The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Lila woke with a start.

:.

A strange weight pressed against the air around her, a presence she couldn’t ignore.

Someone was staring.

Her eyes fluttered open-and froze.

Damon.

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His cold, dark stare met hers directly, unflinching, unyielding.

“Was it you?” he asked, his voice low, measured.

Lila blinked, confusion twisting in her chest.

Her mind scrambled, but even in her surprise, she couldn’t help but admire him.

How fast… how impossibly fast… he had found her.

Mighty top dog, she thought silently.

“What do you mean?” she asked, keeping her voice steady, hiding the rush of awe and exasperation beneath calm curiosity.

Damon’s shoulders slowly relaxed. The tension in his expression eased slightly. He had already ruled it out. It hadn’t been her.

“The rumor,” he said simply. “It wasn’t you spreading it. Divorce… looks impossible right now.”

Lila’s lips curved into a faint, ironic smile, but Damon didn’t notice. His gaze remained firm, commanding.

“Let’s go home,” he added, voice low but authoritative.

Home.

The word carried weight. Not just a place, but a claim, a command, a reminder of the power he held-and the unusual, complicated space they now shared.

Lila’s heart skipped a beat, but she didn’t speak.

She simply nodded.

Because one thing was clear: whatever games the world played, Damon Blackthorne was always two steps ahead.

And she had just been reminded exactly how small and exposed she could be… when he wanted to find her.

J

12:04 Mon, May 4

Chapter 48

Yet beneath the fear, a quiet thrill ran through her.

Home wasn’t just a location anymore.

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That night, the Blackthorne Charity Gala sparkled with crystal chandeliers, golden cutlery, and a sea of tailored suits and designer gowns. But all of that faded into the background the moment Damon and Lila entered.

Eyes followed them like a spotlight, whispers rippling through the crowd.

“I heard he stayed at the hospital with Maddy…”

“They’re saying divorce is inevitable….”

“So how is she still Mrs. Blackthorne?”

Lila held her chin high, letting the subtle curve of her smile and the soft sway of her gown command attention. She could feel the judgmental stares and speculative glances, but she didn’t flinch. This was her stage now.

A man approached with a tray of drinks. He stopped in front of her, offering a crystal glass.

“May I-” he began.

Before he could finish, Damon’s hand shot out, lifting the glass from her fingers with quiet authority.

“We are actually trying to conceive,” he said, his voice low, firm, and impossible to ignore. “No drinks for my wife.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh—of course! My apologies,” he said, laughing politely and bowing slightly before stepping away.

But the whispers only intensified.

“Trying to conceive?”

“Did he just say…?”

“Pregnancy?”

Lila felt a flush rise in her cheeks, but it wasn’t embarrassment. It was power. Damon had taken control of the narrative, silencing speculation about Maddy and asserting their union before anyone could question it.

She glanced at him, noticing the subtle curve of his mouth, the calm command in his dark eyes. In that moment, Lila realized: Damon wasn’t just protecting her. He was announcing to the entire world that she belonged to him.

And in that moment, amidst the whispers and curious glances, Lila felt something shift inside her.

For the first time, the world couldn’t rattle her-not when Damon had already staked their claim.

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Chapter 48

Tonight, the rumors, the gossip, the expectations-they didn’t matter.

Because they were together.

And that was all that counted.

Damon was untouchable.

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Top in the business world. Untouchable. Respected. Feared. Desired. Everyone wanted a piece of him- attention, alliance, proximity.

And for Lila, it meant navigating a room full of eyes that lingered too long, smiles that hid agendas, and hands that reached out a little too casually.

She slipped from Damon’s grasp for a moment, murmuring an excuse as she made her way to the restroom to freshen up. A quick splash of cold water, a deep breath, a moment to gather herself.

When she returned, the gala seemed unchanged-but one presence immediately made her pause.

The man who had handed her the drink earlier now stood in the hallway, eyes fixed on her in a made her skin prickle.

way that

“Ms. Lila,” he called, his voice casual but threaded with something sharper. “I didn’t know you were the wife of Mr. Blackthorne.”

Her brow lifted. His gaze roamed in a way that felt intrusive.

“Do I know you?” she asked cautiously, keeping her tone polite but guarded.

“How heartless,” he replied with a faint laugh, “we were drinking just a month ago, talking about investments.”

Lila’s mind raced. She tried to place him, scanning memories of the night he mentioned.

“I’m with Mr. Foster,” the man added, smiling.

Then it clicked. She remembered clearly now-he had been standing beside Mr. Foster that evening.

“Oh! You’re Mr. Foster’s assistant,” she said, smiling politely. “Sorry for forgetting.”

“No need to apologize,” he replied smoothly, eyes glinting with amusement. “My mistake for not introducing myself properly. I’m Daven-Mike Foster’s son,” he added, extending his hand.

Lila’s eyes widened slightly. He had remembered her. He had noticed her.

Before she could respond, a shadow fell over the interaction.

Damon.

His hand closed around her arm like a vice.

“No need to hold my wife’s hand that long,” he said, voice low, controlled, a dark warning beneath the calm.

12:04 Mon, May 4

Chapter 48

His gaze was sharp, cold, and utterly final.

Daven’s smile faltered. “Ah-of course, Mr. Blackthorne…”

But Damon didn’t wait for an apology.

He simply guided Lila away, each step deliberate, commanding.

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By the time Daven could gather his thoughts, they had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving the man staring after them, startled and silenced.

Lila’s pulse raced, but a small, private smile curved her lips.

Damon had made one thing perfectly clear: no one-not even the entitled son of a business magnate-would overstep with her while he was near.

And she couldn’t help but admire him for it.

12:04 Mon, May 4