knew Eva Sterling would throw everything she had at delaying, undermining, or weakening the case.

And we couldn’t afford mistakes. Not when we were this close.

Not when people had bled for the truth.

Literally.

I pushed that thought away immediately. Thinking about Lucian right now would only make this harder.

So instead, I focused on work. On the documents in front of me. On evidence, timelines and witnesses.

I needed to focus on anything else- anything safer.

15

The judge arrived shortly afterward

Then came Eva’s legal team: two lawyers from a smaller firm. They were the son of firm the aged cases larger firms wanted nothing to do with

Their expressions suggested they knew they would regret their decision.

I couldn’t exactly blame them.

Everyone took their seats.

The judge checked his watch, then checked again.

We sat there in silence until five minutes passed. Then ten, then iftheen

Still mo Exa.

One of her attorneys shifted awkwardly, and the two exchanged inconforable glances.

Then the judge finally looked up.

“Counsel.”

The attorney straightened. “Yes, Your Honor?”

“Where is your client?”

The attorney hesitated briefly before answering. “Ms. Sterling is on her way

The judge’s expression remained flat.

“She’s been delayed by traffic.” The other attorney added.

I couldn’t help myself. “Fashionably late as usual. ” I remarked.

One comer of Laurel’s mouth twitched

Eva’s lead attorney shot me a look

The judge himself looked entirely unimpressed

“I don’t care if she’s the Queen of England” He said, visibly annoyed. We are not delaying proceedings because à celebrity cannot manage her schedule”

Eva’s lead attorney opened his mouth, but the judge cut ham oft

“We’re beginning”

And so we did

The hearing started without Eva Sterling

For nearly thirty minutes, proceedings continued

Arguments were presented, documentation was entered, scandusen we discussed.

Then the conference room doors opened and Exa finally wailued an

The interruption immediately drew every eye in the room towards the

15 Bonu

Eva looked immaculate, even I couldn’t deny that.

Designer clothes, perfect hair and expensive sunglasses.

She was as radiant as she was confident.

She looked less like a defendant and more like someone arriving for a red-carpet event. Almost like she’d dressed specifically for the photographers waiting outside.

The image of beauty and success.

The image of Eva Sterling.

But images had become her biggest problem because lately, people were beginning to see beyond them.

And I think she knew that too.

Eva removed her sunglasses, and offered the room an apologetic smile.

“My apologies for the delay.” She said, voice soft but very clear.

The judge looked unimpressed.

Good.

“Take your seat, Ms. Sterling.”

Eva obeyed. For once.

And the hearing continued.

Everything was formal, recorded, and most importantly, carefully documented.

Exactly as it should be.

For the first several minutes, Eva avoided looking at me.

Then eventually, inevitably, her gaze drifted toward mine, and our eyes met. Brown against blue.

And for the briefest second, something flickered in her eyes. Something that resembled fear.

Then she looked away.

When it was my turn to speak, I rose to my feet and the room immediately quieted.

This was my moment.

Years ago, I would have been terrified standing in a room like this. I would’ve second guessed myself, constantly wondering whether I belonged.

Margot Sinclair had cured me of that.

So I stood, opened my file and began.

“We intend to demonstrate a pattern of deliberate misconduct carried out by Ms. Sterling over an extended period of time.” I said, my voice calm and professional.

“These actions include fraud, defamation, fraudulent misrepresentation, conversion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, intentional deception, emotional damages, and conspiracy.”

375

I outlined everything methodically- one fact after another.

No theatrics or emotional appeals. Just the truth, backed up with evidence.

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