The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

The car door shut with a soft, final thud, sealing them into the hush of leather and city lights sliding past the

windows.

Lila retreated into the far corner of the back seat, folding her arms tightly across her chest. The gala still clung to her skin-champagne, polished smiles-but another scent cut through it, sharp and unmistakable.

Maddy’s perfume.

Her expression twisted with irritation. She turned her face toward the window and edged farther away from Damon, as if the distance might dull the offense. It didn’t.

He noticed.

“Don’t,” Damon said quietly.

She ignored him, shifting again. The movement earned her a sharp tug as his hand closed around her wrist and hauled her back against him.

“Really?” he muttered, annoyance threading his voice.

“You smell like her,” Lila snapped, disgust clear as she pressed her palm to his chest and tried to push away. “Get off me.”

She twisted, attempting to escape his embrace, but Damon only tightened his hold. His arm locked around her waist, pulling her flush against him, his grip firm, possessive.

“Stop,” he warned softly, mouth near her ear.

Her irritation flared hot and ugly. She struggled again, more force this time, but it was useless. He held her tighter, as if daring her to try again.

“Rub your scent on me,” Damon murmured. “So you don’t have to smell hers.”

The audacity of it made her breath hitch. Annoyed. Repulsed. Furious. And yet trapped there, acutely aware of the heat of his body and the way his hold refused to loosen.

“This doesn’t erase anything,” she said coldly.

“Maybe not,” he replied, exhaling slowly as her scent replaced the lingering perfume. “But it fixes this.”

The city lights streaked past in silence. Lila went still, jaw clenched, anger simmering beneath her skin while Damon kept her close-unyielding, certain-like letting her go had never crossed his mind.

Silence pressed in on them again, thick and restless.

Lila stared ahead, then finally voiced the thought that had been circling her mind for days. “I don’t understand something,” she said, her tone controlled but edged. “Why are you still at the villa?”

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Chapter 10

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Damon’s attention snapped fully to her.

“You have a penthouse in the city,” she continued, unable to stop herself now. “And Maddy is there. So why stay in the forest villa at all?”

His expression shifted-subtle, guarded. “That’s what you want to know?”

“Yes.” Her eyes hardened. “Because if I were you, I wouldn’t hesitate. You’d be more comfortable there. With

her.”

A muscle in his jaw tightened. He leaned back slightly, studying her like he was recalculating something. “So this sudden urge to kick me out,” he said slowly, “it’s not about space or privacy.”

She frowned. “What else would it be about?”

Damon’s gaze sharpened. “Tell me something first.” He paused, then asked bluntly, “Do you have a man coming to the villa?”

Her breath caught. “Excuse me?”

“Answer the question,” he said evenly. “Is there someone else you’re clearing room for? Because that’s the only reason I can think of for you wanting me gone this badly.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she shot back, heat rising in her chest. “I don’t need a man to justify wanting you out of my house.”

“Then why now?” he pressed. “Why not before?”

She faltered, just for a second.

Damon noticed.

His voice dropped, quieter but more dangerous. “You don’t want me back at my penthouse,” he said. “You just don’t want me here.”

Lila looked away, anger and something far messier tightening her throat.

And Damon, watching her, didn’t miss the fact that she never answered his question.

As the night grew deeper, the villa sank into silence.

Then Lila heard it-the low hum of a car engine breaking through the stillness, tires crunching softly against the gravel before fading into the distance. She didn’t need to look out the window to know it was him.

A faint smirk tugged at her lips. See? she thought. He can’t sit still while Maddy’s waiting for him in that penthouse.

The thought should have satisfied her. Instead, something fragile inside her gave way, cracking just enough to sting. The realization settled heavily in her chest, sharp and unwelcome.

Lila swallowed and looked away into the dark. Loving a man like Damon was a waste, she told herself-of

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time, of feeling, of everything she was trying so hard to protect.

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She held onto that thought as the night closed in around her, even as the quiet made the ache harder to ignore.

Morning came too quickly.

When Lila woke, the villa was already alive. Sounds drifted upward-clinking porcelain, low voices, the hum of activity that didn’t belong to solitude. She frowned, then rose and made her way out, descending the stairs slowly.

Halfway down, she heard it.

Maddy’s voice.

Soft. Sweet. Almost melodic, carrying easily through the open space. Lila’s steps slowed, each one heavier than the last as the sound led her toward the dining room.

She reached the doorway and stopped.

Damon stood beside the table, close-too close. Maddy was laughing at something he’d said, her hand resting lightly on his arm, his fingers brushing her waist as he leaned in to murmur something near her ear. The moment was intimate, effortless, like it belonged to them.

Like it always had.

“Good morning, Miss Lila.”

Dina’s warm voice cut through the scene. The housekeeper smiled kindly as she approached, unaware—or perhaps all too aware-of what Lila had just witnessed.

“Morning,” Lila replied, her voice steady despite the tightness in her chest.

Maddy turned then, her smile softening into something else entirely. Her eyes met Lila’s, lingering just a second too long, carrying a look that felt deliberate. Meaningful. Almost triumphant.

Damon straightened, withdrawing his hand as if only now remembering Lila’s presence. “You’re up,” he said evenly.

She crossed her arms. “Apparently.”

He hesitated, then spoke like he was delivering routine news. “Maddy and I are leaving today. Business trip.”

Lila’s gaze flicked to Maddy, then back to him. “Both of you?”

“Yes,” Damon said. “She’ll be coming with me so she can familiarize with the company operations. Maddy’s officially joining the firm.”

The words landed one after another, each heavier than the last.

“Oh,” Lila said softly. “That’s… convenient.”

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Chapter 10

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Maddy stepped closer to Damon, her shoulder brushing his arm. “I hope that’s alright,” she said gently, though her eyes never left Lila’s face.

Lila held her gaze, expression unreadable. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Damon nodded once, as if the matter were settled. “We’ll be gone a few days.”

“Of course,” Lila replied, forcing a faint smile. “Safe travels.”

As they turned back to breakfast, Lila remained where she was, the morning light spilling around her. Whatever had cracked in her the night before widened quietly.

And this time, it didn’t feel like it would heal so easily.