The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN CLAIRE’S POV

I opened the filing without expecting it to matter.

It was just another document. Another adjustment by Lucian’s team. Another attempt to reframe me into something smaller than I was. To dig up dirt on me and change the narrative.

But I stopped when I saw the name.

“Lead Counsel for Lucian Dhark: Nathaniel Vale.”

My eyes widened.

A gasp escaped my throat before I could stop myself.

A memory came back to me without permission-

An auditorium filled with law students. Cold air, bright lights and mics in our faces.

My argument was structured as always, and delivered with conviction that bordered on arrogance.

And then there was his voice, dismantling my argument piece by piece without ever raising his tone.

He hadn’t attacked me.

He had only isolated weaknesses, with precision.

I remembered a professor who once said, “If either of you enters corporate litigation, the rest of the class

should consider alternative careers.”

I closed the file slowly.

Of course Lucian would hire someone like him.

Lucian didn’t hire noise, he hired precision.

And Nathaniel Vale was just that.

I understood immediately what it meant. 1

Lucian wasn’t just reacting anymore. He was strategizing.

Worse. Nathaniel knew how I thought.

He knew how I built arguments.

He knew when I pushed too hard.

He knew when I chose principle over pragmatism.

He had once told me that was my weakness.

I had told him he mistook restraint for morality.

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NVIN CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

We had both been right.

And that knowledge in his hands now?

That was dangerous.

Margot studied the filing with narrowed eyes, her grip tightening around the edge of the table.

“He’s clean,” she finally said, looking up from the document. “No theatrics, no ethical stains, and worse- judges like him.”

Nathaniel Vale was that reputable. While I was attending galas and going for dinner gown fittings, Nathaniel was climbing his way up the legal world.

We were once in the same class, but now? Now we’re anything but equal. 1

He had made a name for himself as an outstanding lawyer.

And if Eva was correct, I would only ever be known as “Lucian Dhark’s ex-wife.”

I didn’t say what I was thinking.

“He dismantled a family conglomerate in three hearings,” Margot stated.

Indeed, that was no small feat. Nathaniel Vale was a very capable lawyer. I knew that better than anyone.

“He prefers structured collapse over spectacle.” I said, almost to myself.

Margot lifted her right brow, studying me carefully for a moment.

“You know him.”

Letting out a slow breath, I sat up even straighter.

“We were in law school together.” I answered.

Two days later, the next set of requests arrived.

This time they were refined and strategic.

No excessive subpoenas or unnecessary humiliation.

Just pressure points:

Targeted financial clarifications, timeline confirmations and language tightened around “marital

breakdown.”

I recognized Nathaniel’s fingerprints instantly.

He wasn’t trying to embarrass me.

He was trying to corner me.

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PRATYVIN CLAINES POV

+25 Bonus

The pre-hearing conference between Lucian and I’s legal teams were scheduled for ten sharp at Sinclair

& Co.

Lucian and I left the same house that morning.

But not as partners_ as opponents.

The distance between us had become formal over the past few days. We didn’t even share meals

anymore.

Eva was already seated in the dining room when I walked in, wearing a pale blue flared dress, designed to cover a baby bump I hadn’t seen yet.

“You’re up early,” she spoke as she folded her napkin.

“So are you,” I replied.

Eva flashed a thin smile, placing a hand on her abdomen. “The baby kept me up. Besides, it’s a big day,

isn’t it?”

I poured myself some coffee without asking if she wanted any.

“Big for some of us at least,” she added.

I met her gaze over the rim of my cup. “You seem invested.”

“I care about stability,” she replied smoothly.

No further words were exchanged between Eva and I. After taking my breakfast, I left the dining room, without looking back.

Outside, the morning air was cool and sharp against my skin as I walked toward my car.

The driver was already inside, turning the ignition repeatedly. I heard the engine make a weak clicking sound before dying again.

Nothing.

He stepped out quickly the moment he saw me. “Madam, I’m sorry. I don’t understand- it was perfectly fine yesterday.”

“Of course it was,” I said calmly.

I looked at the tires, then at the hood of the car. At the timing.

The pre-hearing conference scheduled for 10 a.m.

Heightened media attention.

This had Eva written all over it.

It wasn’t just sloppy sabotage, it was inconvenient enough to delay me.

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Subtle enough for her to deny it, but strategic enough to ruin something important.

I inhaled slowly, already calculating alternatives.

Across the driveway, Lucian’s car rolled forward.

Then it slowed and finally stopped.

The rear window lowered and I saw his face, studying the scene with intense eyes.

His driver started moving the vehicle ahead again, then hit the brakes at Lucian’s quiet instruction.

The door opened.

“If you’re going to Sinclair&co,” Lucian called out to me, “get in.”

I hesitated.

Not because I wanted to refuse, but because I knew exactly what this would look like.

He almost scoffed when he noticed that I was hesitant, like I was being ridiculous.

“We’re heading to the same place,” he said. “Don’t be dramatic.”

I reluctantly stepped into the car and shut the door.

We sat with careful distance between us. The leather seats felt colder than usual today.

After a moment, he said, “This is the last act of kindness I’ll extend to you.”

Kindness.

I could have laughed, but I chose a simpler response.

“Noted.”

The rest of the ride passed in silence. I could feel his presence without looking at him-controlled, composed and watching.

And every time he glanced at me, I felt it too.

The reporters were heavier outside Sinclair & Co. that morning.

Cameras lifted the moment our car pulled in. The car was Lucian’s so obviously, it was him they were expecting to see when the car pulled in.

But then the door opened and we stepped out.

Together.

Side by side.

The shock on the reporters’ faces passed in a split second, then flashes of cameras followed.

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RS MAIN CLAIRES POW

+25 Bonus

A frenzy erupted. The sharp burst of light hit my eyes before I could adjust.

The reporters’ voices overlapped- competing and hungry.

“Are you reconciling?”

“Is the divorce being withdrawn?”

“Mrs. Dhark, any comment?”

“Mr. Dhark, is this a united front?”