The Wife he threw Away (Claire and Lucian) novel Chapter 266

By the time I arrived at Sinclair & Co. the next morning, I had barely gotten any sleep.

Margot’s phone call had kept me awake for most of the night.

It wasn’t because Hart wanted to testify for Eva— that part had been bad enough.

But what really bothered me was the uncertainty.

Somehow, I knew something had happened between Margot and Hart— something she had deliberately refused to tell me over the phone.

And now I was determined to find out what.

I barely acknowledged the receptionist as I walked through the lobby.

“Good morning, Ms. Moreau.”

“Morning.”

My heels clicked against the marble floor as I headed toward the elevators.

I reached Margot’s floor less than a minute later.

Her office door was already open.

I didn’t bother knocking.

“Margot?” I called as I walked in.

She looked up from her desk. “Good morning, Claire.”

I stopped.

Something immediately felt wrong.

Margot looked tired— more than tired.

There were faint shadows beneath her eyes, and although she had done her best to hide it, I could see a dark mark just above the collar of her blouse.

My stomach dropped.

I walked even closer.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice coarse with emotion now.

Margot’s expression remained calm. Too calm.

“Sit down.”

“Margot.”

“Claire.”

She gestured toward the chair opposite her desk.

“Sit.”

For a moment, I wanted to refuse. I wanted to demand answers there and then— I was ready to discard the plea deal we offered Hart if he had dared hurt her again.

But I had to remind myself that Margot was still the boss here.

Slowly, I lowered myself into the seat. But my eyes remained fixed on her neck.

“You said you were fine.” I said, almost accusingly.

“I am.”

“That doesn’t look fine.”

Her fingers instinctively touched the edge of her collar.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she sighed. “Hart attacked me.”

Everything inside me went cold. “What?”

“He grabbed me by the throat.”

I stared at her.

For several seconds, I couldn’t even process the words.

“You’re joking.”

“I wish I were.”

My hands curled into fists.

This is exactly what I had feared— the precise reason I had been against Margot stepping foot in that police station.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “You said everything was fine.”

“Because you were already exhausted.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It mattered to me.”

I pushed myself to my feet. “What the hell happened?”

Margot leaned back in her chair. “I think I pushed too hard.”

I shook my head. “No. You don’t get to blame yourself for that.”

“I’m not blaming myself.” Margot corrected. “I’m explaining it.”

I sat back down.

Margot took in a slow breath.

“After you and I spoke, I continued the conversation with him.”

I listened silently.

“He was angry. Very angry. He told me I knew nothing about Eva.” Her expression hardened slightly.

“I told him that if he truly loved her, he needed to understand the difference between protecting someone and destroying himself for them.”

“And then?”

“He lost control.”

My stomach twisted.

“He stood up, came around the table and grabbed me.”

I looked at the mark on her neck again. “How long were you in his grip?”

“Not very long.”

That was most definitely a lie.

I tilted my head to the side. “Margot.”

“The detectives intervened quickly.”

I exhaled. “Thank God.”

Margot gave me a small smile. “Although I did have a few things to say about their response time.”

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