The Wife He Never Meant to Love (Lila and Damon) novel Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Morning arrived far later than Jade had expected.

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A loud, persistent ringing dragged her out of sleep. Her head throbbed painfully, and the sunlight spilling through the curtains only made the pounding worse.

Her phone kept vibrating on the bedside table.

Jade groaned softly as she forced her eyes open.

The moment she grabbed her phone, her heart nearly stopped.

11:07 AM.

“What-?”

The ringing stopped the second she answered, only to start again moments later with another call.

Still dizzy, Jade quickly gathered the sheets around herself before reaching for the scattered pieces of clothing on the floor. As she tried to piece together the previous night, flashes of memory rushed back.

Dinner.

Wine.

Simon’s smile.

His voice.

And then-

Her face flushed bright red.

“Oh my god…”

She had slept with Simon.

Without wasting another second, Jade rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the cold water help clear her head. Her mind raced the entire time.

The court.

The hearing.

Lila.

She finished as quickly as possible and stepped out of the bathroom, hastily drying her hair with a towel.

Then she froze.

Chapter 80

Simon stood by the bed, calmly changing the sheets.

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Not just changing them-he was carefully folding the old ones, the faint stain of blood visible against the white fabric.

He looked up and smiled at her as if nothing was unusual.

“I already cleaned up,” Simon said casually. “Breakfast is on the table.”

Jade blinked at him, still trying to process everything.

Simon moved with relaxed ease, placing the sheets aside before walking toward the small dining area.

“Come,” he said lightly.

Jade followed him, though her mind was already racing. A simple breakfast was laid neatly on the table- toast, eggs, fruit, and coffee.

She sat down but barely tasted the food, eating quickly.

Simon, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered.

He leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee slowly as if he had the entire day free.

“What’s the hurry?” he asked calmly.

Jade looked up at him, surprised he even had to ask.

“I have to go to court.”

Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang again.

The caller ID made her stomach drop.

Lila.

Jade answered immediately.

“Yes, Lila,” she said quickly. “I’m coming now.”

She pushed her chair back and stood-

But before she could take a step, Simon moved.

In a single smooth motion, he blocked her path, gently pressing her back against the wall.

Jade’s breath caught.

“Simon-”

“Please stay a little longer,” he murmured softly.

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His hand lifted to cup her face, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

The intensity in his eyes made her heart skip.

Then he leaned down and kissed her.

It wasn’t a light kiss.

It was deep, slow, and overwhelmingly passionate.

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Jade tried to protest at first, but the moment his lips moved against hers, her resistance melted away. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the front of his shirt as the kiss deepened.

For a moment, the world outside that room completely disappeared.

At the courthouse, the atmosphere was far less romantic.

Lila sat nervously on one of the wooden benches, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.

Her eyes kept scanning the hallway.

Where was Jade?

She had already called her several times, but there had been no answer after the last call.

On the opposite side of the waiting area sat Damon.

He looked completely relaxed.

Leaning comfortably against the bench, he casually scrolled through his phone as if he were waiting for a friend at a café rather than attending a divorce hearing.

Every now and then, he glanced up at Lila’s increasingly anxious expression.

Minutes passed.

Then more.

Finally, the clerk stepped out and called the case.

Both parties were present.

But neither lawyer had appeared.

After a brief discussion, the judge decided there was no choice.

The hearing would be postponed.

Rescheduled.

Lila felt her heart sink as the announcement was made.

Chapter 80

Meanwhile. Damon simply slipped his phone back into his pocket and stood up calmly.

Without a single word to Lila, he walked toward the exit.

A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

Damon returned to his office shortly after leaving the courthouse.

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The building was quiet as he walked through the long corridor toward his private office. The hearing had gone exactly as expected, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when the judge decided to postpone it.

He pushed the door open.

Simon was already inside.

He sat casually on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, flipping through a magazine as if he had been waiting for hours without the slightest inconvenience.

Damon walked past him and placed a stack of documents on his desk.

“So,” Damon said calmly while loosening his tie, “how did you stop her?”

Simon didn’t even look up at first.

“She’ll be getting married next month,” he replied casually.

Damon paused mid-motion.

Slowly, he looked up from the documents in his hand and studied Simon carefully.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

“What are you trying to say?” Damon asked.

