Tell them the project was canceled or ran out of money. It happens all the time in the consulting business and it’s not likely the interviewer would pry much further.
There are limits on what a previous employer can reveal about a former employee.
I admit I have always found this astonishing, that a prospective employer can get no (or little) feedback on a prospective hire by asking the former employer.
Sure, giving info could hurt an employee let go for cause, but this approach also hurts prospective hires IMO because a hiring company has to depend on a feel, by looking at an employment history and reading between the lines instead of hearing “We needed to downsize, and unfortunately had to let the employee go. However, his/her performance was exemplary, and we highly recommend them.”
Instead, you get nothing. That means no-loads can often have as good a chance as a quality employee of being hired, and spreading their toxic skillset to unsuspecting companies.
Granted, there are other ways around these limitations, and closing off opinions of former employees can also insulate a former employee from a former employer who still has an unfair axe to grind, but overall, I have never liked that development.
And reading resumes? I find it appalling how many people embellish their resume with things they have no business putting in there. Sure, if you know how to ask certain questions you can smoke it out, but...still.
How about, project completed, contract fulfilled.
Now I’m looking for my next challenge