Chapter 256

The unexpected embrace froze Claire in place.

Lucas's familiar cologne wrapped around her, triggering a flood of memories.

It took her a moment to recognize the scent—the same one she had gifted him a year ago for his birthday.

Back then, their marriage hadn’t yet crumbled. She had spent weeks selecting that bottle, carefully tying the ribbon herself.

But when she never saw him wear it, she assumed he had discarded it.

Until one day, while organizing his closet, she found it—untouched, the ribbon still perfectly intact.

The discovery had cut deeper than any argument.

Now, as Lucas whispered words she had once longed to hear, Claire felt nothing but exhaustion.

She had poured her heart into loving him, only to be met with indifference.

The ache of those memories had long since faded into numbness.

Claire no longer had the energy to fight for a love that had never truly been hers.

The love she had given him was deep, yet it had never been reciprocated. That devotion had slowly faded, like embers dying in the cold.

Now, Claire understood—loving herself came first.

Letting go was necessary, no matter how much it hurt. The pain was temporary, but freedom was worth it.

She pulled away from Lucas’s arms, her gaze distant, tinged with sorrow.

“I know about Isabella. The police visited me days ago. They confirmed my injury wasn’t an accident—it was orchestrated by her. So, I’ll be handling the lawsuit myself.”

Lucas froze, his expression flickering with shock. He hadn’t expected such calmness from her.

It was as if she were discussing a stranger’s misfortune.

“As for your love… I’m sorry. Once, I loved you desperately. I waited for you to love me back. But now? I don’t.” She met his eyes steadily. “Lucas, for the sake of what we once had, just let me go.”

His face twisted in anguish. “How can you stop loving me? Claire, I won’t accept that! You have to love me—you belong to me!”

Before she could react, Lucas ignored their surroundings—the sterile hospital hallway, the passing nurses—and crushed his lips against hers in a desperate, possessive kiss.

Claire instinctively tried to pull back, but Lucas's hands were like iron shackles around her.

He pressed her firmly against the wall, his fingers digging into her shoulders with desperate intensity.

When their lips crashed together, she gasped in surprise, giving him the opening he needed. His tongue swept into her mouth with a hunger that stole her breath.

The kiss was all-consuming, as if he wanted to brand her with his passion.

She pushed against his chest, but he didn't budge. His body was an immovable force, his need overwhelming.

The realization of how far he'd gone made her snap. Her palm connected sharply with his cheek in a stinging slap.

"I told you I don't love you anymore!" Her voice trembled with anger. "Where was this passion when we were married? The great Lucas Bennett, reduced to begging for scraps of affection - how the mighty have fallen."

She laughed bitterly. "The Bennett heir shouldn't have to chase after any woman. Don't you have your precious Isabella waiting for you?"

The memories of those empty nights haunted her.

Three years of marriage. Three years of waiting alone in their cold bed. Every time she called, he was either with his business associates or whispering sweet nothings to Isabella on the phone.

It was worse than being widowed. She could have handled occasional neglect, but three years of it had broken something inside her.

Isabella was part of the problem, but was Lucas truly innocent?

He's constantly by Isabella's side, while I, his lawful wife, am left forgotten in the shadows.

What happened to his duty as a married man?

Lucas was stunned when Claire slapped him in front of everyone.

His voice was raw with desperation and defiance. "Yes, the Bennett heir can have any woman he desires. Maybe you're right! But Claire, I only want you!"

With his pride already shattered, Lucas had nothing left to lose.

He abandoned all restraint and seized Claire's wrist, pressing her palm against his cheek.

"Claire, go ahead. Hit me if it makes you feel better. Strike me as many times as you need. Just—please, if it brings you back to me, I'm begging you—love me again!"

The crowd around them gasped.

Claire's fingers trembled against his skin, her anger warring with something deeper.

Lucas's eyes burned with unshed tears. "I don't care about dignity anymore. I only care about you."

She wrenched her hand free, her voice icy. "You should have thought of that before."

Then she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there, broken.

The whispers followed her, but she didn’t look back.

Because some regrets cut too deep to forgive.