The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 223

HAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRES POV

+15 Banus

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

The drive back to the hospital felt endless.

My fingers remained wrapped tightly around my phone.

Camilla’s words replayed over and over inside my head.

“He moved.”

Not “awake.

Not “conscious.”

But he had moved.

And somehow, that tiny piece of information had managed to crack open a door I had been trying very hard to keep shut.

Hope.

Hope was dangerous.

Hope was cruel.

It was what made pain hurt more when things went wrong.

And lately, everything had gone wrong.

So I tried to stop myself from believing too much.

I refused to imagine Lucian opening his eyes. Refused to imagine hearing his voice again.

I told myself I wouldn’t imagine any future that might not happen.

Yet, despite all that, my foot pressed harder on the accelerator.

Because some stupid part of me was already hoping anyway.

When I arrived at the hospital, Camilla was waiting near the ICU floor.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up with a smile.

“He moved again.”

“What?”

She nodded. “Just his hand.”

My heart immediately began racing.

“Was he awake?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Too firmly.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

“No, sweetheart.”

The disappointment hit instantly.

I hated myself for feeling it.

Because twenty-four hours ago we weren’t even sure he would survive.

And now I was disappointed because he hadn’t woken up.

God.

Grief made people greedy.

The atmosphere on the floor felt different.

Not happy.

Nobody was celebrating.

But something had shifted.

The nurses seemed lighter.

The doctors seemed cautiously optimistic.

The crushing certainty of disaster wasn’t hanging over everyone anymore.

Not the way it had yesterday.

I pushed open the door to Lucian’s room.

And froze.

He looked exactly the same.

Machines.

Monitors.

Bandages.

Tubes.

Pale skin.

1 Closed eyes.

Yet somehow-

Not the same.

I couldn’t explain it.

Something felt less final.

Less hopeless.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

Like his body had finally stopped slipping away from us.

Slowly, I crossed the room.

Then sat beside him.

My fingers found his hand automatically.

As though they belonged there.

Maybe they always had.

I stared at him for several moments.

Then sighed.

“You picked a really stupid way to prove a point.’

Nothing.

No response.

No movement.

Just machines.

I swallowed.

“You could’ve stayed in the hospital.”

Still nothing.

“You could’ve listened.”

Silence.

“You could’ve let the police do their jobs.”

My throat tightened.

“You could’ve let someone else be brave for once.”

The words came out weaker than intended.

I lowered my eyes.

Then whispered:

“You idiot.”

A tear slipped free.

I wiped it away immediately.

Before another could follow.

A knock interrupted the silence.

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3/13

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRES POV

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I looked up.

One of the nurses stood in the doorway.

She looked uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable.

Which immediately made me suspicious.

“What is it?”

The nurse hesitated.

Then cleared her throat.

“There’s someone asking to see Mr. Dhark.”

I frowned.

“Tessa?”

“No.”

“A doctor?”

“No.”

“A board member?”

Definitely not.

The nurse shifted awkwardly.

Then finally said:

“Eva Sterling.”

Everything inside me stopped.

For a moment I genuinely thought I had heard wrong.

Eva.

Here.

At the hospital.

1

After everything.

After the lawsuit.

After the interrogation.

After Hart.

After the shooting.

After all of it.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

Eva wanted to see Lucian.

The sheer audacity was breathtaking.

I slowly stood.

“No.”

The nurse blinked.

“No?”

“There is absolutely no chance she’s entering this room.”

The nurse visibly relaxed.

Apparently she had hoped I would say exactly that.

“Understood.”

I walked toward the door.

“Where is she?”

“Hallway.”

Of course she was.

Waiting.

Like she still belonged here.

The moment I stepped outside, I saw her.

And for a second-

I barely recognized her.

Not because she was disguised.

Not because she looked different.

Because she looked human.

No entourage.

No assistants.

No makeup team.

No expensive smile.

No carefully crafted image.

Nothing.

Just Eva.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

Exhausted.

Frightened.

And very, very alone.

For years she had seemed larger than life.

Now she looked small.

Smaller than I had ever seen her.

Her eyes immediately found mine.

“Claire.”

I folded my arms.

“What are you doing here?”

“I want to see him.”

“No.”

Her jaw tightened.

“Just one minute.”

“No.”

“Claire-”

“No.”

The word came sharper.

Colder.

Final.

For several moments neither of us spoke.

Then she whispered:

“I loved him.”

The words landed strangely.

Not because I believed them.

Not because I didn’t.

Because for years I had wondered.

Did she actually love Lucian?

Or did she love winning?

Did she love being chosen?

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE S POV

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Did she love power?

Status?

Attention?

The victory?

I looked directly at her.

Then asked quietly:

“Did you?”

Silence.

For once-

Eva Sterling didn’t have an answer.

No performance.

No speech.

No manipulation.

Nothing.

Just silence.

Finally she laughed.

A broken sound.

Then shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

My breath caught.

Because it was perhaps the most honest thing she had ever said.

Ever.

Everything seemed to collapse after that.

The mask.

The image.

The performance.

All of it.

Her shoulders slumped.

“My life is falling apart.”

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

+15 Banus

I said nothing.

“No one answers my calls.”

Still nothing.

“My manager left.”

Silence.

“My sponsors left.”

She laughed again.

Another broken sound.

“Everyone left.”

I studied her.

Then asked:

“What did you think would happen?”

Her eyes flashed.

Briefly.

“I didn’t think this would happen.”

“Why not?”

She opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Then looked away.

“I never wanted Lucian shot.”

That part-

Strangely-

I believed,

Not because Eva was good.

Not because she cared.

Because it was stupid.

A shooting helped nobody.

Especially not Eva.

Then she whispered:

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE’S POV

+15 Banus

“Hart ruined everything.”

And that was enough.

I straightened.

Then looked directly at her.

“No.”

Eva blinked.

I continued.

“Hart didn’t ruin your life.”

Silence.

“Dr. Ramon didn’t ruin your life.”

Her expression hardened.

“Lucian didn’t ruin your life.”

Another silence.

Then I finished:

“You did.”

The words hit harder than shouting ever could.

Every lie.

Every manipulation.

Every betrayal.

Every victim.

Every choice.

They all belonged to her.

Nobody else.

Eva stared at me.

Speechless.

For perhaps the first time in her life.

Then I said quietly:

“People didn’t abandon you, Eva.”

She looked up.

I held her gaze.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRES POV

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“They finally saw you.”

The silence afterward felt endless.

Security arrived a few moments later.

Professional.

Polite.

Firm.

They informed her she needed to leave.

Eva didn’t argue.

Didn’t fight.

Didn’t throw a tantrum.

She just stood there.

Looking tired.

Looking defeated.

Then her eyes drifted toward Lucian’s room.

Just once.

And she asked softly:

“If he wakes up…”

I didn’t respond.

She swallowed.

Then whispered:

“Will he ask for me?”

I looked at her.

For a very long time.

Then answered honestly.

“No.”

The reaction was immediate.

She flinched.

Actually flinched.

As though I’d physically struck her.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE S POV

+15 Banus

Then she nodded.

Once.

And left.

Alone.

No cameras.

No fans.

No Hart.

No Lucian.

Nobody.

I returned to Lucian’s room feeling strangely unsettled.

Not guilty.

Not sympathetic.

Just unsettled.

Because seeing Eva broken felt almost as unnatural as seeing Lucian unconscious.

Nothing about this situation felt real.

I sat beside him again.

Took his hand.

And closed my eyes.

Just for a second.

Trying to breathe.

Trying to think.

Trying not to fall apart.

Then-

Something moved.

My eyes flew open.

I froze.

His fingers.

Around mine.

A tiny movement.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRES POV

+15 Bonus

Barely anything.

Weak.

Small.

But unmistakable.

My heart stopped.

Then started again.

Harder.

Faster.

“Lucian?”

Nothing.

But his fingers moved again.

Just slightly.

Just enough.

Tears instantly filled my eyes.

“Lucian.”

Still unconscious.

Still silent.

Yet somehow-

Still there.

I almost ignored my phone when it started ringing.

Until I saw the caller.

Margot.

I answered immediately.

“Margot?”

Her voice came through instantly, calm and sharp. Completely businesslike.

“Go home.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

I looked toward Lucian.

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CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE CLAIRE S POV

+15 Bahus

“I’m not leaving.” I insisted.

“Claire.” She called. The warning in her voice was immediate.

I sighed.

“Margot-”

“Tomorrow is the preliminary hearing.’

Silence.

“We have work to do.”

I rubbed my forehead.

“Right.”

I had almost forgotten that the preliminary hearing was to take place at Sinclair&co tomorrow.

“Get some sleep.” Margot instructed.

I laughed bitterly. “I don’t think I can.”

“You will try.” Margot said. Then her voice softened slightly. “Lucian would be furious if you collapsed before the trial.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Then I looked back at Lucian. At his hand still resting in mine.

“Okay.” I finally said.

The call ended, but I didn’t move immediately.

Instead, I sat there for several more moments, holding his hand. Watching him breathe.

Waiting.

Hoping- terrified of hoping, yet unable to stop.

Because for the first time since the shooting-

It felt like Lucian was finally finding his way back to us.

P

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