The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 93

CHAPTER NINETY-THREE CLAIRE’S POV

I didn’t notice when the office started to quiet down.

But at some point, the noise-phones ringing, quiet conversations, the steady movement of people- faded into the background.

My attention stayed fixed on the documents in front of me;

Numbers and reports.

Internal summaries that had been revised enough to look consistent-until you stopped reading them

individually and started reading them together.

That was where the problem was.

I flipped a page, tapping my pen lightly against the margin before I marked another section.

A pattern was forming.

Then someone placed a file beside my open folder on my desk.

“I thought you’d want to see that.” 1

I didn’t look up immediately. I finished the line I was reading, closed the document, and then lifted my

gaze.

Nathaniel stood across from me, composed as always, with another file tucked under his arm.

He was the counsel, assigned to the investor group affected by the internal dispute. Which meant he wasn’t here by coincidence or even to visit me.

“Depends what it is,” I replied.

“Cross-referenced approvals,” he said, sliding the file slightly closer to my arm. “From the same division you flagged.”

Welp, that grabbed my attention.

I pulled the file toward me, then flipped it open at once.

Nathaniel didn’t sit right away. He just stood there, watching. Waiting.

I scanned the first page, then the second, furrowing my brows slightly.

“Who compiled this?” I asked.

“My team,” he answered. “But the inconsistency? That’s yours.”

I exhaled quietly, my eyes moving faster now.

There it was again- the same consistent coverups.

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CHAPTER NINETY THREE CLAIRES POV

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“Interesting,” I murmured.

Nathaniel finally took the seat across from me.

“Tell me.”

I tapped the page once. “These approvals are structured to look independent.”

“They are.”

“They’re not.” I countered.

Nathaniel paused briefly, then leaned forward slightly. “How so?”

I flipped to the next page, aligning it with one of mine.

“Because they all lead to the same outcome,” I pointed out calmly. “They just take different paths to get there.”

His gaze sharpened. “Which is?”

I met his eyes as I answered. “Deflection.”

Nathaniel leaned back slightly, studying the documents again with immense attention.

“You’re assuming coordination,” he said.

“I’m assuming intelligence,” I retorted.

A beat passed, then he shrugged. “…fair.”

The corner of my mouth nearly curved into a smile before I looked back down at the files.

We worked without speaking for a while after that, comparing numbers, aligning figures, cross-checking

documents.

He didn’t interrupt unnecessarily. He didn’t explain things I already understood.

And when he disagreed, he said it directly.

“That entry doesn’t fit your pattern,” he said at one point.

“It does,” I replied without looking up. “You’re just reading it as an isolated action.”

“And you’re not?”

“No.”

I slid the page toward him. “Look at where it leads.”

He did. “That’s not accidental.” He stated, as realization dawned on him.

“No,” I said replied quietly. “It’s not.”

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CHAPTER NINETY THREE CLAIRES POV

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Nathaniel exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair again.

“This isn’t damage control.” He said. “It’s protection.”

I nodded.

That was it- the moment the case stopped being uncertain, and became something solid.

Nathaniel looked at me then-not at the documents, not at the table.

At me.

The admiration in his eyes was undeniable; he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

“You just changed the direction of this case,” he said.

My chest swelled up with pride. “It needed changing,” I replied simply, trying to be modest even though knew what I had achieved was no small feat.

We both knew it.

The conference room was quiet when we walked in.

Not just silent, but attentive.

Margot sat at the head of the table, and the rest of the senior team already present as well.

I laid out the documents out without hesitation, explained the pattern, the alignment, and the intent behind the inconsistencies.

I could hear how clear my voice was. I have no unnecessary details, no diversions, just the discoveries.

When I finished, the room went still.

Margot held my gaze. “How certain are you?” she asked.

“Certain enough to proceed.”

She paused, her gaze flicking to the senior associates and other partners.

When she saw that no one had any objections, she nodded approvingly at me.

“Then we proceed.” She announced. “We have a case.”

Something in the room changed.

I felt the shift immediately- the way the attention on me intensified.

The way no one questioned it further.

The discussion moved forward-building on what had just been established.

But just as the meeting began to dissolve, Margot’s voice cut through again.

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CHAPTER NINETY THREE CLAIRE S POV

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“Claire.” She called. “Stay back.”

The room cleared gradually-papers gathered, chairs shifted, doors opened and closed.

Until it was just the two of us.

I remained standing for a moment before she nodded at me. I took the seat across from her again.

Margot studied me for a moment before speaking, her expression pleasant and… almost proud.

“You handled that well,” she said.

“Thank you.” I smiled lightly.

“You didn’t just identify a flaw,” Margot continued. “You understood the intent behind it.”

I said nothing, but internally, I was doing backflips.

“You see structure,” she adder. “That’s not something we teach easily.”

She paused again, studying me one last time. That’s how I knew that something was coming.

“We’re expanding your role on this case.” She informed. “More direct involvement, closer to strategy. You’ll be working alongside senior counsel on the next phase.” She clarified.

Not a promotion- at least not officially.

But this was almost better.

“And,” she added, almost as an afterthought, “your name will be included in the lead review team.”

Now that… that was significant!

Actually, that was huge!

“I understand,” I said, nodding, containing my grin from becoming wider.

Margot held my gaze for a second longer.

“I don’t think you do,” she replied calmly. “So I’ll say it clearly: you’re being positioned.”

“For what?” I asked, not even trying to mask my excitement anymore.

Margot leaned back slightly and smiled.

“For more.”

The air felt different when I stepped outside the conference room.

It suddenly felt lighter.

Or maybe that was because I wasn’t carrying uncertainty anymore.

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NINETY THREE CLAIRES POV

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“You realize what you just did.” Nathaniel’s voice came from behind me.

I turned immediately.

“I presented what was already there,” I stated.

“You didn’t just present it,” he replied. “You clarified it.”

A small pause followed. “You’re dangerous when you’re focused.”

I smiled again, like I had been doing since my conversation with Margot. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.”

He studied me for a moment longer than necessary, his green eyes gleaming with… something.

Then-

“Congratulations.” He said.

I paused.

“For what?” I asked, confused. I hadn’t told him anything just yet.

“For not being subtle about the fact that you’re about to move up.”

I rolled my eyes, then let out a quiet breath, which almost sounded like a soft laugh. “It’s not official.”