The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 220

CHAPTER TAVO HUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANIEL POV

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY_NATHANIEL’S POV

The coffee tasted terrible.

I stared down at the paper cup in my hand and wondered why every police station I had visited across the country seemed committed to serving terrible coffee.

Maybe it was tradition.

Maybe they believed suffering built character.

Or maybe the machine simply hated everyone equally.

At the moment, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I was exhausted.

But that was nothing new; everyone was exhausted.

The past few days had been a nightmare that refused to end.

Lucian had been shot, then stabbed.

Hart Sullivan had finally been arrested after months of terrorizing us all.

Eva Sterling had been questioned and released.

Dr. Ramon had turned state’s witness.

Claire was somehow still standing despite everything that had happened.

Barely standing, but standing anyways.

The moment I reached my office, I threw the coffee into the trash.

I settled in my chair, then turned my computer on.

For the first time all day, I was alone. Unfortunately, the silence lasted less than thirty seconds.

I must have been so engrossed in my thoughts, I didn’t hear the door open.

“Well.”

I looked up to see Victoria Merlyn standing a few feet away.

I blinked.

Not because seeing Victoria was surprising, but because she looked different.

The sharp edges seemed softer somehow.

The constant defensiveness she carried with her like air wasn’t there anymore, neither was the arrogance she’d once worn like armor.

She looked lighter. Happier.

It was strange, but oddly nice.

“Victoria.”

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NAUDA WOHUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANIE Roy

She crossed her arms, then smiled. “You’re looking terrible.”

I glanced down at my wrinkled shirt. “That’s news.” I sassed.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do you look like something the cat dragged in?”

“Watch it, attorney.”

To my surprise, she laughed. Actually laughed.

Then she stared at me like she could read my soul.

For a moment neither of us spoke.

Then she asked quietly: “How’s Claire?”

I knew immediately that wasn’t really what she was asking.

She was asking about everything.

Claire, Lucian, the case, the chaos and all the disasters currently surrounding Claire.

I sighed. “Not good.”

Victoria nodded, like she’d expected exactly that answer.

“How bad?”

I looked back to my computer. “She hasn’t slept.”

Victoria winced. “Still?”

“Still.”

Silence settled between us.

Since when did Victoria care so much about Claire?

After a moment she spoke again. “You’ve been beside her through all of this.” Victoria said.

But there was something odd in her tone. Something I couldn’t quite place.

Then I realized what it was.

Ah. That.

I smiled slightly. “Claire?”

Victoria nodded.

I took a sip of coffee.

Immediately regretted it.

Then answered.

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MAPER WOHUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANELS POV

“She’s my friend.”

Victoria’s expression didn’t change.

“Just your friend?”

I almost laughed.

Almost.

There it was.

The jealousy.

Poorly disguised.

Painfully obvious.

And somehow incredibly endearing.

I lowered the coffee cup.

“Yes.”

Victoria looked unconvinced.

I continued anyway.

“What happened between Claire and me ended months ago.’

She remained silent.

Listening.

So I kept going.

“Claire doesn’t need romance right now.”

“Maybe.”

“Not maybe.”

I shook my head.

“Definitely.”

Victoria’s gaze softened.

“Then what does she need?”

“A friend.”

The answer came immediately.

Without hesitation.

Without thought.

Because it was true.

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GAMETER TWO HUNDHED AND TWENTY NATHANIE POV

“Someone stable.”

Someone she could trust.

Someone who wouldn’t disappear when things became difficult.

Someone who would stand beside her.

No matter what.

I looked away.

“That’s what I’m trying to be.”

Victoria studied me quietly.

Then asked:

“And that’s really all it is?”

I met her eyes.

“Yes.”

The relief on her face appeared so quickly she didn’t even realize she’d revealed it.

I smiled.

Victoria immediately frowned.

“What?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Are you jealous?”

Her answer came instantly.

“No.”

Way too fast.

Far too fast.

