The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Before the contract.

Before the title.

Before she became Mrs. Blackthorne.

Lila was just another employee at Blackthorne Industries.

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A regular staff member in the accounting division, tucked away on the twenty-third floor where numbers mattered more than faces. Her days were filled with balance sheets, financial statements, expense audits, and endless columns of figures that blurred together after midnight.

Because midnight was often when she left.

Her soft nature made her an easy target.

“Lila, can you double-check this report for me?”

“Lila, I’m swamped. Can you finalize my reconciliation?”

“Lila, you’re so much better with numbers…”

They said it with smiles.

They said it like compliments.

But somehow, their unfinished work always ended up on her desk.

And she never refused.

So while others clocked out at six, laughing as they crowded into elevators, Lila stayed behind under the fluorescent lights-reviewing discrepancies, balancing ledgers, correcting errors that weren’t hers to begin with.

She told herself it was fine.

She told herself she didn’t mind.

Because work was simple.

Numbers didn’t betray you.

Unlike people.

Especially when it came to Damon.

Every woman in the company admired him.

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The CEO of Blackthorne Industries. Young. Decisive. Untouchable.

When he walked through the lobby, conversations stilled. Heads turned. Hearts raced.

Some of her coworkers didn’t even try to hide their intentions.

They adjusted their skirts when he passed.

Volunteered for presentations he would attend.

Laughed a little too brightly at his brief remarks during quarterly meetings.

They would have thrown themselves at him if given the slightest chance.

Lila had admired him too.

Quietly.

From a distance.

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The way one admires something unreachable – like a star in the night sky. Beautiful, but impossibly far

away.

She knew better than to hope.

Damon would never spare her a glance.

She was just Lila from accounting.

And besides-

Everyone already knew.

Maddy was his girl.

The elegant, confident, socially polished Maddy who belonged in his world of galas and penthouses and power plays.

Whispers in the office always hinted at it.

“They’re practically engaged.”

“It’s only a matter of time.”

“Maddy will definitely be Mrs. Blackthorne.”

It wasn’t even questioned.

It was expected.

Even Lila believed it.

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Chapter 46

So she buried her quiet admiration and returned to her spreadsheets.

Until one day-

Damon called her into his office.

And everything changed.

When Damon first placed the contract in front of her, Lila hesitated.

The numbers written on the final page were more than she had ever imagined earning in years.

It felt unreal.

“So?” Damon asked calmly, his dark eyes unreadable. “Do you agree?”

It wasn’t a romantic proposal.

It was an arrangement.

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A marriage built on mutual benefit. A public union to stabilize the company’s internal politics and silence certain shareholders. In return, she would receive financial security.

It sounded simple.

But marriage was never simple.

Lila stared at the pen.

She thought about her small apartment.

Her late nights at the office.

Her quiet, ordinary life.

Then she thought about her younger brother.

His university tuition.

The expensive textbooks stacked high every semester.

Laboratory fees. Projects. Living expenses.

He was brilliant. Determined. Full of dreams too big for their circumstances.

And she loved him so much it hurt.

The mere thought of him working part-time jobs until exhaustion while trying to finish his degree made her chest ache. Worse – what if he gave up entirely?

What if he found out she was struggling and decided to quit for her sake?

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Chapter 46

No.

She would never allow that.

Her brother would finish his course.

He would graduate.

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He would have the future she never dared to ask for herself.

Lila picked up the pen.

“I accept,” she said softly.

Not for Damon.

Not for the title.

Not even for herself.

For her brother.

And that was that.

The announcement sent shockwaves through Blackthorne Industries.

Especially to Ina.

“You WHAT?” Ina had nearly dropped her phone when Lila told her.

But nothing compared to the night of the company gala.

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The grand ballroom glittered with crystal chandeliers and polished marble floors. Executives, investors, and social elites filled the space in designer gowns and tailored suits.

Whispers rippled through the crowd before she even entered.

And then-

Damon walked in.

With Lila at his side.

When he reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers, the room fell into stunned silence.

Gasps.

Murmurs.

Disbelief.

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Chapter 46

Ina, standing near the champagne tower, looked as though she might faint.

But Damon didn’t hesitate.

He led Lila through the crowd with composed authority, stopping beside his mother.

Margaret Blackthorne.

Elegant. Regal. Observant.

Lila could feel every pair of eyes on her as she stood there, hand still in Damon’s grasp.

“She’s from accounting.”

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“I heard Lila throw herself to Damon, maybe that is why she keep on staying on the company late.”

“This won’t last.”

“Poor Maddy…”

Every whisper brushed against her ears like tiny blades.

She endured all of it.

The judging looks.

The speculative smiles.

The subtle insults disguised as curiosity.

None of them truly mattered.

Because while they were whispering about status and love and power-

Her brother was registering for another semester.

Her brother was buying his books without worry.

Her brother was one step closer to graduation.

And that was worth every stare.

Even if it meant standing in a ballroom full of people who believed she did not belong.

Lila was about to respond-

When it happened.

Maddy’s fingers suddenly loosened around the glass of water on the bedside table.

The glass tipped.

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Water splashed across her hospital gown.

And in the next second-

It shattered on the floor.

The sharp sound sliced through the room.

Lila froze.

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For a heartbeat, she was stunned by the sheer precision of it. The angle. The timing. The way Maddy’s shoulders trembled as though she had been startled.

It was flawless.

Damon hates crazy women.

Maddy’s voice drifted toward her – barely a whisper, low enough that only Lila could hear.

“Be careful,” she murmured, lips trembling as tears welled in her eyes. “He won’t tolerate someone unstable.”

And then-

She began to sob.

“I’m so sorry, Lila,” Maddy cried, her voice breaking convincingly. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I know you’re already stressed… I know you’re anxious…”

Lila stared at her.

Anxious?

Before she could process it-

The door swung open.

Damon was back.

His gaze immediately fell to the broken glass. The spilled water. Maddy’s shaking figure.

His jaw tightened.

“What happened?” he asked sharply.

And before Lila could speak-

His hand closed around her wrist.

Firm.

Not painful.

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Chapter 46

But possessive. Controlling.

His eyes searched her face.

“What happened, Lila?”

Maddy shook her head quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

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“No, Damon, please don’t misunderstand,” she sobbed. “It’s my fault. I was careless. Lila wasn’t upset on purpose.”

Damon’s brows drew together.

“Upset?” he repeated.

Maddy sniffed, lowering her gaze as if ashamed.

“She… she’s just under a lot of pressure. You’ve been staying here with me at the hospital. I know it must be difficult… especially when you’re trying to conceive….”

The words fell gently.

Strategically.

“As your wife,” Maddy continued weakly, “she must feel anxious that the timing keeps getting delayed. I would be too. It’s natural. Please don’t blame her.”

Silence filled the room.

Lila’s heart pounded – not from guilt, but from disbelief.

The audacity.

Maddy had built the entire narrative in seconds.

Painted Lila as insecure.

Possessive.

Emotionally unstable.

All while appearing selfless.

Damon’s grip on Lila’s wrist loosened slightly.

His expression was unreadable.

But his gaze had changed.

And Maddy saw it.

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Behind her tears-

She almost smiled.

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