The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 290

I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

It followed me through every corridor of Sinclair & Co.

It followed me into every meeting, into every conversation.

Every time I looked toward the windows, I found myself wondering if there was someone standing across the street.

I tried to tell myself I was being paranoid. After all, I had spent the morning discovering that I was six weeks pregnant.

I should have been thinking about the baby. About Lucian and how I was going to tell him.

I should have been thinking about the future I had never thought I’d imagined for so long, but never thought I’d have.

Instead, I kept thinking about that envelope.

‘Congratulations, Claire.’

‘Six weeks already.’

I couldn’t get my mind off that photograph of me leaving the hospital that morning.

Someone had been watching me. Someone had followed me.

And somehow, they already knew I was pregnant.

For several minutes, I stared at the documents on my desk. But the words blurred together.

I forced myself to concentrate. There was too much at stake for me to let fear control me.

But every time someone walked past my office, my eyes lifted. Every time an unfamiliar car passed the building, I felt my stomach tighten.

By five o’clock, I had barely accomplished half of what I normally would.

I finally stayed until six, hoping that the extra hour would give me enough time to settle my thoughts.

It didn’t.

When I finally packed my things, the office had become almost completely quiet.

I slipped my bag over my shoulder and walked toward the elevator.

My mind immediately went to Lucian. I smiled despite myself.

Tonight.

I was going to tell him tonight.

The elevator doors opened when I pressed the button.

And for the first time since I’d received that envelope, I allowed myself to think about something other than fear.

I was going to have a baby—our baby.

The thought alone made my heart race.

When I reached the parking lot, however, that feeling of dread returned.

That same uneasy sensation.

I slowed down.

My eyes moved across the parking lot.

There was nothing unusual.

Just a few cars, the security guard near the entrance and the evening sky.

And my car of course.

I stared at it.

Something inside me screamed not to get inside. I frowned.

It was ridiculous.

The car looked exactly as it had that morning. Nothing seemed wrong.

But then I remembered Margot.

I remembered the exact moment Nathaniel and I got the call about her accident.

I remembered the discovery that her brakes had been tampered with.

I remembered how close we had come to losing her.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag.

“Faulty?”

“Yeah.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. It started acting strange.”

It wasn’t very believable, but it was the first excuse that came to mind.

Laurel didn’t seem completely convinced, but she didn’t question me further.

“Come on,” she grinned. “I’ll drop you.”

Relief washed over me. “Are you sure?”

“Of course Claire, it’s on my way.”

I smiled back. “Thank you.”

We climbed into her car.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced once more through the window.

My car remained exactly where I had left it. For some reason, I couldn’t stop looking at it until it disappeared from view.

I exhaled slowly.

Maybe I was being paranoid. Maybe there was really nothing wrong with the car. Maybe whoever had sent that photograph simply wanted to frighten me.

But I wasn’t going to find out—not tonight.

Not when I had a reason to be as careful as possible.

A very precious reason.

I lowered my hand to my stomach again, and smiled. I was going to be a mother.

And tonight, I was going to tell the man I loved that he was going to be a father.

For the first time all day, I felt something stronger than fear.

Hope.