The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Chapter 186

Lila had returned to her usual routine.

From the outside, everything seemed normal.

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She moved through her days with quiet precision-calm, composed, unaffected. She smiled when needed, spoke when necessary, and carried herself as if nothing had changed.

But everything had.

Marlou was no longer there.

His presence, once steady and grounding, had disappeared-leaving behind a silence that no one could quite fill.

And Damon-

During the day, he no longer lingered in her thoughts.

Not like before.

Not in a way that disrupted her every breath.

But at night…

He came back.

In her dreams.

Clear.

Close.

Real.

She would see him standing there, looking at her the way he always did-intense, unreadable… yet filled with something she could never fully grasp.

Sometimes he said nothing.

Sometimes he reached for her.

And every time-

She woke up.

Alone.

Tears already streaming down her face before she could even understand why.

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Chapter 186

Her heart ached for him in a way she couldn’t control.

A quiet, desperate longing she buried the moment morning came.

So she stood up.

And continued her day.

Like nothing was breaking inside her.

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Mark noticed.

He always did.

He watched her carefully-not intruding, not questioning-but observing the small things others would miss.

The way her eyes lingered a second too long on empty spaces.

The way her smile sometimes came just a little too late.

The way she looked… tired, even after resting.

And Damon-

Mark had been searching.

Digging.

Trying to find anything.

But there was nothing new.

At galas, where the elite gathered and power quietly shifted hands-

Damon Blackthorne was absent.

Completely.

Not once had he appeared.

Not once had he shown his face.

Instead, Bryan would attend.

Or Simon.

Sometimes even Simon’s wife.

Always in Damon’s name.

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15:41 Mon, May 4

Chapter 186

Always representing him.

But never him.

People talked.

They always did.

Some said Damon had locked himself away, buried in work-either at Foster Technology or inside Blackthorne Industries, refusing to meet anyone.

Others whispered something else.

Something darker.

That no one dared to confirm.

And slowly-

A thought began to form in Mark’s mind.

Unwelcome.

Unsettling.

What if…

Damon was already gone?

Mark leaned back, his expression tightening as the idea settled deeper than he wanted to admit.

When was the last time he had actually seen him?

Really seen him?

His mind drifted back to the hospital.

That moment-

Damon sitting beside Damian.

Holding his hand.

Silent.

Still.

Real.

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Chapter 186

…Wasn’t it?

Mark frowned slightly.

Damian had said something similar back then.

A dream.

His mother sitting beside him.

And Damon…

Holding his hand.

Warm.

Present.

Mark exhaled slowly, unease creeping into his chest.

“What if…” he muttered under his breath.

What if he hadn’t seen Damon at all?

What if it was just like Damian’s dream?

“No…” he said quietly, shaking his head.

That couldn’t be.

“…Damon, you’re not allowed to die,” Mark murmured, his voice low but firm.

Because if Damon was truly gone-

Then something far bigger had already happened.

Something none of them saw coming.

Mark picked up his phone again, scrolling through whatever information he could find.

Fragments.

Rumors..

Contradictions.

Some claimed Damon had been seen at Foster Technology, working endlessly.

Others insisted he was locked inside Blackthorne Industries, refusing all contact.

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15:41 Mon, May 4

Chapter 186

Stories without proof.

Sightings without confirmation.

Like chasing a shadow.

Mark stared at the screen, his grip tightening slightly.

Because the more he searched-

The less real Damon seemed to become.

And somewhere, deep inside-

A quiet fear settled in.

That while they were all searching for him in the open-

Damon might already be gone…

Hidden in a place no one would ever think to look.

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Mark needed answers-real ones. Not the kind built on speculation or softened by time, but the truth in its rawest form. Ever since Damon disappeared from his life without explanation, a quiet unrest had taken hold of him. It followed him through sleepless nights and restless days, growing heavier with every unanswered question.

That was why he returned to Belair.

