The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238

Chapter 238

“Yes, we will-but we have to wait, okay?”

Lila’s voice was gentle as she ruffled Damian’s hair, her fingers lingering a moment longer than usual, as if

trying to make up for all the times she hadn’t noticed how much he needed her. She smiled, but there was an ache beneath it-sharp, quiet, undeniable.

Because now she saw it.

Damian hadn’t been happy here.

And worse-

she had been too distracted, too consumed, too blind to notice.

“Okay,” Damian answered.

He didn’t argue.

He didn’t push.

And that, somehow, made it heavier.

Because children who argue are still holding onto something carefree.

Children who simply accept-

they’ve already learned too much.

Lila stood and reached for his hand. His fingers curled around hers instinctively, small but firm, as if grounding himself in her presence.

She turned to Bryan.

“Let’s take a break. You can go home now.”

Bryan blinked, surprised. For a moment, it looked like he might protest-there was always more work, always something urgent-but something in Lila’s tone stopped him.

It wasn’t a request.

It was a decision.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said instead, stepping back.

Lila didn’t wait. She led Damian out of the study, leaving behind the weight of documents, expectations, and the suffocating rhythm of responsibility.

“Mom,” Damian spoke again as they walked, his voice lighter now, carrying something that hadn’t been there before.

“I want to eat carrot cake. The one you made before.”

Lila glanced down at him.

And for the first time in what felt like forever-

she didn’t hesitate.

“Okay,” she said. “Then we’ll bake.”

They stepped into the kitchen.

The staff were busy, moving efficiently, their actions precise and practiced. But the moment Lila entered, everything stopped.

Silence fell-not out of fear, but out of habit.

The lady of the house rarely came here.

Not like this.

Not without purpose tied to work.

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“My mom will bake carrot cake,” Damian announced, his voice bright, carrying a kind of pride that filled the

room.

The staff immediately moved, ready to assist, to prepare, to take over as they always did.

But Lila raised her hand.

“It’s okay,” she said gently. “You can leave. We’ll take care of it.”

There was hesitation.

Confusion.

But no one disobeyed.

One by one, they stepped out, leaving the space quieter, softer-less like a workplace and more like something resembling a home.

Only one staff member remained at a respectful distance, just in case.

Lila met her gáze and smiled.

It was enough.

Damian stood there, taking it all in.

This moment.

This feeling.

It had been so long.

Too long.

Since they had done something like this.

Back on the island, the kitchen had always been theirs.

Messy. Warm. Alive with laughter and small mistakes that didn’t matter.

Here-

everything had felt controlled.

Untouchable.

Until now.

Damian moved closer to the counter, watching as Lila began gathering ingredients. His eyes followed every movement, not because he needed to learn-but because he wanted to remember.

Because this-

this was important.

He talked.

About small things.

About things that didn’t matter.

About things that mattered more than anything.

And Lila listened.

Really listened.

She responded with warmth, with softness, with attention that wasn’t divided.

And Damian felt it.

The difference.

The shift.

The return of something he thought had been lost.

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From the doorway, Margaret watched.

Quietly.

Carefully.

She hadn’t seen Damian smile like this in days.

Not since they arrived at the estate.

He had been… different.

Still.

Controlled.

Too much like Damon.

A child who had already learned how to hide.

But now-

there it was.

A real smile.

Unrestrained.

Bright.

It softened something in her chest.

She moved to sit at the bar, her posture composed, her gaze steady as she observed them.

Behind her, the butler stood silently.

Waiting.

Watching.

Margaret didn’t speak, but her thoughts were clear.

Whatever Lila decided-

she would support her.

Because this-

this mattered more than anything the estate could offer.

Time passed.

The scent of carrot cake filled the kitchen, warm and familiar, wrapping itself around the space like a memory brought back to life.

When it was done, they carried it out together.

Simple.

Unpretentious.

Perfect.

They sat with Margaret.

Damian’s excitement hadn’t faded-not even a little.

“Grandma,” he said, his eyes shining, “my mom’s carrot cake is amazing. You should try it.”

Margaret smiled, genuinely.

“I’d love to.”

She took a bite.

And for a moment-

she understood.

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This wasn’t just cake.

It was something deeper.

Something tied to a life that existed before all of this..

Before the pressure.

Before the expectations.

Damian watched her carefully.

Because even in his happiness-

he was thinking.

Always thinking.

If they left-

what would happen to her?

This estate was too big.

Too quiet.

Too empty.

“Grandma,” he said after a moment, his voice softer now, more thoughtful, “do you want to come with us to the island?”

Margaret blinked slightly.

“And if you don’t want to,” Damian continued quickly, “you can visit us there.”

He leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on the table as he spoke, his words coming with quiet

enthusiasm.

“Mom has a famous coffee shop there. Everyone loves her pastries and bread and coffee. And the flower shop-Aunt Ina arranges them. They smell really good. Our home always has fresh flowers.”

He paused.

Then added, almost carefully-

“It’s nice there.”

Margaret felt her chest tighten.

Because this wasn’t just an invitation.

It was a child trying to bring the people he cared about into the only place he knew felt like home.

“I would love to come,” she said warmly. “Because you are Grandma’s favorite boy.”

Damian smiled-

but something flickered in his eyes.

Because even as he felt happiness-

he was aware of others.

Margaret noticed it too.

A presence.

She turned her head slightly-

and saw Ethan.

Peeking from behind the doorway.

Watching.

Hesitant.

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Lila noticed immediately.

She stood and walked toward him, her expression soft.

“Come here, little one,” she said gently. “Let’s have carrot cake.”

Ethan’s face lit up.

Not just because of the cake-

but because of her.

Because in that moment-

he felt seen.

Chosen.

He moved closer, but stayed partly behind Lila, his small hand gripping her clothes as he peeked at Margaret.

There was something in his eyes.

Hope.

Uncertainty.

A quiet question he didn’t know how to ask.

Margaret smiled.

“And Ethan,” she added, her voice warm, “you are Grandma’s favorite boy too.”

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Really?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief and joy.

Margaret nodded.

“Really.”

His smile grew-wide, unguarded, full of something that hadn’t been there before.

Belonging.

He turned to Damian then, instinctively seeking something deeper.

Permission.

Even though he was older-

Damian’s presence carried something stronger.

More grounded.

More certain.

“Can I go to the island?” Ethan asked softly.

Damian looked at him.

And for a brief moment-

he saw it.

The same feeling.

The same need.

The same quiet hope he himself carried.

Then-

he smiled.

“Of course,” Damian said. “You are my brother.”

The words were simple.

But they meant everything.

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“You can come too,” he added, then corrected himself with a small shake of his head. “No-you should come

too.”

He reached for Ethan’s hand.

“So we can protect Mom.”

It wasn’t said like a game.

It wasn’t said lightly.

It was a decision.

A shared understanding.

Because even as children-

they knew.

Their mother needed them.

Not just as someone to care for-

but as someone to stand beside her.

Damian led Ethan to a chair next to him, their hands still loosely connected.

And in that moment-

something shifted.

Not in the empire.

Not in the expectations that still loomed over them.

But in something quieter.

Stronger.

A small, fragile sense of family.

Not perfect.

Not complete.

But real.

And for Damian-

that was enough to hold onto.

For now.

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