The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 265

By the time I got home, I was too tired to think.

Absentminded, I dropped my handbag on the sofa and stood in the middle of my apartment for a few seconds, simply enjoying the silence.

Being in the courtroom had always been my dream job.

But sometimes, I didn’t want to deal with lawyers. With reporters shouting questions. With a judge asking me to explain another piece of evidence.

Right now, I needed the silence.

I exhaled slowly.

For the first time in what felt like months, I allowed myself to believe that this nightmare might actually have an ending.

Maybe not an easy one— not after everything that had happened— but an ending regardless.

I went straight to the bathroom.

The hot water felt therapeutic against my skin.

I stood beneath the shower for longer than I intended, letting the day’s exhaustion slowly drain out of me.

My mind still wandered back to Hart Sullivan. To Margot who was probably currently interrogating him.

She believed there was a chance he might still choose to testify against Eva.

Margot Sinclair was a woman I trusted with my life. But this time, I didn’t trust her judgement.

Hart would never turn against Eva. He was simply too deeply in love with her— too far gone.

Eventually, I dried myself, changed into a loose nightdress and walked into my bedroom.

My bed looked unbelievably inviting.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand.

There were several messages waiting.

Most were from Daniel, Laurel and Jonathan.

A few other people from the firm had sent texts too.

Nothing urgent.

I answered the ones that needed immediate responses, then tossed the phone onto the bed.

I was about to turn off the light when the screen lit up again.

I glanced at it, then stopped.

It was a missed call — Margot Sinclair.

My heart immediately dropped.

Margot had said she’d call me after seeing Hart.

I’d been expecting the call, but somehow, seeing that missed call made everything feel different.

It was nearly ten at night.

She wouldn’t have called me this late for something insignificant.

I picked up the phone.

My thumb hovered over her name.

Maybe she’d already gone home. Or perhaps the call had been a mistake.

Maybe she’d accidentally called.

Maybe—

I stopped myself.

No.

Margot didn’t accidentally call people.

Especially not me.

I pressed call.

The phone rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

I held my breath.

Four.

Five.

Then—

Voicemail.

My stomach tightened.

I immediately called again.

Still nothing.

I lowered the phone slowly.

Something had happened. Somehow, I knew it.

I just didn’t know what.

My mind immediately went to Hart. Then to the police station. To Margot who was still in a wheelchair.

Then to the crash.

I remembered her lying unconscious. The blood, the panic.

My heart began pounding.

I called again— Still nothing.

I walked out of my bedroom.

I couldn’t stay there.

I paced across the living room, phone clutched tightly in my hand.

Maybe Hart had attacked her.

Maybe Eva had found out she was going to see him.

Maybe—

My phone rang.

I nearly dropped it.

I looked down.

Margot.

I answered immediately.

“Margot?”

Silence.

My heart stopped.

“Margot, are you there?”

There was a faint sound on the other end.

Then her voice.

Weak.

But unmistakably hers.

“Claire.”

I exhaled so hard my knees nearly gave way.

“Oh my God.”

I sat down on the edge of the sofa.

“I’ve been calling you.”

“I know.”

“Are you okay?” I asked immediately.

A pause.

“I’m fine.”

I closed my eyes.

“Then why did you call me?” I asked. “Did something happen?”

Another pause.

This one was longer.

That’s when I knew something was wrong. I could hear it in the silence.

“Margot?” I called again.

She exhaled. “I had a conversation with Hart Sullivan.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“And?”

“I think you were right.” She said.

My stomach dropped. “About what?”

“Hart wants to testify.” She stated.

I swallowed. “For or against Eva?”

“For.”

My heart seemed to stop.

Margot’s next words came slowly. “He is still very much devoted to her.”

I stared into the darkness of my apartment.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

It wasn’t exactly new information.

But the fact that after weeks in a cell— weeks of being ignored by the woman he worshipped— Hart Sullivan still hadn’t budged.

“But why?” I didn’t even bother to hide the frustration in my voice

She said nothing.

“Margot, what happened?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Claire—”

“No. You don’t call me at ten at night and tell me Hart is going to testify for Eva and then tell me you’ll explain tomorrow.”

She sighed faintly. “I knew you’d say that.”

“Because it’s true.” I stood again.

“Did he threaten you?”

“No.”

“Did he hurt you?”

She hesitated for a second— but that was too long for me. “No.”

“Then what happened?”

Silence.

Then Margot said quietly:

“He gave me something.”

My heart began pounding again.

“What?”

Another pause.

“Something that could change everything.”

I froze.

“What did he give you?”

Margot didn’t answer immediately.

And somehow, that silence was worse than anything she’d said so far.

Finally, she spoke.

“I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

“Margot—”

“I need you to trust me.”

I closed my eyes.

“I do.”

“Then go to sleep.”

I almost laughed.

“You’re telling me to sleep after that?”

“I am.”

“That’s cruel.”

“I know.”

“I can’t tell you over the phone.”

“Margot.”

“I mean it.”

I groaned.

“You’re becoming incredibly irritating.”

“I’ve been told.”

I could almost hear the smile in her voice.

But it disappeared quickly.

“Claire, whatever is on this device, we need to verify it before we use it.”

“Device?”

“Yes.”

My eyes widened.

“Hart gave you a device?”

“A phone.”

“What is on it?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know?”

“Not everything.”

I sat down again.

“Margot, you’re killing me.”

“I know.”

There was another pause.

Then her voice became serious.

“But there’s something else.”

“What?”

“When I was with Hart…”

She hesitated.

I waited.

“He admitted something.”

My stomach twisted.

“What?”

“He said something about Eva.”

“What did he say?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“Margot!”

“I need you to trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

“Then trust me enough to wait until morning.”

I pressed my fingers against my forehead.

I hated this.

I hated not knowing.

I hated the possibility that while I was sitting in my apartment trying to sleep, Eva’s lawyers were already working to turn Hart into their weapon.

Finally, I sighed.

“Fine.”

“Thank you.”

“But I’m coming to the office early.”

“Good.”

“And I want to see whatever Hart gave you.”

“You will.”

“And I want to know exactly what happened between you two.”

A beat.

“You’ll know.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“You’re hiding something.”

“I wouldn’t call it hiding.”

“What would you call it?”

“Strategic timing.”

I laughed despite myself.

“That’s a lawyer’s way of saying you’re hiding something.”

“Goodnight, Claire.”

“Goodnight.” She said, then ended the call.

I stared at my phone for several seconds after that.

Sleep was going to be difficult. Because somewhere in a police station, Hart Sullivan was apparently holding a piece of evidence that could change the entire case.

And somewhere across the city, Eva Sterling’s lawyers were trying to buy themselves enough time to make him choose her.

I had spent months preparing for this trial.

I had anticipated lies, manipulation, surprises…

I had even anticipated betrayal.

What I hadn’t anticipated was that the most dangerous battle of the entire case might come down to one man deciding whether the woman he loved was worth destroying himself for.

It was romantic in a very dark, twisted way.

I placed my phone on the table, then turned off the lights.

But I didn’t sleep.

Not for a very long time.