The city hadn’t changed much. It still carried the same polished elegance, the same sense of quiet power hidden behind expensive facades. But for Mark, everything felt different now. Every street corner held a memory, every familiar sight stirred something unresolved.

And at the center of it all stood Blackthorne Industries.

The towering structure rose into the sky, all steel and glass, reflecting the clouds like a mirror that revealed nothing. It was imposing-designed that way, Mark thought. A fortress disguised as a corporate headquarters.

Damon’s world.

Mark stood across the street for a moment, gathering himself. His hands slipped into his pockets, fingers tightening slightly as if bracing for something unseen.

Then he walked in.

The lobby was pristine, almost unnervingly so. Marble floors gleamed under soft lighting, and the faint hum of quiet conversations blended with the distant sound of elevators gliding up and down. Everything felt controlled. Measured.

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Chapter 186

Mark approached the reception desk.

:

“Do you have an appointment, sir?” the receptionist asked, offering a polite, professional smile.

Her tone was neutral, but her eyes were observant-trained to assess without appearing to.

Mark shook his head. “No. I came on short notice. I’d like to meet Mr. Blackthorne.”

The name felt heavier spoken out loud.

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“I’m sorry, sir,” she replied smoothly. “Mr. Blackthorne won’t meet anyone without an appointment.”

Of course he wouldn’t.

Mark pressed his lips together, holding back the frustration rising in his chest. Part of him had expected this. Damon had always been careful-calculated in ways most people never understood.

. Still, hearing the rejection made it real.

“Then can you tell your boss,” Mark said, keeping his voice steady, “that I’ll come back tomorrow?”

The receptionist nodded. “Of course, sir. I’ll inform Mr. Blackthorne.”

Mark gave a short nod in return, but his body hesitated. His feet didn’t move right away. For a moment, he just stood there, staring past her-toward the elevators, toward the upper floors where Damon might be.

So close.

And yet completely out of reach.

Finally, he turned and walked out.

The late afternoon air hit him as soon as the doors slid open. It carried the faint scent of traffic and distant rain, grounding him in a reality he wasn’t ready to accept.

Across the street, a small coffee shop caught his attention. It wasn’t much-simple, quiet-but it offered a clear view of the building entrance.

Perfect.

Mark stepped inside and chose a seat by the window. He ordered coffee out of habit, barely registering the taste when it arrived. His focus stayed fixed on the glass doors of Blackthorne Industries.

He waited.

Time passed slowly at first. Every time the doors opened, his attention sharpened. Every figure that stepped out made his pulse quicken-only to settle again when it wasn’t Damon.

Employees came and went. Some walked with purpose, others lingered in conversation. A few laughed. A few looked exhausted.

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Chapter 186

Mark exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders finally catching up to him.

He couldn’t stay here forever.

But leaving felt wrong.

After everything, after coming this far-walking away, even temporarily, felt like failure.

Yet he knew he had no choice.

Not tonight.

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Mark stood, leaving some cash on the table before stepping out into the cool evening air. The city lights flickered on one by one, casting a different kind of life over Belair.

He took one last look at Blackthorne Industries.

Dark now, except for a few lit windows high above.

Somewhere up there, Damon might still be working. Or watching. Or deliberately avoiding him.

The thought lingered.

Mark turned away.

A nearby hostel offered a place to stay-nothing fancy, but enough for the night. The room was small, the bed narrow, the walls thin. It didn’t matter.

He wasn’t here for comfort.

Lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, Mark let the silence settle around him. But his mind refused to rest.

Memories surfaced uninvited. Conversations left unfinished. Questions that never received answers.

Why did Damon disappear?

What was he hiding?

And why now-after all this time-did it feel like something bigger was at play?

Mark turned his head slightly, staring at the faint glow of city lights filtering through the window.

Tomorrow.

The word echoed in his mind with quiet determination.

Tomorrow, he would go back.

He would find a way inside that building. Appointment or not.

Because this time, he wasn’t leaving Belair without the truth.

15:41 Mon, May 4

Chapter 186

No matter what it cost him.

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15:41 Mon, May 4