The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 71

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE LUCIAN’S POV

By morning, it was everywhere.

I didn’t need anyone to tell me. The moment I stepped into my study and turned on the screen, the headlines were already there… waiting.

Within a few hours, they multiplied faster than they could be contained.

Every platform, every outlet featured the same clip.

Different headlines, different angles, but the same moment.

Claire’s hand striking Eva. Cut cleanly, and repeated endlessly.

I watched it once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

Each time I watched it was slower and more deliberate than the last.

Not because I didn’t understand what I was looking at, but because I understood exactly what had been

removed.

The beginning.

The provocation; Eva’s initial slap.

The truth.

My jaw tightened slightly as I watched.

The clip being released at this particular time, was an efficient scheme.

Very precise, very intentional.

A knock sounded at the door, snapping me out of my thoughts, before it opened.

Eva walked in without waiting for permission, elegant and strikingly beautiful as usual.

Composed and untouched by the storm she had just created.

“You’ve seen it,” she said.

I didn’t turn immediately.

Instead, I let the clip play out again.

Then I paused it with Claire’s image froze mid-motion on the screen.

I finally looked at Eva.

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AVEN SSONE TINIANS POV

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“You released it.”

It was a statement, not a question. Because I knew what she was capable of.

Eva didn’t deny it. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, studying me.

“It was already going to come out. I just made sure it came out the right way.” She stated.

“There is no ‘right way’ to release something that’s been manipulated.”

I noticed her smile fade a little.

“It shows what happened.”

“No,” I replied evenly. “It shows what you wanted people to see.”

A beat passed before either of us said anything else.

“I was protecting you.” Eva said, straightening slightly.

“The legal battle between Claire and I is not your concern.” I retorted.

The words landed cleanly. I knew it from the way the smile completely disappeared from her face. “You don’t get to involve yourself by releasing edited footage.” I added.

Eva exhaled quietly, something sharper beneath the surface now.

“She humiliated you in court, Lucian! She dragged your name through the press. And now she’s playing the victim again-”

I didn’t let her finish. I’d had enough of Eva’s rants.

“I said it’s not your concern.” I said sternly, my tone final.

This time there was no space for interpretation.

Silence stretched between us. Intense silence.

I noticed something like disbelief flickering through Eva’s eyes.

“You’re defending her!” She cried.

I didn’t answer that directly. There was no answer that wouldn’t make Eva flip.

“You created a liability.” I retorted.

Eva’s brows drew together. “For her?” She sneered.

“For me.”

That landed differently.

Her posture shifted; less composed, and more reactive.

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RESELENTY ON LUCIAN’S POV

“And you don’t get to make those decisions on my behalf.” I finished.

It was true. There’s nothing I hate as much as people making decisions for, or around me.

The room went still.

I watched Eva try to contain her anger, her jaw tightening slightly.

“You’re worried about optics,” she said coldly. “I’m thinking about outcomes.”

“And you’re not thinking at all.”

That was the first real break.

She looked at me like she didn’t quite recognize me.

Then her hand moved to her stomach- quick and almost instinctive.

But not quite.

My gaze dropped to her stomach for a second.

Then lifted again.

“How far along are you?”

The question came without warning.

Eva froze.

But only briefly.

Then she recovered again.

“Why are you asking me that now?”

“Because I haven’t heard you answer it properly yet.”

Her blue eyes narrowed then. “You’re questioning me?”

“I’m asking you a question.” I stated.

She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “This is unbelievable.”

She stepped back, shaking her head.

“You stand here defending her, questioning me, after everything-”

“I’m asking you,” I said quietly, “because the timelines don’t align the way you think they do.”

That did it.

The shift was immediate. Eva’s expression hardened completely.

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“You know what? You don’t deserve any explanation!” She screamed then turned around and stormed

out.

I didn’t stop her.

Didn’t follow her.

Didn’t call her back.

She slammed the door with more force than necessary.

I stood there for a moment, in the silent room, completely still.

Then my gaze returned to the screen.

To Claire.

Frozen in that moment that had been reshaped into something else entirely.

My expression didn’t change.

But something had shifted completely.

A little while later, I saw Claire again in the hallway.

She was on her way out, dressed and ready to

As if the world outside wasn’t already tearing her apart.

She stopped when she saw me.

She wasn’t startled. She didn’t even seem hesitant.

Just aware.

I took a step closer to her.

Not too close, but close enough.

“You’re leaving.” I stated.

“Yes.” She gave a one-worded reply.

No explanation. No hesitation.

My gaze moved over her briefly, taking in details I didn’t need to notice.

But did anyway.

Then she said:

“You could have said something.”

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ANSPOL

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Direct.

Clean.

No accusation in her tone.

Which made it worse.

I held her gaze.

“And turned it into something bigger?”

“It’s already bigger.”

Silence followed.

Thick.

Unavoidable.

I didn’t respond immediately.

Didn’t argue.