The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 320

“What were you listening to, Hope?”

Hope froze.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

I watched something flicker across her face. Fear, perhaps. Or surprise. Or both.

But it was gone so quickly that I might have imagined it.

Then she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Dhark.”

I waited a couple more seconds for her to answer.

“I was looking for Mrs. Camilla,” she explained. “I needed to ask her something about the kitchen, but I heard voices when I came down the hallway. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I thought I would wait until you finished speaking.”

It was a reasonable explanation. Almost too reasonable.

“Then why didn’t you knock?”

I watched her closely for a reaction. All I saw was her fingers tighten around the small cloth she was holding.

“Because I didn’t want to interrupt a private conversation,” she answered.

Also reasonable.

I studied her.

Hope had worked at the Dhark mansion for years. She was quiet, efficient, and rarely drew attention to herself. I couldn’t remember ever having a personal disagreement with her or catching her doing anything inappropriate.

Until now, I hadn’t had a particular reason to distrust her.

But then again, I hadn’t had a reason to suspect someone was watching me when I received that anonymous photograph, either.

I hadn’t known someone would discover my pregnancy before I was ready to tell even my closest friends.

And I certainly hadn’t expected Eva Sterling to follow me to a courthouse bathroom and congratulate me on a baby she had no business knowing about.

“You really should learn that happiness doesn’t last” she had said.

Eva’s voice echoed in my head with such clarity that my stomach tightened.

I looked at Hope again. “Did you hear anything about the new house?”

Her head lifted. “I’m sorry?”

“The house Mr. Dhark bought. Did you hear anything about it while you were standing outside?”

“No, ma’am,” she said.

The almost as an afterthought, she added “Only that you and Mr. Dhark are moving.”

She spoke quickly, but not quickly enough to hide the brief hesitation before she spoke.

Of course, I noticed it.

“How much did you hear?”

She lowered her eyes.

“Only that you’re moving, Mrs. Dhark. I didn’t hear anything else.”

I wanted to believe her.

I also wanted to believe that the anonymous message, the photograph, and Eva’s knowledge of my pregnancy weren’t proof that someone close to me was watching me.

Unfortunately, wanting something to be true didn’t make it true.

Before I could ask another question, nausea rose sharply in my throat. I pressed a hand against my stomach and grabbed the wall with the other.

For a few seconds, the hallway tilted.

“Mrs. Dhark?” Hope stepped toward me. “Are you all right?”

Instinctively, I moved away from her. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. Should I get you some water?”

“No. Thank you.”

I straightened slowly, waiting for the nausea to subside.

It was probably nothing. My body had been doing this for days now, reminding me at the most inconvenient moments that I was carrying a tiny human being.

But when I looked up, I caught Hope glancing at my stomach.

It was a brief movement—a downward flick of her eyes before she quickly looked away.

Perhaps she had noticed my hand resting there. Perhaps she was simply concerned about my sudden discomfort.

There were dozens of innocent explanations, and I made sure to remind myself of that.

I mean what kind of person would I be to accuse someone of conspiring against me simply because she had looked at my stomach?

“Please return to your duties, Hope,” I said.

She nodded immediately. “Of course, ma’am.”

She walked away, her shoes making soft sounds against the polished floor.

I watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

Then I let out a slow breath. Something about the encounter had unsettled me, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

Maybe it was the hesitation before she answered my question about the house.

Maybe it was the way she had looked at my stomach.

Or maybe I had become the kind of woman who couldn’t have a conversation with anyone without wondering what they knew about her.

God, I hated that possibility.

But I hated the thought of ignoring a warning sign even more.

So I made a decision: I wouldn’t accuse Hope of anything yet.

I wouldn’t tell Lucian that I suspected one of his longtime employees of being involved in something sinister.

I would simply pay attention. And if there was nothing to find, I would let the matter go.

But if there was something… I wasn’t going to overlook it.

⸻

Camilla took one look at my face when I returned to the room and put down the stack of towels she had been folding.

“What happened?” She asked. “You look as though you’ve just discovered something unpleasant.”

I exhaled. “That’s a very specific description.”

“Claire.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify