The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 241

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE_EVA’S POV

After the initial conversation between my attorneys and I, the ride back passed in complete silence.

Not the comfortable kind, but the kind that settled over everyone after a funeral.

My attorneys sat on either side of me, scrolling through their tablets, exchanging the occasional glance that they. clearly thought I couldn’t see.

No one said anything else.

Neither did I.

I kept replaying the courtroom in my head.

Elise’s calm voice.

The way she’d looked at the jury instead of at me.

She hadn’t cried or shouted.

She hadn’t even begged for sympathy.

Elise had simply told the truth.

Or at least the version of it everyone seemed determined to believe.

I hated that it had worked.

The silence finally broke when the older attorney cleared his throat.

“I know today wasn’t ideal.”

I turned my head slowly. “Not ideal?””

He shifted in his seat. “Ms. Sterling-”

“Not ideal?”” I repeated, louder this time. “That’s what you’re calling today?”

Neither man answered immediately, so I continued. “So tell me.”

I folded my arms in front of my chest. “How bad is it?”

The younger attorney looked down at the folder in his lap before speaking carefully,

“The jury appeared… receptive to Ms. Sinclair’s testimony.”

‘Receptive.’

Another carefully chosen word.

“They believed her,” I said flatly.

Neither attorney corrected me, and that silence told me everything.

We arrived at the firm’s conference room less than twenty minutes later.

Legal pads and documents were spread across the table.

When I took a seat, no one offered me coffee. No one even asked whether I was all right.

God, this is what happened when the public turned on a celebrity.

Even miserable attorneys from unsuccessful firms felt they could disrespect me.

A month ago, they would have been scrambling to please me.

The younger attorney adjusted his glasses. “We need to discuss tomorrow.”

I leaned back in my chair. “Go on.”

“We expect Sinclair & Co. to continue building a timeline.”

“They may call Dr. Ramon, or perhaps another victim.

“They may introduce documentary evidence.”

Every sentence sounded worse than the last.

The older attorney rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It is important that we prepare you to testify.’

The younger attorney immediately shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I disagree.” Someone else added. “If she takes the stand now, Sinclair will tear her apart.

“I said prepare her.”

“And I’m saying don’t.”

They continued arguing as though I weren’t even sitting there.

Eventually, something inside me snapped.

“I am sitting right here!”

The room fell silent.

Finally, everyone turned to look at me.

Good?

I leaned forward. “Since we’re discussing my future… my freedom, and my entire life, would one of you care to tell me whether you actually think I can win?”

Another silence.

Longer this time.

The older attorney sighed.

“Winning isn’t impossible.”

I laughed once.

A hollow, bitter sound.

“Not impossible.”

He nodded carefully.

“Correct.”

“So…”

I looked from one lawyer to the other.

“You don’t think it’s likely.”

Neither answered.

Again.

Perhaps I’d simply never bothered to look closely enough.

Today, she’d stood in that courtroom without raising her voice- without insulting me or losing control.

She hadn’t needed to.

Every word she’d spoken had landed exactly where she’d intended.

She hadn’t tried to destroy me emotionally.

Instead, she’d destroyed my credibility- which was so much worse.

I hated her for that.

I never thought I could hate Claire Moreau more than I did a year ago, but God do I hate her so much more now…

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“Hart Sullivan.”

Both attorneys looked up. “What about him?”

“Has he…” I hesitated. Even the mere thought of it put a bitter taste in my mouth.

“…said anything?”

The younger attorney frowned. “Not that we’re aware of.”

Relief washed through me.

Good.

Hart hadn’t turned on me

He wouldn’t. Actually, he couldn’t.

Hart loved me. Hart was obsessed with me. He believed in me more than he believed in any God.

He always would, the fool.

Then another thought followed immediately behind the first.

Claire had visited him. So had Nathaniel. And worse, the police continued questioning him relentlessly.

Every single day.

How long before someone found the right words?

How long before someone convinced him that sacrificing himself wasn’t worth it? That I was using him like the tool he was.

I swallowed hard.

No.

Hart wouldn’t betray me- he wouldn’t dare.

He was different.

He had always understood me.

Hadn’t he?

The certainty I’d clung to for years suddenly didn’t feel quite so certain anymore.