The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 266

Chapter 266

The phone buzzed again in Bryan’s hand.

And again.

And again.

He didn’t even need to look at the screen anymore to know-still no answer.

“For real?” he muttered, his patience finally thinning into something sharper. He ended the call with a frustrated tap, only to dial again almost immediately, as if sheer persistence could force someone on the other end to respond.

The ringing stretched.

Cut.

Silence.

Bryan let out a slow breath through his teeth, lowering the phone just enough to glare

at it.

“Really, guys?” he said under his breath, shaking his head. “At times like this? Are you all nuts… or are you trying to get me killed?”

The words weren’t entirely a joke.

Not anymore.

He slipped the phone into his pocket and turned back toward the glass panel of the private ward. The soft lighting inside spilled into the hallway, illuminating just enough for him to see clearly-and not enough to make any of it feel comforting.

Margaret lay on the bed, her body unnaturally still beneath the sheets.

She looked smaller somehow.

Weaker.

The rise and fall of her chest was steady, but faint, like each breath required more effort than the last. Machines surrounded her, their quiet beeping marking time in a way that felt too clinical for something so fragile.

Beside her, the two boys stayed close.

Damian stood nearest the bed, gripping the edge like he could anchor her there by sheer will. His eyes never left her face, wide with worry but stubbornly holding back

tears

Ethan sat beside Lila, quieter, more contained. He didn’t fidget, didn’t speak-he just watched, absorbing everything with a stillness that didn’t belong to someone his age. Lila remained between them, her posture composed but tense. One hand rested lightly over Margaret’s arm, her thumb moving in small, absent strokes as if reminding both of them that Margaret was still there.

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Bryan swallowed.

“Please… Madam Margaret,” he murmured softly. “Just… get through this.”

His reflection stared back at him in the glass-drawn, restless, and far too aware of how little control he actually had over any of this.

He stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Looks like Lila’s trip to South City is going to be delayed,” he muttered to himself. “A couple of weeks, at least…”

Maybe longer.

Nothing about this situation felt temporary.

Bryan pulled his phone out again, dialing the doctor this time.

The line didn’t even ring.

“Yeah, I know.”

Bryan froze.

The voice didn’t come from the phone.

It came from behind him.

He turned so fast his shoulder nearly hit the wall.

Standing just a few steps away was a man he hadn’t seen approach.

Not heard.

Not noticed.

And yet-there he was.

Bryan frowned immediately, his eyes narrowing.

“How long have you been standing there?”

The man ignored the question entirely, hands casually tucked into his pockets, a faint grin playing at the corner of his lips.

“The butler called me,” he said instead. “Gave me all the details I needed.”

Bryan stared at him, still unsettled by how quietly he had appeared.

“Right…” he muttered. “Well, good. Then you can take over from here

He gestured toward the room behind the glass.

“So we don’t have to bother the hospital staff any further

“No.”

Bryan blinked.

“…No?”

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Chapter 266

The man’s grin widened slightly.

“No,” he repeated. “Because one-I don’t have a license.”

Bryan’s brows shot up.

“And two,” the man continued casually, “I don’t give a shit about having one.”

Bryan just stared at him for a second.

“…You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

Bryan dragged a hand down his face.

“Do you have any idea how insane that sounds?”

“Oh, I do,” the man replied easily.

“And you’re fine with it?”

“Very.”

Bryan let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

“If you introduce me as a doctor, they’re going to laugh at you,” he said. “Or worse- they’ll throw me in jail.”

The man shrugged.

“Which is not ideal for me,” he admitted, still smiling.

Bryan shook his head, exasperated.

“And by the way,” the man added, tilting his head slightly, “why are you so jumpy?”

Bryan gave him a flat look.

“I wouldn’t be jumpy if people like you didn’t just appear out of nowhere,” he shot back. “And you’re telling me you don’t have a license-so what, you just operate on people anyway?”

He paused, realization hitting him mid-sentence.

“Wait.”

His eyes narrowed.

