The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Chapter 203

The silence lingered in the kitchen long after the words had settled.

No one moved for a while.

The faint clink of porcelain against wood echoed as Lila set her cup down, her fingers lingering on its rim as if grounding herself.

“I will come with you tomorrow,” Mark finally said.

Lila looked up at him.

There was no hesitation in his gaze-only quiet certainty.

“It’s up to you if you want it or not,” he added.

A choice.

A simple one, yet it carried the weight of everything she had been avoiding.

Mark didn’t wait for her answer. He stood, gave her one last look, then turned and headed back to his room.

Lila remained seated.

Still.

Thinking.

The next morning came with a muted kind of calm.

Mark was already prepared, standing near the door, waiting.

He expected to call for her.

Maybe even convince her.

But when he opened the door-

He paused.

Lila was already there.

Standing on the front porch.

Waiting.

She turned as she sensed him behind her. For a brief moment, their eyes met.

Then she gave a small nod.

“Let’s go,” Lila said.

They took the fastest route to Belair.

Not the main road.

Not the safe one.

The sea stretched endlessly before them as they boarded a small boat, its wood creaking under shifting weight. This path-quietly known as the back door-was used by those who had no papers, no permission, no other way in.

No records.

No questions.

Only risk.

The waves rocked the boat steadily as they moved across the water, the sound of it rhythmic, almost hypnotic.

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Lila sat in silence.

Her eyes fixed on the sea-but she wasn’t really seeing it.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

To him.

To Damon.

His face.

The way he looked at her.

The warmth of his presence-so constant before, so familiar that she never truly realized how much it meant… until it was gone.

The waves grew stronger, crashing softly against the sides of the boat, pulling them forward.

But Lila remained still.

Lost in the memory of something she might already be too late to hold onto.

When they reached Belair, the world seemed to shift.

Everything felt… bigger. Colder.

More distant.

Mark hailed a taxi, and they climbed in without a word. The drive stretched on in heavy silence, the kind that pressed against Lila’s chest with every passing second.

Neither of them spoke.

There was nothing left to say.

When the car finally stopped in front of the grand gates of the Blackthorne Estate, Lila felt her breath hitch.

The iron gates loomed before her-tall, imposing, unmoving.

Final.

She stepped out slowly, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else.

*What if he refuses to see me?*

The thought struck hard.

Her hand lifted toward the doorbell-

And froze mid-air.

She couldn’t move.

Behind her, Mark stood quietly, watching. Waiting.

He didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t rush her.

This was something she had to do on her own.

Seconds passed.

Or maybe minutes.

Until finally-

Lila inhaled deeply.

And found the courage.

The sudden sound of a car approaching broke the moment.

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Both Lila and Mark turned.

A familiar vehicle came to a stop nearby.

The door opened.

“Ms. Lila… it’s nice to see you again.”

“Bryan…” Lila said softly.

He looked older.

More tired.

The kind of exhaustion that didn’t come from a single sleepless night-but from countless ones stacked together. The weight of responsibilities Damon had left behind was written all over him.

“Hi… it’s been a while,” she added.

Her eyes instinctively searched the car behind him.

“Is he with you?” she asked.

Bryan shook his head. “No, he’s not.”

“We’re here for Damon,” Mark stepped in, his tone firm. “Tell your boss we want to see him. In person.”

Bryan glanced at him, then nodded politely.

But his eyes shifted back to Lila.

*Damon doesn’t want to see you…*

The thought lingered unspoken.

“Is he the one who wants to meet your husband,” Bryan asked carefully, “or you?”

Lila met his gaze.

For a moment, her voice almost failed her.

“Please… let me see him,” she said.

A pause.

“Let me see my husband.”

The words landed heavier than she realized.

Bryan felt it.

Because somewhere, he knew-those were the exact words Damon had been waiting to hear again.

For a very long time.

“…Please, get in,” Bryan said quietly.

The gates opened.

The car rolled inside.

The estate stretched wide and grand, untouched by time, yet carrying a stillness that felt almost hollow.

Inside the mansion, the butler greeted them.

“Mrs. Blackthorne… welcome back.”

Lila gave a small nod. “Thank you.”

“Mr. Everith, please come with me,” the butler said, turning to Mark before guiding him toward the study.

Lila watched him leave.

Then she turned-

And followed the head staff in the opposite direction.

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The garden welcomed her with color.

Bougainvillea in cascading shades arched above a seating area, while hydrangeas bloomed endlessly across the grounds in soft blues, pinks, and violets.

And there-

Sat Margaret.

Calm. Elegant. Waiting.

She looked up as Lila approached, a warm smile forming on her lips.

“Have a seat, dear.”

Lila sat across from her.

“How are you… Mother?” Lila asked gently.

Margaret sighed, though her eyes still held light. “Well… I’m idle. No one to talk to… no child to take care of here,” she said, then winked playfully.

Lila couldn’t help but smile faintly.

She had always admired Margaret.

There was a warmth in her that made everything feel a little less heavy.

“I’ll bring him here soon,” Lila said softly. “He still has classes.”

She reached into her bag and took out the photo she had printed.

“He’s a good kid… a little naughty sometimes,” she added, handing it over. “He likes dinosaurs… and running around. Sometimes I find him in our small garden, just watching the bees… busy harvesting pollen. And

sometimes…”

Her voice softened.

“He falls asleep under a tree.”

Her lips curved into a small, distant smile-lost in those quiet, precious memories of Damian running freely, full of life and laughter.

Margaret laughed warmly as she looked at the photo.

“Just like his father,” she said.

Her eyes sparkled with remembrance.

“I remember… all the staff were worried sick once. They couldn’t find Damon anywhere,” she continued. “We searched the entire estate-only to find him sleeping peacefully under the willow tree.”

Lila let out a soft breath, listening.

“When he woke up, he was surrounded by everyone,” Margaret added, chuckling. “And do you know what he said?”

Lila shook her head slightly.

“He asked why they were circling him… and said “Are you guys were trying to offer me to some underworld god? Too bad he does not want me there.”

Margaret laughed again, her gaze still resting on Damian’s photo.

The garden filled with her laughter-

Light.

Warm.

But beneath it all, something lingered.

Because somewhere in this same estate…

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Chapter 203

Was the man they had come for.

And sooner or later-

Lila would have to face him.

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