I stared at her.

Victoria stared back.

Then realization slowly dawned across her face.

She knew she’d been caught.

The silence that followed was almost comical.

i folded my arms.

Victoria looked away.

Then back again.

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HAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANIE STOW

Then away again.

And for some reason that made me want to laugh.

Because this was Victoria Merlyn.

The woman who could dismantle witnesses in court.

The woman who terrified opposing counsel.

The woman who once treated every conversation like litigation.

And now she couldn’t manage eye contact.

“Victoria-”

She kissed me.

My brain stopped functioning.

Completely.

One second we were standing there talking.

The next her lips were on mine.

No warning, no buildup, no strategy.

Just pure impulse.

Then she stepped back.

She immediately looked horrified.

Not at me.

At herself.

I stared.

She stared.

The silence became unbearable.

“Victoria…”

She cut me off instantly.

Because if she didn’t say it now, she probably never would.

“I like you.” She blurted out.

The words hung between us- simple, but honest.

And terrifying for her.

Victoria laughed nervously.

That might have been the strangest thing I’d ever witnessed all year.

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HACTER TAHUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANEL S POK

Then she said quietly:

“I’ve liked you for a while.”

My heart did something unexpected.

Something dangerous..

Because suddenly I wasn’t looking at the heartless attorney.

I wasn’t looking at the woman who had once spent months fighting Claire in court.

I was looking at Victoria.

Just Victoria.

The woman she’d become.

Kinder.

Braver.

Better.

And somewhere along the way…

I’d started liking her too.

A lot.

Before I could say a word-

My phone rang.

Of course it did- perfect timing.

Actually, terrible timing.

I almost ignored it.

Then I glanced down and saw the caller.

Margot Sinclair.

Every trace of warmth I had felt mere minutes ago vanished immediately.

Because Margot was in the hospital. Lucian was in the hospital.

This call meant something was wrong, undoubtedly. Very wrong.

I answered instantly. “Margot?”

Her voice came through sharp and urgent- no greetings or pleasantries.

“We have a problem.” Margot said, straight to business.

I rubbed my hand across my face once. “What happened now?”

“The board is moving.”

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TEL: A WHI TAND

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I frowned. “What board?”

“Dhark Holdings.” Margot replied quickly.

I frowned. “What about it?”

“They’re holding an emergency election.”

No, not now.

Not while Lucian Dhark was unconscious. Not while he was on life support and couldn’t possibly defend himself.

“When?” I asked.

Margot’s answer came immediately. “Three hours.”

“Three hours?” I repeated. “Jesus Christ!”

“Why now?” I asked.

Margot laughed humorlessly. “Because vultures don’t wait for permission.”

I closed my eyes.

Of course.

There had been board members who wanted Lucian removed for months.

The scandal Eva had created had been catastrophic for Dhark Holdings.

The stock decline, the bad press, the loss of major investors.

Now Lucian had nearly died. Now he couldn’t fight back.

Now they saw the easiest opportunity to get rid of him.

Cowards.

Every single one of them.

“When does voting start?”

“Three hours.” Margot repeated.

“And Lucian?”

Margot’s voice hardened, like she was growing annoyed. “He is still unconscious.”

I already knew that, but hearing it aloud somehow made it worse.

Then came the final blow. “They’re replacing him.”

When I lowered the phone, Victoria immediately stepped closer.

Something in my expression must have alarmed her.

“What happened?”

I looked toward the screen mounted across my office.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY NATHANIE SPOW

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Then I thought about Lucian Dhark who was still unconscious. Still fighting for his life.

Unable to protect what him and his family had spent decades building.

While I held no love for the man, I had seen for myself that he was no monster. No, Lucian Dhark was a good man who had made too many mistakes.

And he was more than ready to atone for his sins.

But the nightmare simply wasn’t over. Not even close.

I met Victoria’s eyes, then said quietly:

“Lucian might lose his company before he wakes up.”

Claire Ree

Author

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