The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 328

I settled into my chair behind my desk and gestured for Claire to take the seat opposite me.

She sat down, placed her briefcase beside her, and exhaled. “I have a feeling the rumors are only going to get worse.”

I had expected that to be the first thing out of her mouth.

“I’ve seen them.” I said.

“Then you know what they’re saying.”

“That you slept with professors in exchange for grades. That you used inappropriate relationships to advance your academic career. That the photograph of you with a Professor is proof of something improper.” I listed.

Her jaw tightened. “It’s ridiculous!”

“I agree.”

“I never dated a professor, Margot. I never slept with one!”

I nodded. “I know.”

“Then why does it feel as though I have to keep defending myself against something that never happened?”

I watched her for a moment.

Because I knew the answer. People often believed the accusation they heard first. By the time the truth arrived, many had already decided what they wanted to believe.

And the more successful the person being accused, the more satisfying some people found the possibility that their achievements had been undeserved.

Claire was hardworking, intelligent, and ambitious. She had earned her place in this profession through her own effort. And someone had taken those accomplishments and attempted to turn them into evidence against her.

I couldn’t allow that to happen without understanding who was responsible.

“Claire, I need to ask you something.”

She looked at me.

“Have you ever dated a professor?”

Her eyebrows rose. “What?”

“During university, or in law school or even after it—at any point. Even if it had nothing to do with grades.”

She stared at me as though I had suddenly begun speaking another language.

“Are you serious?”

“Entirely.”

“No, Margot—I have never dated a professor. I’ve never had an inappropriate relationship with one, and I’ve never slept with anyone for academic advantages.”

“I hear you.”

She frowned. “Then why are you asking me that?”

“Because I’m your lawyer.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“And my responsibility is to know the truth about my client, including anything that could emerge unexpectedly during a case. I need to know what we’re dealing with before the opposing side finds a way to use it against you.”

Her expression remained wounded.

I understood why. I had given Claire a place in Sinclair&co and she’d been determined to prove that she deserved a place in this profession.

I had watched her work hard, challenge herself, and gradually earn the respect of people who had initially underestimated her.

She had trusted me with her career when she was at her most vulnerable, and the last thing I wanted was to make her feel that I doubted her character.

I softened my voice. “I’m not asking because I believe the rumors. I’m asking because I refuse to be caught unprepared. If there is anything in your past that someone might distort, I need to know about it so we can prepare an answer. That’s how we protect you.”

Claire looked down at her hands.

For a moment, I thought she might be too angry to respond.

Then she sighed. “I understand why you’re asking.”

“But?”

“But it hurts that someone can say something so disgusting about me, and even people who know me have to ask whether there’s some truth to it.”

“I know.”

She looked up again. “But no, there is no truth to it. I have never dated a professor. I have never slept with one. Professor Williams was simply a friendly man. I believe he gave me a ride back to my dorm after an academic event, and that was all.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She answered tightly.

I smiled as I made a note in the file.

“Now, let’s talk about the person who might have done this.”

“Eva,” Claire said quickly.

“You sound very certain.”

“Who else has done everything within her power to destroy my life?”

“Eva has a clear vendetta against you—I won’t argue with that. But I want us to be careful. We cannot assume she’s working alone simply because she has the strongest motive.”

Claire leaned back in her chair. “So you think someone helped her?”

“I’m thinking someone obtained that photograph, kept it, and released it at precisely the right moment. That takes access, opportunity, and planning. We need to find out who had all three.”

Claire was quiet for a moment. Then she began telling me about her university friends.

She had never been someone who needed a crowd around her, so she’d always preferred a handful of people she could trust, and most of those friendships had survived the years since graduation.

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