“You operated on Damon… without a license?”

The man’s expression didn’t change.

“Did Damon die?” he asked calmly.

Bryan opened his mouth.

Closed it

No

“Then what’s the problem?”

your grandma first.”

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Bryan stared at him, completely at a loss.

“That’s not-” he started, then stopped, shaking his head. “That’s not how this works.”

The man didn’t argue.

Didn’t explain.

He simply reached for the door.

“Stay here,” he said casually.

And then he pushed it open.

Bryan didn’t follow.

Not immediately.

He stayed where he was, rooted just outside the room, watching as the man stepped inside like he belonged there.

Curiosity gnawed at him.

Who was this guy?

And what did he mean about jail?

But Bryan forced himself to breathe, pushing the questions aside.

Not important.

Not right now.

Inside, Lila turned at the sound of the door opening.

Her gaze sharpened instantly when she saw the unfamiliar man, her posture straightening slightly.

But instead of reacting with alarm-

She nodded.

A small, polite acknowledgment.

The boys reacted differently.

Their eyes lit up.

“Doctor!” Damian said, hope sparking instantly. “Will my grandma be

Ethan didn’t speak, but he shifted slightly, his attention fully fixed on the

Watching

Measuring

The man smiled faintly-not overly warm, but enough.

“I don’t know yet,” he said honestly. “I have to check on your grandma first.”

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He crouched slightly, lowering himself to their level.

“Will you let me?” he asked gently.

“Yes, of course!” Damian answered immediately.

The man’s gaze shifted to Ethan.

“And you?” he asked.

Ethan held his stare for a moment longer.

Then nodded once.

“Okay,” the man said, standing up. “Leave her to me.”

He moved to Margaret’s side without hesitation.

Lila stepped back slightly, giving him space, though her eyes never left him. There was something in her gaze-recognition, perhaps, or cautious trust-but it wasn’t blind.

She was watching him.

Carefully.

The man reached for Margaret’s wrist, checking her pulse with practiced ease. His movements were smooth, unhurried-too natural for someone who claimed not to care about licenses.

He adjusted the oxygen line slightly, then leaned in closer, observing her breathing.

The boys stood quietly now.

Waiting.

Even Damian, who had spoken so eagerly before, had gone still, as if afraid that making noise might disrupt whatever fragile balance was keeping Margaret stable.

Ethan’s gaze flicked between the man’s hands and Margaret’s face, absorbing every detail.

The door opened again.

This time, it was the butler.

He entered quietly, carrying a tray of food.

“Miss Lila,” he said respectfully, offering it to her. “For you an

Lila nodded, taking it with a soft “Thank you!

“Come,” she said gently to the boys. “Eat something.”

Damian hesitated.

“But-”

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“Your grandma needs you strong,” Lila said firmly, though her tone remained soft.

That was enough.

Reluctantly, the boys moved to the small table, though their eyes kept drifting back to the bed.

Bryan finally stepped inside.

He stayed near the door, leaning slightly against the wall, arms crossed as he watched

the man work.

There was something unsettling about how calm he was.

How precise.

How… confident.

Not arrogant.

Not reckless.

Just certain.

Bryan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

*Who are you?* he wondered.

Because whatever this man was-

He wasn’t just some random, unlicensed doctor.

And that answer-

It mattered more than Bryan was willing to admit.

At the bedside, the man adjusted Margaret’s position slightly, ensuring her breathing remained steady.

For a moment, his expression shifted.

Subtle.

Barely noticeable.

But there.

Focused.

Serious.

Then it was gone

He stepped back, glancing briefly at Lila.

“She’s holding on,” he said simply.

Not reassurance.

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Not a promise.

Just truth.

Bryan exhaled slowly, his gaze still fixed on the man.

One day, he thought, his jaw tightening slightly.

One day, I’ll figure you out.

Because in a situation where nothing made sense-

This man made the least sense of all.

And Bryan had a feeling-

That was exactly what made him dangerous.

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