The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Chapter 165

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Damon stood over the clearing, the wind whipping around him as he clenched the letter in his hand. His men were battered, but they were still alive-and that meant time was running out.

“Simon,” Damon said, pulling out his phone, “I want everything on Freddie Bjorn. His movements, his associates, his history… nothing is too small. I need to know what he’s planning and why he wants Lila.”

“Okay” Simon replied immediately, his voice steady despite the urgency.

Damon’s eyes flicked to the distant treeline where the man-the one claiming to be their uncle-had vanished with Lila and Mark. A quiet rage settled over him.

“He’s not just hiding them,” Damon muttered under his breath. “He’s testing us… testing me.”

Mark’s handwriting on that paper had been a clue, but Damon knew the game was bigger than any one message. Bjorn wasn’t reckless-he was calculated, methodical, and, most importantly, familiar.

Damon turned to his remaining men. “We move fast. We cut off all escape routes. And we don’t underestimate him-whatever he wants, he’s willing to fight for it. And so will I.”

The sun dipped lower over the horizon, casting long shadows across the island. Every second brought Lila and Mark closer to danger, and Damon knew that when the confrontation came, there would be no room for mistakes.

He clenched his fists, his mind racing through strategies, contingencies, and risks. One thing was clear: whatever Freddie Bjorn was planning, Damon would not let his wife or his family fall into his hands.

And deep down, he knew this was only the beginning.

Night had fallen over the island, the waves crashing against the rocks echoing like distant gunfire. Damon’s team moved silently through the dense foliage, following the faint trail left by Freddie Bjorn.

Ahead, a clearing glimmered faintly in the moonlight. Lila and Mark were there, standing close to the man who claimed to be their uncle. Damon’s heart pounded, a mix of fear, anger, and determination.

Damon stepped into the open, raising his voice. “Freddie Bjorn! Step away from them!”

The man turned slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Ah, Damon… right on time,” he said, his tone almost teasing. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d hesitate.”

Mark stepped in front of Lila instinctively, fists clenched. “Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?”

Freddie’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. “Answers… truths… and perhaps a little fun,” he said, his smile widening. “But most importantly, I need you to understand the choices before you.”

Damon’s gaze hardened. “Enough riddles. Let them go, now. This isn’t a game.”

Lila’s voice was calm but firm. “We’re not leaving until we know why you’re here-and why the Bjorn wants my family.”

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Chapter 165

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Freddie chuckled softly. “Ah… perceptive as always, Lila. Very well. But before truths can be revealed, you must survive the next challenge.”

Suddenly, shadows moved along the treeline. Reinforcements-masked, armed, and precise-emerged, flanking the clearing. Damon’s men readied themselves, weapons drawn.

Damon stepped closer to Freddie. “You’ve underestimated me and my team. But I don’t intend to lose my wife or my family. Not to you… not to anyone.”

Freddie’s smile widened. “Excellent. Let’s see if you can prove it.”

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The tension snapped like a drawn bowstring. Lila and Mark braced themselves, Damon’s men took positions, and the first wave of attacks erupted into the clearing.

Steel clashed, bodies moved with deadly precision, and the night filled with shouts, grunts, and the crack of combat. Every strike, every dodge, every decision mattered-because one mistake could cost them everything.

And above it all, Freddie Bjorn watched, his calm presence masking the storm of plans and secrets that had drawn them all here.

The clearing erupted into chaos. Damon’s men moved with precision, but Freddie’s forces were equally skilled, striking from shadows and forcing the Blackthornes to adapt on the fly.

Lila ducked under a sweeping attack, grabbing a fallen branch to block an incoming strike. Mark was at her side, taking down an opponent with swift, calculated movements.

Damon’s eyes never left Freddie. Every move, every command his enemy gave seemed deliberate, as if orchestrated to test them. And in a way, it was.

Freddie stepped forward, his calm demeanor unshaken despite the battle around him. “You fight well… I’ll give you that,” he called out over the clash. “But that’s not why I brought you here.”

