The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE CLAIRE’S POV

The office felt quieter than before, even though nothing had changed. Outside the glass walls of Margot’s office, Sinclair & Co. moved with its usual rhythm.

But inside the room, everything had changed.

The file rested in my hands, feeling heavier than it actually was.

Margot watched me carefully. Several minutes passed, but she did not rush me.

When she finally spoke, her voice was gentle but firm. “I’m not asking for an answer today,” she said.” You’ve already been through enough battles that weren’t yours to fight.” 1

I closed the file slowly.

“And if I choose to walk away?”

“Then you walk away,” she replied simply. “And I will still help you walk away cleanly.”

The honesty in her voice made the choice harder.

Because revenge sounded powerful, while peace sounded safe.

And indeed, I was tired of fighting the battle Eva had brought into my home.

I nodded once and placed the file back on Margot’s desk.

“I need time to decide.” I concluded.

Margot agreed. “Take it.”

She did not try to persuade me again, even as I walked out of her office.

Deep down, all I wanted was peace. Security. A clean exit from the turmoil my life had become.

Margot must have known it too.

The evening air felt cooler when I stepped outside the building that evening.

Work at Sinclair&co had kept me grounded all day – schedules, meetings, and decisions that required my competence, instead of endurance.

For several hours, I had almost forgotten that the mansion was waiting for me.

Almost.

The drive home was quiet. I stared out the window, watching the city around me- people living their ordinary lives, untouched by contracts and scandals.

For the first time in weeks, my thoughts felt… still.

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NINE CLAIRES POV

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Not hopeful, not broken.

Just clear.

I knew something was wrong before the car fully stopped.

Anyone would notice the lights flooding the estate.

Too many cars lined the driveway. Voices drifted through the entrance doors, along with soft music and polite applause.

Another gathering was taking place in the Dhark mansion.

Ever since Eva moved in, she’d hosted a series of events. A lot more than I did when I was the mistress

of the house.

And people praised her for it.

I stepped out of the car slowly, hearing the gentle laughter coming from the house.

Inside, the mansion glowed spectacularly. Floral arrangements filled the foyer. Staff moved quickly and efficiently, attending to guests with trays of champagne.

It was a charity event.

Of course no one had bothered to tell me.

I walked further inside the mansion before I saw Lucian.

He stood at the center of the room, speaking with a group of donors. His posture was relaxed, his expression attentive – the version of him the world admired. Not the version I had fallen in love with.

I must’ve stood there for a couple of minutes before he noticed me.

But no surprise crossed his face when our eyes met;

Only acknowledgment.

I started walking toward him.

“You’re back,” he spoke with a calm tone- damn near professional. As if we were discussing schedules, instead of a collapsing marriage.

“I live here,” I retorted.

He paused, then furrowed his brows as if he was wondering the reason for my attitude. As if it wasn’t obvious that I was irritated because I hadn’t been informed about the event.

But Lucian didn’t wonder for long. Someone called his name, and he turned to them immediately, already pulled back into conversation, paying me no mind.

I understood then that he had already adjusted to this new arrangement between us.

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NY NINE CLAIRES POV

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We were partners bound by a contract.

Nothing more.

“Claire.”

Eva’s voice carried through the room as she called my name, whilst walking towards me.

She wore elegance like armor, smiling warmly as several guests watched us with interest.

Eva was so good an actress, no one could see the falseness beneath her smile.

No one but me.

“I’m so glad you’re home,” she said, loud enough for nearby listeners. “Oh, Claire, we’re short-handed this evening. The staff is overwhelmed.” She almost whined.

“You’ve always been wonderful at hosting,” she continued sweetly. “Would you mind helping serve? Just until things settle.”

Subtly, the room grew quieter.

People were watching.

Waiting for me to react.

I felt countless pair of eyes on me, measuring me- the obedient wife. The invisible woman.

For a moment, the instinct to smooth tension and make things easier for everyone, arose again. It was

an old reflex, and it was overwhelming.

I glanced toward Lucian, who was nodding thoughtfully while speaking with a guest. I imagined they were discussing donations, planning a contract that would be beneficial to Dhark Holdings.

Either way, he did not look over.

He did not stop Eva from humiliating me.

Then I remembered that he never had.

So why would I expect today to be any different?

That’s when something inside me settled completely.

It wasn’t pain or anger.

It was understanding.

I turned back to Eva, and with a smile, I said “Of course.”

For a couple of hours, I moved through the room carrying trays, offering drinks, answering polite questions from strangers who assumed I belonged to the background of the house.

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NINI SARI SAN

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No one meant cruelty.

And somehow, that made it worse.

At one point, laughter erupted nearby as a guest spoke about family legacy, heirs and the importance of lineage.

Eva’s hand brushed my arm lightly as she passed. She wanted me to pay attention.

“So wonderful to see everyone supporting children,” she said brightly to the group she was speaking with. “Some women are simply… more fortunate in that regard.”

I had to give it to Eva- she knew just how to destroy a person without even raising her voice.

Her words were soft and precise.

Public enough to wound.

My infertility report flashed through my mind – the certainty in the doctor’s voice, Lucian’s reaction, and the headlines that had turned my body into discussion.

I waited for Lucian to intervene.

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