The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 60

CHAPTER SIXTY CLAIRE’S POV

I didn’t sleep.

Not properly.

I closed my eyes at some point, but sleep never came. Just fragments.

“I love you.”

“I always will.”

“We’ve gone too far.”

I turned onto my side, staring at the faint light filtering through the curtains.

He meant it.

That was the problem.

If it had been manipulation… strategy… even guilt-I could have dismissed it.

But it wasn’t.

Lucian had meant every word he said.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

The house was quieter than usual when I came downstairs the next morning.

Or maybe I was just more aware of it.

Every sound felt deliberate- from footsteps in the hallway, to the sound of a door closing somewhere downstairs.

Then I heard the faint murmur of a voice-Lucian’s voice-carrying briefly through the walls before disappearing again.

I avoided him.

Not intentionally at first.

But then-yes. Intentionally.

I took longer in my room, waited before stepping into the hallway and a few times, I turned the other direction when I thought I heard him nearby.

Once, I almost walked straight into him near the stairs.

I stopped just in time.

He didn’t see me.

1/7

YESSY CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

Or perhaps he did- and just didn’t acknowledge it.

And somehow, that felt even worse.

I was sitting in my room, looking through a few documents relating to the case, when I heard a soft knock on my door.

“Claire?” Camilla called.

I rose from the bed and opened the door.

She stepped inside, her eyes searching my face briefly before softening.

She didn’t ask what happened, and thankfully, she didn’t mention last night.

Instead, she said quietly-

“Some truths hurt more when they’re finally spoken.”

I looked away slightly. I didn’t know what to say- because I knew she was right.

And because there was nothing I could say that wouldn’t make it worse.

Camilla didn’t push. Instead, she simply nodded once, as if she understood anyway.

And then she left me alone again.

While looking through the documents I had brought home with me from Sinclair&co, my gaze lifted and caught sight of the envelope sitting on my dresser.

I hadn’t moved it.

Hadn’t touched it since last night.

But I was aware of it. Constantly.

I walked across the room slowly and picked it up.

Nathaniel’s name was still there; clean and uncomplicated.

An invitation.

It was quite simple.

And yet it didn’t feel simple.

It felt like something else.

Something I wasn’t ready to name.

I stared at it longer than I should have, and eventually, a small thought started forming in my mind.

Why does this feel like I’m doing something wrong?

217

CHACUNAIV CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

I closed my eyes briefly, and exhaled.

Because I already knew the answer.

Because some part of me still felt tied to Lucian.

Even now. Even after everything. Even after last night.

Part of me still loved him.

And maybe that is pathetic, but it’s true.

My fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the card.

Then I let out a slow breath.

“I don’t want my life to end because my marriage did.” I said to myself.

And that was enough motivation.

That evening, getting ready took longer than usual.

Not because I didn’t know what to wear, but because I did.

And that felt unfamiliar.

I wasn’t used to choosing my own outfits for events. Usually, a stylist who worked for the Dhark household would pick my clothes days before the event, and style me the way Lucian Dhark’s wife should appear.

But not this time.

This time, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the fabric of my dress slightly before letting my hands fall to my sides.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at myself.

Not as Lucian’s wife. Not as the woman sitting in court. 1

Just-Me. Claire Moreau.

It had been a long time since I had done that.

I reached for my bag, took one last look at the invitation-

Then left the room.

I had almost made it to the door when a voice stopped me.

“Going somewhere?”

I stopped in my tracks.

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AWES POV

That was unmistakably Lucian’s voice- low, and controlled.

I turned slowly to face him.

He stood a few feet away, watching me.

His gaze moved over me briefly-not lingering, but not dismissive either.

Just noticing- always noticing.

My outfit, my hair, my posture.

“Yes,” I said. I paused briefly, then added. “The gallery.”

Something in his expression shifted. It was slight, but I noticed.

Because I always noticed things about him too.

He understood.

Nathaniel.

Lucian didn’t move. He didn’t step closer. He didn’t try to stop me.

But there was something behind his still composure.

Something unspoken.

“Of course,” he said quietly.

I held his gaze for a moment longer, then I turned and walked out of the mansion.

The gallery was even more beautiful in the evening.

Soft lights cast warm shadows across the walls.

Voices blended into a low hum of conversation.

Glasses clinked faintly somewhere in the distance.

It felt… different. It felt lighter.

Like I was stepping into another world entirely.

For a moment, I stood near the entrance, unsure. I felt out of place.

Then-

“Claire.”

I turned just in time to see Nathaniel already walking toward me.

His gaze settled on me fully now, taking me in.

J

+25 Bonus

4/7

SNL TRSKA CLAIRES POV

+25 Bonus

Not critically. Not analytically.

Just seeing. And seemingly… admiring.

“You came,” he said.

I tilted my head slightly to the left. “You invited me.” I stated.

He smiled faintly. “Fair enough.”

The evening unfolded easily after that.

Nathaniel introduced me to people I didn’t know, while he thought might interest me. Mostly artists and

collectors. 1

People who spoke about things that had nothing to do with courtrooms or contracts or public perception.

And for the first time in a long time, no one here looked at me like I was a headline.

No one pitied me.

No one questioned me.

They listened, engaged, treated me like I belonged there. 1

And slowly, I started to feel like I did.

Nathaniel stayed close to me throughout the evening, but not in a way that felt overwhelming.

Just… present.

And his presence was grounding… almost a comfort.

At one point, his hand brushed lightly against mine as he guided me through a crowded space.

It was brief. Barely noticeable.

But for some weird reason, I felt it.

And he didn’t apologize, which somehow made it feel more natural.

More intentional.

Later, we stepped away from the crowd a little, the noise fading slightly behind us.

The air felt cooler. The atmosphere was quieter.

Nathaniel leaned lightly against the railing, as his gaze rested on me.

I didn’t feel like I was being rushed. It didn’t feel like he was probing either.