The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 106

Chapter 106

Chapter 106

:

70

10 vouchers

The room filled with the low hum of servers and the rapid clatter of Mark’s keyboard. Lines of code scrolled faster than the eye could follow, each one a strike in a digital war.

“Damon…” Mark muttered, his fingers flying. “They’re resisting. Someone’s actively trying to protect the bounty post-firewalls keep respawning. It’s not just a simple wipe.”

Damon leaned back, eyes closed for a second, then opened them sharply. “Then fight harder. They won’t get a chance to use her face against her. Not while I’m breathing.”

Mark’s eyes narrowed. “It’s sophisticated. Whoever set this up knew what they were doing. VPNs, mirrored IPs, encrypted groups…. this is a full-scale defense. Someone’s covering their tracks in real-time.”

Damon’s jaw tightened. “Then I want them found. Every node, every server, every connection. Trace it back. If they resist, break through it.”

Mark’s fingers flew faster, code after code, bypassing firewalls, redirecting packets, isolating rogue IP addresses. Alerts flashed on his screen-intrusions, countermeasures, proxy reroutes-but he didn’t falter.

“They’re fighting back,” he said, sweat forming at his temples. “Looks like multiple attackers…. maybe a hired tech team. They’re trying to mask their presence.”

Damon’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Doesn’t matter. They can hide, but they can’t outrun me. Find them. And when you do…” He paused, voice low, almost deadly. “…make them regret it.”

Mark’s eyes lit up with grim satisfaction as he found a pattern in the chaos. “Got it. One node exposed. Tracing back now… yes, it leads straight to-”

“Who?” Damon asked, already standing, pacing the room, eyes darting between the monitors.

“Madeline Laurent…again,” Mark said, his tone cold and precise. “She’s juggling multiple VPNs, but there’s a trail… I can see her digital fingerprint. She’s trying to reroute everything through the Dark Web.”

Damon’s fists clenched. “Then cut it. Every route. Every backup. No mercy.”

Mark’s hands moved like a blur, overriding scripts, sending kill codes, isolating IPs, and flushing caches. Alerts screamed on the monitors as protective layers collapsed, one by one.

“They’re escalating,” Mark warned. “She just triggered a countermeasure-trying to freeze the entire server cluster to stop me.”

Damon’s eyes flashed. “Then melt it down. Do whatever it takes. No one touches her-not a single file, not a single trace.”

Minutes passed like hours. Every time a firewall flared back to life, Mark was ready. Every time a masked IP appeared, he traced it down, isolating and neutralizing the threat.

Damon stared at the monitors, his jaw tightening.

“It’s not Maddy,” he said, shaking his head. “She doesn’t have the capability.”

14:52 Mon, May 4 M

Chapter 106

“So someone’s using her,” Mark added, still typing furiously, tracing connections.

Suddenly, the low growl of the farm dogs echoed from outside.

“I’m impressed.” Mark said, glancing over his shoulder. “Our dogs didn’t attack you.”

70

10 vouchers

“They recognize me,” Damon said, smirking slightly. “Because Lila already licked me. I’m one of hers.”

Mark snorted. “Filthy dog.”

“What?” Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I said my sister’s really into dogs,” Mark replied, smirking.

Damon crouched and patted one of the dogs, a soft laugh escaping him. “Noted,” he said, glancing at the window.

He rose, moving silently to check the perimeter. In the distance, the faint glare of headlights cut through the darkness.

“Mark… they’ve arrived,” Damon said, his voice low but tense.

Mark stood and peered out the window, seeing several vehicles slowly approaching.

“Tsk,” Mark muttered, returning to the table.

“You said I had to hold my ground,” he added, grinning.

“Then hold the fortress,”Mark said. “While I burn their system.”

Mark glanced up at Damon and smirked. “Boss.”

Damon allowed himself a small smile before leaving the room.

Ina was in the living room, securing the windows tightly.

“Damon, someone’s coming. The dogs are out there-relentless,” she warned.

“Do you have a place to keep my wife and son safe?” Damon asked.

“Yes,” Ina replied. “There’s a secret passage to the basement. They’ll be hidden there.”

“Good,” Damon said. “Then let’s bring them there.”

He moved quickly, returning to the bedroom where Lila and Damian slept.

Ina gently lifted Damian into her arms, careful not to wake him. Damon scooped Lila up, holding her close. Her small, sleeping body fit against him, fragile and unaware of the storm approaching.

“Stay close,” Damon murmured to Ina. “We move now.”

14:52 Mon, May 4 M

Chapter 106

10 vouchers

They descended into the basement, the hidden passage swallowing them in shadows. The house above was alive with approaching danger, but below, Lila and Damian were safe-for now.

Outside, the headlights drew closer, cutting through the night like sharp blades. Dust rose along the driveway as tires crunched over gravel. The intruders were organized, moving with precision.

Damon stood near the living room window, watching every shadow, every movement. The dogs circled the perimeter, growling, teeth bared, ready to strike at the first sign of aggression.

