The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 198

Chapter 198

Chapter 198

Maddy lay still in her bed.

The hallway outside had fallen into an eerie silence-no footsteps, no voices, nothing but the distant hum of the building itself.

Too quiet.

Slowly, she pushed herself up.

Her movements were careful now, controlled. Weak-but no longer broken.

She moved toward the door and pressed her ear against it.

Nothing.

Just silence.

Three months had passed since she stopped taking the pills.

Not officially.

To them, she still did.

⚫ She had learned how to survive inside their system.

The bottles were refilled with the vitamins Rose secretly gave her.

The pills? Flushed away without a trace.

Even her appearance was part of the act-light makeup to keep her skin looking pale, her weakness believable.

Every detail mattered.

Every mistake could cost her everything.

Locking the door quietly, she returned to her bed and slid her hand beneath it.

The phone was still there.

Rose’s phone.

Hidden. Protected.

Maddy hesitated only for a second before dialing.

The longer she stayed in this place, the more she felt it-

her air thinning.

Her time shrinking.

She could walk now, slowly, with support. Enough to fool them. Enough to survive.

But not enough to escape yet.

All she could think about was one thing.

Lila.

She needed to ask for forgiveness.

Not demand it.

Not rush it.

Just… face it.

And wait-no matter how long it took-for Lila to decide.

The call connected immediately.

“Miss Maddy?” Rose’s voice came through.

“Hey,” Maddy said quickly, lowering her voice just wanted you to know… I’m okay now. And I’m planning to

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Chapter 198

escape from this cage.”

There was a pause.

“That’s good,” Rose replied immediately. “I’ll come to you.”

“I’m with Miss Lila now,” Rose added. “I work as a personal nurse for her friend Marlou.”

At the sound of Lila’s name, something tightened in Maddy’s chest.

“…I see,” she said quietly.

“Okay,” Rose continued. “I’ll-”

A faint sound cut through the call.

A car horn.

Movement.

“I have to go,” Rose said quickly. “I’ll call you back.”

“Okay,” Maddy replied.

The line cut.

Silence returned.

But Maddy’s hands were shaking now.

She sat there for a moment, breathing unevenly.

Then she stood.

Unlocked the door.

Walked to the mirror.

Looked at herself.

A mask.

That’s all she was now.

Carefully, she climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over herself.

Seconds passed.

Then-

The door opened.

Daven entered.

Quiet.

Controlled.

He walked straight to her bedside and sat down, leaning slightly forward as he studied her face.

A faint sheen of sweat sat at her temple.

He frowned and reached over, adjusting the room temperature without a word.

His eyes stayed on her.

“As per the doctor’s report,” he said softly, “you still can’t move on your own.”

A pause.

“And you stopped rehabilitation.”

Maddy didn’t respond immediately.

Then she let out a small, tired breath.

“I’m just… so tired,” she said weakly. “It’s been two years. Maybe I should just accept being disabled.”

Her voice was soft.

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Believable.

Carefully broken.

Daven’s gaze didn’t shift.

Maddy lifted her hand slowly and traced his face with her fingers.

“Do you still love me?” she asked.

A beat.

“Yes,” Daven said immediately.

Too quickly.

He took her hand and kissed her palm.

Then leaned in and kissed her lips.

No hesitation.

No permission asked.

Only certainty.

Maddy didn’t resist.

She couldn’t.

Not here.

Not yet.

So she played her role.

For survival.

For escape.

For truth.

Hours passed.

Daven eventually fell asleep beside her.

The room grew still again.

But Maddy’s eyes remained open.

Watching.

Waiting.

Daven hadn’t given up on Mark.

Not even after the rejection.

Not even after being blocked.

He still watched.

Still waited.

Still called from different numbers, different lines-persistent, patient, obsessive. Mark’s silence only made

him more certain.

He needed him.

That kind of skill didn’t appear twice.

And Daven never let valuable things slip away.

But patience had its limits.

And his… was wearing thin.

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Chapter 198

Believable.

Carefully broken.

Daven’s gaze didn’t shift.

Maddy lifted her hand slowly and traced his face with her fingers.

“Do you still love me?” she asked.

A beat.

“Yes,” Daven said immediately.

Too quickly.

He took her hand and kissed her palm.

Then leaned in and kissed her lips.

No hesitation.

No permission asked.

Only certainty.

Maddy didn’t resist.

She couldn’t.

Not here.

Not yet.

So she played her role.

For survival.

For escape.

For truth.

Hours passed.

Daven eventually fell asleep beside her.

The room grew still again.

But Maddy’s eyes remained open.

Watching.

Waiting.

Daven hadn’t given up on Mark.

Not even after the rejection.

Not even after being blocked.

He still watched.

Still waited.

Still called from different numbers, different lines-persistent, patient, obsessive. Mark’s silence only made him more certain.

He needed him.

That kind of skill didn’t appear twice.

And Daven never let valuable things slip away.

But patience had its limits.

And his… was wearing thin.

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The call dropped again.

Blocked.

Daven’s jaw tightened.

Without thinking, he hurled the phone across the room.

It struck-

Not the wall.

Maddy.

A sharp sound echoed.

“Ah-” Maddy gasped softly, her hand flying to her forehead.

Pain bloomed instantly.

Warm.

Wet.

A drop of blood slid down her skin..

For a second, everything froze.

Daven stared at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “It was an accident.”

Maddy lowered her hand slowly, her expression controlled despite the sting.

“It’s okay,” she said.

The staff rushed in almost immediately, alerted by the noise. They moved around her, cleaning the wound, their hands quick and efficient.

Daven stepped back, watching.

Silent.

When they were done, they left just as quickly.

The room fell quiet again.

Daven moved to the chair near the window, sitting down heavily.

Outside, the world continued as if nothing had happened.

“Aren’t you busy?” Maddy asked softly.

Daven glanced at her.

“Yeah,” he said. “But I’m worried about you.”

Maddy gave a faint smile.

“I’m okay,” she replied. “The people of Wago City need you.”

Daven’s lips curved slightly.

“Oh… you’re so understanding, my love.”

He stood and crossed the room.

Leaning down, he kissed her.

Soft at first.

Then deeper.

Possessive.

Maddy felt it-the weight behind it, the control disguised as affection.

She let it happen.

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For a moment.

Then gently pushed him back.

“I’m tired,” she whispered.

Daven paused.

Studied her.

Then-unexpectedly-he pulled away.

“Alright. Rest,” he said. “I’ll leave now.”

Maddy blinked slightly.

Surprised.

That wasn’t like him.

Not at all.

A thought slipped into her mind-

Did he discover something?

Her eyes followed him as he turned.

“What?” Daven asked, noticing her gaze.

Maddy shook her head slightly. “Nothing.”

But Daven’s thoughts were already racing.

Did she hear about the wedding?

Does she know?

His expression darkened for just a moment.

I should have forced her…

The thought came and went just as quickly.

Then-

He turned back.

Walked toward her again.

Before she could react, his hands were already on her-pulling, removing, taking control of the moment without asking.

“Daven-” Maddy tried to speak.

But her words disappeared beneath his lips.

Silenced.

Overpowered.

Maddy went still.

Not because she wanted to-

But because she had to.

The more she resisted, the more he would suspect.

And suspicion-

was something she could not afford.

So she endured.

Quietly.

Carefully.

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