Contract of Hate

📖 CHAPTER 7 – Things Left Unsaid

The car ride back was quiet.

But not the normal kind.

This one felt heavy.

Lila kept looking out the window the whole time. She didn’t even know what she was looking at—she just didn’t want to look at him.

Damian hadn’t said anything since they left the restaurant.

And honestly… that silence was annoying her more than anything.

After a while she spoke.

“That woman,” she said. “She talks like she owns you or something.”

He didn’t even turn.

“She doesn’t.”

That was all he said.

Lila scoffed. “That’s it?”

Nothing again.

That made her roll her eyes.

“So what is she then? Because she didn’t look like someone random.”

This time he glanced at her briefly.

“She’s not important.”

Lila laughed a little. “People don’t stare at someone’s wife like that if they’re not important.”

Still nothing.

And that silence? Yeah. That was the problem.

When they got home, Lila didn’t wait for him.

She just walked inside and headed for the stairs.

“I’m tired,” she said, already done with the day.

“Lila.”

She stopped but didn’t turn.

“What again.”

A pause.

“Don’t think too much about what she said.”

That made her finally look at him.

He was standing there like nothing was happening. Calm face. Calm voice.

Like everything was always under control.

“That’s your solution for everything?” she said. “Just ignore it?”

“It’s not serious.”

That did it.

Lila let out a short laugh. “You always say that. Everything is ‘not serious’ to you.”

Silence again.

She stepped a little closer.

“But people don’t talk like that for no reason,” she said. “She clearly knows you.”

His expression changed slightly. Just a little.

Then he said, “You’re thinking too much.”

That line.

That one.

Lila shook her head.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “You’re really good at shutting things down.”

She turned away again.

But before she could leave, he said her name.

“Lila.”

She stopped.

Didn’t turn this time.

“If it was just business,” he said after a moment, “you wouldn’t be here.”

That made her pause.

“…What does that mean?” she asked.

No answer.

Of course.

She waited a second longer.

Still nothing.

So she just walked upstairs.

Because what else was she supposed to do with a sentence that didn’t finish?

Later that night, she couldn’t sleep.

She kept replaying everything.

The woman’s voice.

The way she looked at Damian.

And him… not denying anything properly.

She turned in bed.

“This man is frustrating,” she muttered.

Downstairs somewhere… a door closed softly.

Like someone else was still awake too