Simon finally set the magazine aside and leaned back comfortably.

Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Didn’t you say you had a wife?”

Simon chuckled softly.

“It’s just an endearing name,” he said with an amused smile. “She calls me husband, and I call her wife.”

Damon stared at him for a moment longer before returning his attention to the documents on his desk.

He didn’t comment further.

Simon had always been like that.

13:03 Mon, May 4 M…

Chapter 80

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In Bellair City, Simon was known as one of the most brilliant lawyers-and one of the most dangerously charming men. Women admired him, desired him, and many had tried to get close to him.

But none had ever succeeded in truly keeping him.

Despite the countless rumors and whispered stories, no woman had ever managed to claim anything permanent from Simon.

No relationship.

No scandal.

Not even a child.

Simon remained completely untied, no matter how many women fell for him.

Which was exactly why Damon trusted him.

Simon stood up from the sofa and straightened his jacket.

“Well,” he said casually, “that should buy you some time.”

Damon nodded faintly.

“For now.”

Simon glanced at him with a knowing smile before walking toward the door.

Behind him, Damon continued flipping through the documents, his expression unreadable.

The game had only just begun.

Jade finally returned to her office close to noon.

She stepped out of the elevator looking completely exhausted. Her head still throbbed slightly, and her mind felt heavier than ever. Between the missed court appearance, Lila’s unanswered calls, and the chaos of the morning, she barely had time to breathe.

The moment she entered the reception area, her assistant looked up.

And immediately smiled.

Not a polite smile.

A knowing one.

Jade stopped mid-step.

“What?” she asked cautiously.

Her assistant tried to hold back a laugh but failed.

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“Well,” she said, leaning back in her chair, “I guess Attorney Jade finally got laid.”

Jade blinked.

“What?!”

Her assistant burst into giggles.

“Who was it?” she continued teasingly. “Was it that handsome man who came yesterday?”

Jade’s heart skipped.

“W-What handsome man?” she tried to play it off.

Her assistant pointed directly at her neck.

“You might want to look in a mirror.”

Confused, Jade instinctively reached for her neck.

Then she rushed toward the small mirror hanging beside the filing cabinet.

The moment she saw it, her face turned bright red.

A very obvious hickey sat just below her collar.

“Oh my god…”

In the rush of the morning, she had completely forgotten about it.

Her assistant covered her mouth, trying not to laugh too loudly.

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“Relax,” she teased. “You’re an adult. But I have to say… whoever he is, he definitely didn’t hold back.”

Jade groaned and quickly adjusted her collar.

“Please stop talking.”

Her assistant just smiled mischievously.

Before Jade could say anything else, the office door opened again.

A tall, elegant woman stepped inside.

Margaret.

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

Margaret carried herself with the kind of quiet authority that made people instinctively straighten their

posture.

Chapter 80

“Attorney Jade.” Margaret greeted politely.

Jade quickly composed herself and walked forward.

“Mrs. Margaret,” she said. “What a surprise.”

Margaret smiled faintly as her sharp eyes scanned Jade from head to toe.

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Her gaze lingered just long enough near Jade’s neck to make the younger woman feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Busy morning?” Margaret asked casually.

Jade cleared her throat.

“You could say that.”

Margaret stepped further inside the office.

“I actually came to invite you to another charity event,” she said. “There will be a gala this weekend. Bellair City’s usual donors will attend.”

Jade nodded politely.

“That sounds wonderful.”

Margaret continued to observe her quietly.

Then she spoke again—this time more softly.

“I also heard about the divorce hearing today.”

Jade’s shoulders stiffened slightly.

Margaret tilted her head, a faint smile forming.

“You shouldn’t trouble yourself too much over it.”

Jade frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

Margaret’s tone remained calm, but her words carried a subtle weight.

“Some things,” she said gently, “simply won’t proceed… no matter how much effort is made.”

Her eyes flickered briefly with meaning.

“The divorce,” she added, “will not proceed. Not ever.”

The words hung in the air.

13:04 Mon, May 4 M

Chapter 80

Jade stared at her, trying to understand the hidden implication behind the statement.

Margaret simply smiled again-graceful, composed, and completely unreadable.

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