“They’re close,” Damon muttered, voice low. “Mark, status?”

Mark didn’t look up from the monitors. “Firewall’s holding, but they’re probing aggressively. Multiple IPs trying to penetrate. Whoever’s running this is professional-no doubt about it.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed. “Good. Then let’s make sure they never breach the house.”

A series of car doors slammed outside. The dogs barked furiously, then charged, forming a protective wall between the villa and the approaching vehicles. Damon’s gaze flicked to them.

“Good boys,” he murmured, crouching slightly as one brushed against him.

Mark smirked behind him. “They didn’t even sniff me once.”

Damon didn’t reply. His attention was on the driveway, calculating.

Suddenly, one of the SUVS’ headlights swung toward the front gate. A shadowy figure jumped out, carrying a device-the unmistakable shape of a portable jammer.

“They brought tech,” Mark said, alarmed. “Trying to take out our systems!”

“Let them try,” Damon said. “The dogs will slow them. And the moment they step inside…”

He trailed off, eyes flicking to the basement stairs. Lila and Damian were hidden below, safe for now.

The first intruder stepped onto the lawn, moving cautiously toward the villa. The dogs lunged, snarling. Chaos erupted in the shadows-growls, barks, and the sound of boots scrambling across gravel.

Mark’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Firewall’s being hit hard. They’re trying to brute force through— Damon, I need more time!”

“I’ll buy it,” Damon replied, moving like a shadow himself, stepping outside into the night.

The attackers froze for a second, startled by his sudden presence. His movements were precise, controlled. A single hand gesture, and one intruder hit the ground. Another tried to advance-Damon intercepted, his strength and speed overwhelming.

Mark’s voice came through the earpiece. “I’ve isolated three rogue IPs. Breach attempts stopped. Firewall’s holding. Keep them busy!”

Damon grinned slightly. “Consider it done.”

Chapter 106

10 vouchers

He moved with lethal precision, each strike calculated to disable without unnecessary risk to the villa or the perimeter. The dogs worked in tandem, forcing the intruders to split their focus.

Back inside, Mark monitored every move on the digital front, wiping traces, cutting connections, and rerouting signals. The attackers’ attempts to hack into the system were relentless, but so was he.

Minutes stretched like hours. Sweat beaded on Damon’s forehead, but his focus never wavered. One by one, the intruders fell back, overwhelmed by the combination of physical force, vigilant dogs, and Mark’s cyber blockade.

Finally, silence fell. The driveway was empty except for tire marks and disturbed gravel. The villa stood intact, the monitors showing zero breaches, and Lila and Damian remained safe in the basement.

Mark exhaled, rubbing his temples. “They won’t be trying that again anytime soon. Everything’s cleared.”

Damon stepped back inside, brushing dust off his shoulders. His eyes softened as he looked toward the basement stairs.

“They’ll never touch her,” he muttered. “Not while I’m here.”

And for the first time that night, the villa felt calm. But Damon knew it was only the beginning. Whoever had sent the bounty-and whoever had tried to attack them-would be back.

He would be ready.

Damon and his men moved with precision outside, intercepting the bounty hunters circling the villa. The night was thick with tension-the dogs growled, engines revved, and the gravel crunched under hurried footsteps.

Suddenly, Damon froze.

Lila was standing right behind him. The sight startled him, making his head snap around instinctively.

“What are you doing here?” Damon demanded, reaching to pull her back. “Go back inside-you’re not safe here!”

“Are you saying I should just stay calm while they’re trying to harm me and my son?” Lila shot back, her voice trembling but defiant.

“Our son,” Damon corrected softly, his eyes locking on hers.

“While

my brother and the team are upstairs fighting-“Lila continued.

“I get it,” Damon interrupted, stepping closer. “But please… leave it to us. This is our job.”

Lila opened his mouth to argue, but before she could, a sharp whistle cut through the night. A bullet streaked past, grazing Damon cheek. A thin line of red appeared, stinging sharply.

Damon let out a short, humorless chuckle. He crouched instinctively, guiding Lila down beside him.

“My love… please,” he said, his voice low, urgent, almost pleading. “Listen to me and go back to the basement.

14:52 Mon, May 4 M

Chapter 106

Now.”

70

10 vouchers

Lila’s gaze met his, unwavering despite the fear in her eyes. “I’m not leaving you-or our son,” she whispered.

Damon’s hand brushed her hair back gently, his thumb tracing her cheek. “I know you’re brave. But being brave isn’t enough—not here, not now. Crouch. Stay low. Trust me. I’ll handle this.”

The wind carried the distant shouts and engines outside, a harsh reminder that the danger was far from over.

Finally, Lila nodded, letting him guide her toward cover, her hand slipping into his. Her grip was tight—but trusting.

Damon glanced back at the chaos unfolding beyond the gates. His jaw clenched, eyes sharp. The night was far from over.

14:53 Mon, May 4 M.