The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 256

Chapter 256

Chapter 256 Damon was already awake.

Long before the first hint of morning touched the sky, long before the house stirred back to life-he had been lying there, still, silent… watching.

Rose’s face was inches from his.

Her breathing was soft, even, unaware. A strand of her hair had fallen across her cheek, rising and falling gently with each breath. She looked peaceful.

Unprotected.

Vulnerable.

And Damon watched her the way a man studied a puzzle he was slowly learning how to solve.

-But his attention wasn’t only on her.

It was on the sound outside the door.

Footsteps.

Soft.

Careful.

Familiar.

They paused.

Then-

The faint turn of the doorknob.

In that instant, Damon’s expression changed.

His grip on Rose tightened.

Firm.

Possessive.

Deliberate.

And just as the door creaked open-

He closed his eyes.

Rose stirred.

The subtle shift in Damon’s hold pulled her from sleep, her lashes fluttering open as confusion clouded her

mind.

For a moment, she didn’t understand where she was.

Then she turned her head-

And froze.

Maddy stood at the doorway.

Her face pale.

Her eyes dark.

Burning.

Cold.

Rose’s breath caught.

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Then instinctively, she glanced down-

And her stomach dropped.

She was wearing Damon’s shirt.

Loose.

Falling over her shoulders.

And Damon-

Was shirtless.

“Miss Maddy-” Rose began.

The slap came before she could finish.

Sharp.

Loud.

Echoing through the room like a gunshot.

Damon jolted.

His eyes snapped open.

And immediately-

He saw it.

The red mark blooming across Rose’s cheek.

Something inside him shifted.

Fast.

Decisive.

Without hesitation, he moved-pulling Rose closer, shielding her with his body as his gaze snapped toward Maddy.

“Maddy,” he said, his voice low but firm, “why are you hurting her?”

The question hung in the air.

And for a moment-

Everything stopped.

Maddy froze.

Rose froze.

Even the air between them seemed to tighten.

But then-

Maddy’s expression changed.

The shock melted away-

Replaced by something far darker.

Hatred.

Sharp.

Uncontrolled.

Her eyes locked onto Rose-

Who was now in Damon’s arms.

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Chapter 256

Where she should have been.

“Damon…” Maddy’s voice trembled, but not with weakness-with fury barely held together. “I’m your wife.”

Her chest rose and fell quickly.

“Why are you protecting her?”

Her gaze burned into him.

“Am I supposed to stay calm after what I just witnessed?”

Damon didn’t flinch.

“Witness what?” he asked calmly.

His tone only made it worse.

Rose shifted slightly, trying to free herself, but Damon’s arm remained firm around her.

“Rose just helped me calm down last night,” Damon continued. “I was looking for you, but your door was locked.”

Maddy blinked.

Caught off guard.

“You didn’t answer me all night.”

And then-

It hit her.

Her door.

It had been locked.

And she had slept-

Deeply.

Too deeply.

For the first time in… she couldn’t even remember how long.

Her thoughts scattered.

Something wasn’t adding up.

“Miss Maddy, please…” Rose said softly, trying again to step away. “Don’t misunderstood”

“Don’t apologize to her.”

Damon’s voice cut through hers.

Cold.

Sharp.

“She’s the one who should be apologizing.”

And without another word-

He stood.

Still holding Rose.

And walked out.

Leaving Maddy alone in the room.

The silence that followed felt suffocating.

For a second, Maddy couldn’t move.

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Couldn’t think.

Then-

She ran.

Downstairs-

Just in time to see it.

Damon.

Standing close to Rose.

His hand gently touching her cheek-the same cheek Maddy had struck.

His movements were careful.

Soft.

His voice low as he murmured something meant only for her.

Comforting.

Protective.

Intimate.

Maddy stopped in her tracks.

Her chest tightened painfully.

That-

That should have been her.

Damon looked up.

Their eyes met.

And just like that-

The gentleness vanished.

Replaced by something unreadable.

Cold.

Distant.

“Damon,” she whispered.

“You need to apologize when you’re in the wrong,” Damon said plainly.

No softness.

No hesitation.

Just expectation.

Maddy straightened.

Forced herself to breathe.

To think.

To regain control.

Then-

“I’m sorry, Rose,” she said quietly.

Her voice steady, but her eyes still sharp.

“You know how much I love my husband,” she added. “It hurts to see him… like that.”

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Her words were careful.

Measured.

But beneath them-

Jealousy burned.

“You should ask first before you react,” Damon replied.

Then, as if nothing had happened-

“I’m hungry.”

He turned slightly.

“Rose, can you make me breakfast?”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Damon,” Rose said softly.

She stood.

Still dazed.

Still confused.

And walked toward the kitchen.

As she moved, she became aware again-

Of the shirt.

Damon’s shirt.

Still on her.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

How did she…?

She couldn’t remember.

Not clearly.

Fragments.

Nothing more.

She glanced back-

Only to meet Maddy’s gaze.

Sharp.

Piercing.

Accusing.

Rose quickly turned away.

And focused on the kitchen.

At the table-

Damon sat calmly.

Maddy beside him.

Still apologizing.

Still trying to close the distance he had suddenly created.

“Rose keeps us healthy,” Damon said casually. “She cooks. She cleans. She takes care of us.”

His eyes shifted briefly toward Maddy.

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“You should treat her nicely.”

“I said I’m sorry,” Maddy muttered.

But her mind was elsewhere.

Racing.

Spinning.

Trying to piece together the night before.

She needed to know.

“Did you and-” she started.

But Damon cut her off.

With a smirk.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Cruel.

“Did you put something in my juice that morning?”

The question landed like a bomb.

Maddy’s breath caught.

“If yes…” Damon leaned slightly closer, his eyes locking onto hers, “then the answer is yes.” Her world tilted.

“So… that means…” she whispered, her voice barely steady, “this morning… we…”

She couldn’t finish.

But her eyes-

Hopeful.

Desperate.

Searching.

Damon’s grin widened.

“What do you think?” he asked.

And just like that-

She believed him.

Relief flooded her chest.

Warm.

Overwhelming.

Her plan had worked.

Finally.

But the feeling didn’t last.

Because something else remained.

Something darker.

More persistent.

Rose.

The image of her-

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In Damon’s shirt.

In his arms.

Under his protection.

It burned.

It twisted inside her.

And slowly-

It clicked.

All of it.

Rose’s warnings.

Her constant reminders not to rush.

Not to push.

Not to get too close.

Maddy’s eyes narrowed slightly.

You snake.

Her gaze shifted toward the kitchen.

Toward Rose.

Who was quietly preparing breakfast-

Completely unaware of the storm forming behind her.

Or perhaps…

Not as unaware as she seemed.

Damon watched everything.

Every glance.

Every shift in expression.

Every flicker of emotion.

Maddy’s jealousy.

Her suspicion.

Her growing hatred.

And Rose-

Caught in the middle.

Confused.

Uncertain.

Exposed.

A slow satisfaction settled in his chest.

This was working.

Exactly as he intended.

He leaned back slightly in his chair.

His grin deepening-

Subtle.

Dangerous.

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Because now-

They were no longer working together.

They were turning on each other.

And Damon?

For the first time since arriving on the island-

Was in control.

The game had changed.

And neither of them realized-

They were no longer the ones playing it.

They were the pieces.

And Damon…

Was already several moves ahead.

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