The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 64

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CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR CLAIRE’S POV

I didn’t realize how tightly I was holding my phone until my fingers started to ache.

The screen blurred for a second.

Not from tears, but from the speed at which everything was unfolding.

Headlines, photos, narratives.

All of it-clean, deliberate, intentional.

“Claire?”

Margot’s voice snapped through the silence, sharp and focused.

“I’m here,” I said.

“Good. Then listen carefully.”

No softness, no comfort.

This time it was just strategy.

“This is not about gossip,” she continued. “This is about credibility.”

I exhaled slowly, my eyes still locked on the screen.

“I can see that.”

“They’re going to argue that you’re emotionally involved,” Margot said. “That your judgment is compromised.”

A beat passed. “That this case is personal for you in ways that go beyond the marriage.”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“They’re going to say I’m biased,” I said.

“They’re going to say you’re vindictive.” Margot added.

I swallowed as she continued.

“They’re going to say you’re not fighting for fairness,” she added, quieter now. “They’re going to say you’re reacting.”

My gaze drifted over one of the images again.

Nathaniel and I.

Mid-conversation.

Close enough to be framed however someone wanted.

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“This was planned,” I said.

“Yes.” Margot said. No hesitation, no speculation. Just certainty.

“Eva saw us at the gallery,” I murmured.

“Or someone working for them did,” Margot replied. “Either way, this wasn’t spontaneous.”

I scrolled further to see more pictures.

Different angles. Different days.

A cold realization settled in.

“This didn’t start tonight.”

“No,” Margot said. “It didn’t.”

Which meant-

“I’ve been watched.”

Margot paused, then answered.

“Yes.”

The word didn’t shock me.

It should have, but it didn’t.

“Claire.”

Margot’s tone changed now. It became more deliberate.

“You need to be careful moving forward.”

“I was careful.”

“You were human,” she corrected gently. “And they’re counting on that.”

I closed my eyes briefly, before opening them again.

“I’m not going to end my life because they’re watching me.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Margot said. “I’m asking you to understand the cost.”

Silence stretched between us.

Then another call came through.

It was Nathaniel.

“I have to go,” I told Margot.

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SIS CURUR CLAIRES POV

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“Call me back later.” She instructed, then got off the line.

I stared at Nathaniel’s name on my screen for half a second, then answered.

“Tell me you saw it,” he said.

“I saw it.” I replied.

For a moment, neither of us said another word. The silence was controlled. Deliberate, but meaningful.

“I didn’t leak anything,” he blurted out.

“I know.” I replied without hesitation.

I had no reason to suspect him.

Then I thought of the immediate trust I had for a man I was only getting to know all over again… that was

strange.

Another pause.

Softer this time.

“Good,” he said.

I leaned back slightly against the wall.

“This was intentional,” I said.

“Yes, obviously.” Nathaniel replied.

“Convenient timing,” I said. “Right after court. Right after Eva saw us at the gallery.”

“They’re shaping perception,” Nathaniel replied. “Not facts.”

Yes, he had always believed facts would prevail over perception. Over emotion.

My gaze drifted back to the screen.

“They don’t need it to be true,” I said quietly. “They just need it to look convincing.”

I heard him exhale faintly through the other end of the line.

“You’re learning quickly.”

“Do I get a choice?”

“No.”

That almost made me smile.

Almost.

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POV

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Then I turned serious again, remembering how precarious of a situation we were in.

“They’re going to use this against you too,” I said.

“Let them.”

My brows pulled together slightly.

“That doesn’t concern you?” I asked, surprised.

For a lawyer like himself, whose career was at its peak, reputation is everything.

“It does,” he said. “It just doesn’t change anything.”

Silence followed.

Then, he spoke again. More measured this time: “They’ll try to discredit me if I get involved again,” he added. “Conflict of interest. Ethical boundaries.”

I understood immediately. “They’ll say you’re biased too.”

“They’ll say worse.” Nathaniel stated.

It was true. Lucian’s team was capable of anything and those pictures were the perfect too for them to use to engineer whatever narrative suited them best.

A pause followed.

“But they’ll have to prove it,” Nathaniel added.

I looked down at the headlines again.

“They don’t need to prove anything,” I said. “They just need people to believe it.”

“That’s why you don’t let them define it,” he replied.

Silence settled between us.

Not uncomfortable this time, just… heavy.

“I shouldn’t have gone out with you,” I said finally.

The words felt strange. They felt wrong.

But necessary.

“No,” Nathaniel said, voice clear and firm.

I blinked.

“No?” I repeated.

“No,” he said again. “You shouldn’t have to stop living your life because someone else is trying to control

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the narrative.”

I didn’t respond. Because deep down, a part of me agreed.

And part of me knew the damage was already done.

“They’re going to push this hard,” he continued. “In court. Outside of it.”

“I know.”

Another moment passed without either of us saying anything.

“Then be ready for it.” Nathaniel said.

The line lingered for a while.

“I am,” I said.

Another pause.

“Claire.” Nathaniel called, his voice a little bit lower this time.

Something in his tone shifted.

Suddenly he sounded less strategic. And more… personal.

“Be careful,” he said.

I swallowed.

“You too.”

The call ended.

For a moment, I stood there, all alone.

Then I pushed away from the wall.

Because I knew that standing still wouldn’t change anything.

Downstairs, the house felt different. Again.

There was no openly hostile. The atmosphere wasn’t exactly cold either.

But it all just felt so… aware.

A maid glanced at me, then quickly looked away.

Then I noticed two staff members lowered their voices as I passed.

The news had arrived before I had.

Of course it had.

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XS FOUR CLAIREPOV

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“Claire.” Came Eva’s voice.

I stopped in my tracks.

She stood near the entrance to the sitting room, composed and perfectly dressed.

Watching me.

There was something different in her expression this time.

Perhaps it was triumph… or simply satisfaction.

“That didn’t take long,” she said lightly.

“What didn’t?” I asked, holding her gaze.

Her smile broadened slightly. “You proving them right.”

I didn’t react.

“You said I stole your husband,” she said, mockingly. “But at least I was honest about my relationship,” she added.

There it was. The ridiculous attempt to justify her actions.

I tilted my head slightly as I watched her try to defend what she had done.

You were hidden,” I said. “Until you weren’t.”

Eva’s smile faltered- just by a fraction.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Lucian.