The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 81

CHAPTERCHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE CLAIRE’S POV

I lowered the phone slowly.

The air around me felt different-not heavier, not lighter. Just… clearer.

Nathaniel was watching me.

“Problem?” he asked.

“Yes.”

A brief pause.

“A transfer was made in my name.”

His expression didn’t change. “And?”

“It was redirected.”

That was all I said.

That was all I needed to say.

Nathaniel studied me for a moment, then asked, “Do you want to trace it?”

The question hung between us.

Simple.

Direct.

I thought about it.

About the money.

About what it meant.

About where it came from.

Lucian.

Of course it was him.

And for a brief second-just a second-I imagined what it would do. How much easier things would be. How quickly problems could disappear with that kind of number attached to them.

Then I let the thought go.

“No.”

Nathaniel’s gaze sharpened slightly, not in disagreement-but in assessment.

1/8

NONE LAIRES POV

“I don’t want anything that still has his name attached to it,” I said.

That felt clearer.

Cleaner.

More honest than anything else I could have said.

He nodded once.

“That’s harder than fighting it.”

Maybe it was.

But it felt right.

Freedom didn’t come in installments.

We didn’t speak about it again.

+25 Bonus

The agent returned a few minutes later, her tone bright and efficient as she resumed discussing terms

and timelines.

I listened.

Asked questions.

Clarified details.

And then, without hesitation this time, I agreed.

The apartment was mine.

Not large.

Not extravagant.

But enough.

More than enough.

By evening, I stood inside it again-this time with a set of keys in my hand.

The space was quiet.

Empty in a way that felt… open.

Not hollow.

2/8

ONE CLAIRES POV

Not because I was tired.

But because I wanted to be still.

The silence didn’t press in.

It didn’t demand anything.

It just… existed.

And for the first time in years, so did I.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify