The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Chapter 69

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The next morning, the sky over South City was pale and quiet.

Lila stood by the airport window, arms folded, watching planes take off one after another.

Damon wasn’t there.

Of course he wasn’t.

She had already predicted it.

Maybe Maddy had “slipped and fallen” after all.

Or maybe Damon simply chose where he wanted to be.

Ina adjusted her sunglasses beside her. “You okay?”

Lila nodded once. “I expected this.”

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The flight to Bellair City was silent. Lila leaned her head against the window, watching clouds blur past, her thoughts heavier than the altitude.

When they landed, a black sedan was already waiting outside the airport.

Margaret’s arrangement.

The driver greeted them politely and loaded their luggage into the trunk.

Bellair City’s skyline stretched tall and polished under the afternoon sun as they drove into traffic. Unfortunately, traffic had other plans.

Cars crawled bumper to bumper.

Horns blared.

The driver sighed softly. “There’s congestion ahead, Miss.”

Ina groaned. “Of course there is.”

Lila glanced out the window absently.

That was when she saw it.

In the side mirror.

A large dam truck.

Too fast.

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Chapter 69

Too close.

Her breath caught.

“Wait-” she whispered.

Everything happened in seconds.

The truck didn’t slow down.

It didn’t swerve.

It slammed straight into the back of their car with a deafening crash.

Metal screamed.

Glass shattered.

The world spun violently.

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Lila’s body jerked forward as the car lurched from the impact. The sound of twisting steel filled her ears.

“Ina!” she cried.

Instinct took over.

She threw her arms around Ina, shielding her as much as she could.

The car skidded sideways.

Another impact.

Her head struck something hard.

The taste of blood filled her mouth-metallic, thick.

The world tilted.

Sounds became distant.

Blurred.

She could vaguely hear Ina calling her name.

“Lila! Lila!”

Sirens.

Shouting.

But everything felt far away.

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Chapter 69

Darkness crept in from the edges of her vision.

The last thing Lila remembered—

Was the image of that truck in the mirror.

Not slowing down.

Not trying to avoid them.

And then-

Black.

Dawn broke with noise.

Not from the streets.

Not from sirens.

But from screens.

:

Two headlines dominated every news outlet across the country.

The first:

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Business Magnate Damon Blackthorne Spotted Vacationing with Pregnant Maddy in South City Resort — Is the Romance Reigniting?

Photos accompanied the article-Damon walking beside Maddy along a private shoreline, security trailing discreetly behind. Maddy wore a flowing maternity dress. Damon’s expression unreadable.

Speculation exploded instantly.

The second headline hit harder.

Severe Collision in Bellair City – One Confirmed Dead, Three Injured Including Mrs. Blackthorne

Images of twisted metal flooded the media.

A black sedan crushed from behind.

Ambulances.

Police barricades.

The name “Mrs. Blackthorne” spread faster than verified facts.

Inside hospital corridors, reporters gathered like vultures.

Online, chaos erupted.

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Chapter 69

Some comments were filled with sympathy:

Prayers for Mrs. Blackthorne.

No one deserves this.

Hope she survives.

Others were cruel.

:

Damon left his wife to vacation while she gets into an accident?

Karma works fast.

He chose the pregnant mistress. What did people expect?

But there was another side.

A louder side.

Supporters of Damon and Maddy flooded social media with applause and anticipation.

Finally, they’re back together.

Their love story deserves a second chance.

The real couple is Damon and Maddy.

The narrative shifted within hours.

To some, the accident was tragic.

To others, it was irrelevant.

To many, it was an opportunity.

Damon’s name trended non-stop.

Public opinion split sharply.

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Investor forums speculated whether the scandal would hurt his empire-or make him more powerful.

And somewhere in the midst of flashing cameras and endless commentary-

A hospital room remained silent.

Machines beeped steadily.

A body lay motionless beneath white sheets.

Unaware of the storm raging outside.

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Chapter 69

Unaware that her name had become a headline.

And unaware that this accident-

Might not have been an accident at all.

The ocean was calm that morning.

Too calm.

:

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Damon stood on the balcony of the private resort villa in South City, sleeves rolled up, phone in hand, scanning financial reports he hadn’t truly read.

Behind him, inside the suite, Maddy’s laughter drifted faintly as she spoke to someone on speaker.

His own phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

He almost ignored it.

It rang again.

And again.

Something in his chest tightened.

He answered.

“Yes.”

“Mr. Blackthorne?” The voice on the other end was strained. Professional. Careful. “There’s been an accident in Bellair City involving a vehicle registered under your family’s estate.”

His posture straightened.

“What kind of accident?”

“A severe rear-end collision. One fatality confirmed. Three injured.”

The ocean breeze suddenly felt colder.

“Who?” Damon’s voice sharpened.

A pause.

“Mrs. Blackthorne is among the injured.”

The world stopped.

Not metaphorically.

* fuapter 69

It stopped

His grip tightened around the phone so hard his knuckles blanched white.

“What hospital?” His tone was no longer calm. It was steel.

The name was given.

He ended the call before the sentence fully finished.

Inside the suite. Maddy stepped out holding a glass of juice. “Who was that?”

Damon didn’t answer.

He was already mov

Grabbing his jacket

His car keys.

“Maddy,” he said flatly, eyes dark, distant Bryan will stay with you”

“What happened?” she pressed

He stopped at the doorway for half a second

“My wife is in the hospital”

The word hung in the air

Wife.

Not Lila.

Not her name.

His wife.

Maddy’s face shifted-something unreadable flickering across it.

But Damon didn’t wait for her response.

By the time security realized what was happening, he was already in the car.

The engine roared to life.

As he sped out of the resort gates, his phone began exploding with notifications.

Headlines

Photos

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Chapter 69

Comments.

Him walking beside Maddy.

Lila’s accident.

Side by side.

He didn’t look at them.

He called one person instead.

:

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“Find out everything about that truck,” he ordered the moment the line connected. “Driver history. Brake records. Surveillance footage. I want it all.”

“Yes, sir.”

His jaw clenched.

Lila had warned him.

Aren’t you worried something might happen to her?

Maybe she’ll slip and fall.

His chest tightened painfully.

He had looked at her.

Said nothing.

Now-

She was lying in a hospital bed.

And he wasn’t there.

For the first time in years, Damon felt something unfamiliar claw up his spine.

Fear.

Not for his empire.

Not for his reputation.

But for her.

He pressed harder on the accelerator.

“Hold on,” he muttered under his breath.

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Chapter 69

He didn’t know if he was speaking to fate.

Or to Lila.

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