Damon tightened his grip on his weapon. “Then why, Freddie? Why go through all this? What do you want from us?”

Freddie’s eyes flicked toward Lila. “Because she… and he”-he nodded at Mark-“hold the key to everything your family has ever wanted to hide. Your parents’ deaths… the secrets buried by the Blackthornes… it all ties back to me. To the Bjorns.”

Mark froze mid-strike. “You… you killed our parents?”

Freddie shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. “Not directly. But I set the pieces in motion. And now, Damon, it’s time you see the consequences of your family’s choices.”

Damon felt a cold fury rising in his chest. “You’ve manipulated everything, attacked my people, and dragged the siblings into this… for what? Revenge? Power?”

Freddie’s smile widened. “All of the above. And to see if the Blackthornes-if you-are ready to face the truth.”

15:31 Mon, May 4

Chapter 165

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Lila and Mark exchanged a quick glance. They could feel the layers of deception peeling away, the stakes higher than ever. Survival wasn’t enough now-they needed answers, and they needed them fast.

Damon’s voice cut through the noise. “Mark, Lila-stay close. Watch his movements. We end this tonight, whatever it takes.”

Freddie tilted his head, almost amused. “Ah, Damon. So eager. Very well. Let the real game begin.”

The night air thickened with tension, every step, every strike, and every word carrying the weight of family, betrayal, and a secret that could change everything.

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Freddie Bjorn’s eyes burned with fury as he addressed them, his voice low, cold, and sharp. “Do you understand now why I’ve done everything I’ve done? This isn’t just about power or money… it’s about revenge. The Blackthornes… and the Lees-your mother’s family-they destroyed my family for decades. My father, my brothers, my people… countless times, thrown behind bars, humiliated, crushed by their influence. And I swore, the day I had the power, I would make both families pay.”

He clenched his fists, his anger barely contained. “I thought I had an ally in Marcus Lawel. I never suspected he was a Blackthorne man planted deep within the underground networks. I treated him like a brother… defended him… protected him from anyone who dared speak ill of him. Anyone who crossed Marcus… I showed no mercy.”

Freddie’s jaw tightened, his voice bitter. “But then… Marcus fully took over their operations, and the authorities came down on us. At first, I refused to believe he was the mole. I couldn’t… but the truth stared me in the face. I hunted Marcus down. I burned his house. I thought I destroyed everything… not knowing he had two children. Two children living, hidden, out of my reach.”

He stepped closer, his gaze fixed on Lila. “It wasn’t until Lila married Damon that I dug into her background and discovered the truth. She is Marcus Lawel’s daughter. And she-along with her brother Mark-used their mother’s maiden name to hide themselves, to protect themselves from me. Even after Marcus was dead… he had outsmarted me. That… that is what fuels my rage. Marcus planned it all, ensuring that his children would survive under a name I would never suspect. Genius… and infuriating.”

Freddie’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous smile curling his lips. “I swore that their bloodline would end. That the families I hated most-Blackthorne and Lee-would suffer as mine did. And now… they stand in front of me. Lila and Mark. Alive. Protected. And what makes it worse? My own son, Eric Bjorn… can’t even produce another heir to carry on our name. That… that is what drives me wild with fury.”

Damon stepped forward, voice tight with anger. “You’ve let your obsession blind you, Freddie. You’ve chased a vendetta for decades, and now you want to destroy us for choices our parents made?”

Freddie’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “I don’t care about choices. I care about blood. And yours… is standing before me. All the planning, all the death, all the destruction… for what? For you to defy me? For you to survive? I won’t allow it. I will see both families broken. And I will enjoy every moment of it.”

Lila’s voice was steady, unwavering. “You’re wrong if you think we’ll fall for the same traps Marcus did. We’re not him. We won’t let you continue his war.”

Freddie chuckled darkly, his eyes glittering with a mix of madness and calculation. “We’ll see, Lila… we’ll see. The game isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

The air around them thickened with tension. Generations of hatred, betrayal, and cunning had led to this

15:31 Mon, May 4

Chapter 165

moment-and the first move in the deadly game had only just begun.

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