The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Chapter 65

At his office, Damon received a brief report from one of his men.

“Mrs. Blackthorne was rushed to the hospital this afternoon.”

The words were simple.

But something primal moved inside him.

“What happened?” Damon demanded.

“Possible exhaustion. We’re still confirming.”

He didn’t wait for the rest.

Instinct took over.

Within minutes, he was at Ina’s office.

He didn’t announce himself.

He didn’t knock.

He simply walked in-and stopped.

Ina had her back turned, speaking softly into her phone.

“Yes, but you still need to rest-”

Damon’s jaw tightened.

He recognized that voice on the other end.

Lila.

He stood there silently, listening.

Ina turned-and froze when she saw him.

Her eyes widened slightly.

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Before she could react, Damon crossed the room in two strides and took the phone from her hand.

Ina shot him a sharp glare, but he silenced her with one of his own.

Cold. Commanding.

He lifted the phone to his ear.

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Chapter 65

On the other end, Lila’s voice floated through, unaware.

“I honestly thought I was pregnant,” she said, laughing lightly. “Can you imagine?”

Damon’s fingers tightened around the phone.

Pregnant?

His heartbeat shifted.

“It would be nice,” Damon said calmly into the receiver.

Silence.

On the other end.

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He continued, voice steady but deliberate, “Find another doctor. Get a second opinion. They might have missed it.”

The line went completely still.

Then-

Click.

The call disconnected.

Lila had hung up.

In her apartment, Lila stared at her phone, breath uneven.

Stupid.

Why did his voice still do that to her?

Just hearing him—

And her heart betrayed her.

After everything.

After the humiliation.

After the hospital.

After the rumors.

Still.

She pressed the phone to her chest for a brief second before dropping it onto the couch.

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Chapter 65

Stupid.

Back in Ina’s office, Damon lowered the phone slowly.

:.

He stared at the blank screen for a moment before handing it back to Ina.

“You had no right,” Ina snapped quietly.

Damon didn’t answer.

Instead-

A faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth.

Not amused.

Not gentle.

Something darker.

If she thought she could disappear without him knowing-

She was wrong.

He turned and walked out of the office without another word.

And for the first time in weeks-

Damon looked pleased.

Damon was in an unusually good mood.

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It showed in the way he leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest, a faint smile playing on his lips.

It wasn’t simple exhaustion.

He was certain of it.

Lila had said her period was delayed.

She had thought she was pregnant.

And Damon knew her body well enough to trust his instincts.

It wasn’t nothing.

It couldn’t be.

Simon, standing quietly near the window, caught the smile.

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Chapter 65

He didn’t comment.

But he noticed.

A soft knock came at the door before it opened.

:

Maddy walked in, one hand resting gently over her stomach.

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“Damon,” she said softly, “I’ve decided to file for leave. I want to focus on taking care of myself… and the baby.”

Damon looked up.

His expression shifted instantly-softened, controlled, attentive.

“That’s good,” he replied calmly. “You should.”

Maddy’s heart fluttered at the gentleness in his tone.

He stood and walked closer.

“During your first weeks,” Damon asked casually, “did you feel exhausted? Lightheaded, maybe?”

Maddy’s eyes lit up.

“Yes!” she said eagerly. “All the time. I was dizzy, tired, even small things felt overwhelming.”

She laughed lightly. “It’s normal in early pregnancy. The hormones are crazy.”

Damon nodded slowly, absorbing every word.

“And your period was delayed?” he asked.

“Of course,” Maddy smiled. “That’s how I knew to test.”

She mistook the intensity in his gaze for concern directed at her.

He’s finally paying attention, she thought.

“I can send you the articles my doctor shared,” she added quickly. “I’ll take good care of the baby. Don’t worry.”

Damon gave a small nod.

But his mind was elsewhere.

South City.

Hospital.

Delayed period.

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Chapter 65

Lightheaded.

He could almost hear Lila’s voice again-

I thought I was pregnant.

Simon watched quietly as understanding slowly sharpened in Damon’s eyes.

If Lila truly was pregnant-

Then she had tried to hide it.

And Damon Blackthorne did not like being kept in the dark.

Maddy continued talking, unaware that while she spoke about her pregnancy-

Damon was thinking about someone else’s.

Lila had no idea what was running through Damon’s mind.

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Her days in South City had settled into a rhythm-mornings at Integer Technology reviewing proposals, afternoons meeting suppliers and potential investors, evenings split between business reports and her masteral readings. She was building something steady. Something that was hers.

Tonight’s dinner was important.

Mr. Bjorn-an international investor known for backing fast-growing tech firms-had flown in personally. Securing him would mean credibility, capital, and leverage.

Jasper accompanied her, acting as lead presenter for the expansion strategy. He handled the financial projections while Lila spoke about long-term direction. They worked well together-calm, synchronized, efficient.

Everything was smooth.

Until the door opened.

Without warning.

Mike stepped in first.

Then Damon followed.

The temperature in the private room seemed to drop instantly.

Damon’s gaze swept across the table-Mr. Bjorn, the documents, the wine-

And then stopped at Lila.

Then Jasper.

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Chapter 65

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

:

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“Guess I’m no longer needed in your business expansion, Mr. Bjorn,” Damon said casually as he pulled out a chair without invitation. He sat down as if he owned the place and poured himself a glass of wine from their

bottle.

Mr. Bjorn straightened immediately.

“Oh—I wasn’t aware you were in South City, Mr. Blackthorne. Forgive my foolishness.”

Mark, who had stepped out briefly to take a call and returned just in time to witness Damon’s entrance, moved forward quickly.

“Mr. Blackthorne,” Mark said politely, “I apologize if there’s any misunderstanding.”

Damon didn’t look at him.

His eyes remained fixed on Lila.

Then slowly shifted to Jasper.

Jasper, who was seated slightly closer to her than necessary.

It irritated him.

More than it should have.

Lila met Damon’s stare without flinching.

Professional. Detached.

“South City offers competitive opportunities,” she said evenly. “We’re simply expanding.”

We.

The word echoed in Damon’s head.

His fingers tightened slightly around the wine glass.

Mike remained near the door, sensing the shift but saying nothing.

Damon leaned back, appearing relaxed.

But his eyes told a different story.

They were sharp. Assessing. Possessive.

It pissed him off-

The way Jasper sat beside her.

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Chapter 65

The way she looked composed.

Independent.

Untouched by his sudden appearance.

She hadn’t called.

Hadn’t reached out.

Hadn’t even shown surprise.

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And for the first time that night, Damon realized something that unsettled him more than he cared to admit

Lila was learning how to live without him.