The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 269

I stayed with Lucian for another hour.

We talked about the most insignificant things—

The food he’d complained about, the doctor who said he believed Lucian was incapable of following instructions, and the ridiculous number of messages Tessa had sent him, subtly reminding him not to work.

Just months ago, I could have sworn I loathed Lucian.

Yet now, somehow, his company had become what I looked forward to the most.

His laughter always forced a smile out of me. His touch made my heart flutter, and presence brought me genuine comfort.

Lucian Dhark now felt like home.

But eventually, I had to leave.

I stood beside his bed, adjusting the blanket that didn’t actually need adjusting.

I was just stalling.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He looked up at me. “You’ll come earlier?”

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re getting.”

He smiled.

I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

“Get some rest.”

He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

I rolled my eyes. “Good.”

I turned toward the door.

“Claire.” His voice stopped me.

I looked back.

His expression had changed.

There was something softer in his eyes as he spoke. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming.”

My chest tightened. “I’ll always come.”

His smile was small.

But it stayed on my mind all the way home.

⸻

By the time I returned to my apartment, the sun had already disappeared.

I changed out of my work clothes and spent several minutes staring at my phone.

Two weeks.

That was all the time we had.

Two weeks for Hart to decide. Two weeks for Eva to react. Two weeks for the defense to build whatever strategy they were already planning.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it was a phone filled with years of evidence.

I thought about what Lucian had said.

Then my eyes fell on the calendar beside my bed.

Just two more weeks.

And beneath the date of the next hearing was another date I’d circled weeks ago.

Lucian’s birthday.

I smiled to myself.

He thought he could get away with doing nothing. He was wrong.

Whatever happened with the trial, whatever happened with Hart, whatever happened with Eva—

I wasn’t going to let Lucian’s birthday pass like any other ordinary day.

Not after everything we’d survived. Not after I’d almost lost him.

I climbed into bed.

But as I closed my eyes, one thought returned.

The phone— and the messages in it.

Hart’s decision could change the direction of this case.

For the first time, I wondered what Eva would do when she realized Hart might no longer belong entirely to her.

Because if there was one thing I had learned about Eva Sterling—

She never let go of something she believed belonged to her.

Even years after the first breakup, she still believed Lucian belonged to her.

Hart Sullivan was no exception.

I had a feeling the next two weeks were going to be anything but peaceful.