Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 76

Calen downed another glass of champagne, his gaze fixed on Izzy as she moved through the crowd. She looked

poised and confident, speaking with businessmen who seemed genuinely interested in her words. He scowled,

gripping the stem of his glass tighter.

In the past, Izzy would have been at his side, following him, supporting him. But now, it felt as though she had

turned the tables on him entirely. Here he was, sitting in the corner, alone.

He reached for another glass from a passing waiter and took a long sip. Wasn't it just one betrayal? he thought

bitterly. In the past, he'd been discreet with his flings-models and other women who didn’t matter. But Monica-

Monica had been a mistake. The one mistake Izzy had found out about.

It was only one woman, he thought. Only Monica.

The more he drank, the more irritated he became. He convinced himself that Izzy was doing this on purpose-

ignoring him, thriving without him-just to punish him.

Lost in his thoughts, he heard a voice behind him.

“It looks like you're drinking something bitter, Mr. Weiss. Maybe you should throw that drink away.”

Calen turned, raising an eyebrow. Standing behind him was Pamella Johnson, her lips curled into a knowing

smile.

“What do you want, Miss Johnson?” Calen asked, leaning back slightly.

Pamella stepped closer. “Is this how you treat a woman you've been with?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Calen’s jaw tightened. “Shut up, Pamella. Did you honestly think Id roll out the red carpet for you? Do yourself a

favor and stay the hell out of my way.”

you do to me, Mr. Weiss?"/

Calen didn’t answer immediately, his grip on the glass tightening. Pamella’s smirk only widened as she watched

him struggle to contain his anger.

Pamella let out a laugh, leaning in just enough to make him uncomfortable. “Or what? What will

Then Miss Johnson straightened her back. “Are you going to tell Miss Rossi about it? Oh, wait!” She widened her

eyes as if she'd just realized something important. “She doesn’t know...”

“Pam...” Calen gritted his teeth. “What do you want?” he hissed.

“Nothing, really. | mean...” She looked at Calen. “I didn’t chere to mock you. | cto help.”

“Help?”

“Isabella Rossi is playing hard to get, that much is obvious.”

Hard to get? Calen frowned. Was it really that obvious?

“In the past, it was clear that she adored you. Unlike everyone else, | knew that she made those reports, those

proposals.She made the transactions and closed the deals, yet the one basking in the limelight was you...”

“You-" Calen’s face darkened.

“Oh, please. There's no need to worry about these things. | can assure you that most businessmen in the

industry don’tknow that. Let’s just say...| paid attention to you because | quite like you” Miss Johnson said. “So,

how about help you get her back?”

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Chapter 76

“What?” Calen’s frown deepened, but he couldn't deny that Miss Johnson had piqued his interest. “What are you

talking about?” He studied her for a moment, taking in her composed demeanor. She reached out, taking a glass

of champagne from a passing waiter and handing it to him with a confident smile.

“Well,” Miss Johnson said, meeting his gaze. “Are you willing to hearout?”

Calen hesitated before accepting the glass. “Speak.”

Miss Johnson smiled and took a small sip from her own glass. “Its simple. You and | pretend to be a couple.”

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Calen raised an eyebrow. “And what's your angle? Surely, you're not offering to helpbecause of what

happened between us in the past.”

Miss Johnson chuckled, setting her glass down on a nearby table “Of course not. I'm practical, Calen. | don't

dwell on the past. My reasons are straightforward-I can’t stand Isabella Rossi She straightened, brushing a

nonexistent speck from her dress. “She acts so above everyone else, so perfect and untouchable. It's

hypocritical, don’t you think?”

Calen said nothing, letting her continue.

“And,” she added, folding her arms, “I need someone to introduce to my parents and grandfather. They're

pressuringto marry, and | can’t have just anyone on my arm. You're from a good family, wealthy, well-

connected. They wouldn't question our relationship.”

Calen’s frown deepened. “You think | need you? | can get Izzy back on my own.”

Miss Johnson smirked. “You could try, but you'll fail. You know why? Because Isabella Rossi is stubborn. She might

still love you, but right now, she’s consumed with hatred for you. That's not something you can overcby just

showing up and apologizing.”

Calen’s grip on his champagne glass tightened. “And you think pretending to be with you will change that?”

“Yes,” Miss Johnson said confidently. “You need to make her jealous. Show her that her cousin-the woman you

cheated with -isn’t important to you. Make it clear that she’s just someone you can toss aside. Isabella needs to

see that you're still desirable, that you're still someone worth fighting for. And nothing gets under a woman's

skin like seeing her rival with someone she can’t stand.”

How the hell did she know about Monica? However, this isn’t the tto dwell on those things. Calen’s

expression wavered slightly. He hated to admit it, but there was slogic to her words.

Miss Johnson leaned closer. “Think about it. You want her back, don’t you? This is how you do it. Lethelp you.

Together, we'll make sure Isabella realizes that no one can take your place in her life.”

Calen didn’t respond immediately. Finally, he took another sip of champagne, his eyes narrowing as he looked at

Miss Johnson. “And what makes you so sure this will work?”

Miss Johnson's smile widened. “Because | know women like her, Calen. Trust me. She won't be able to resist.”

“So letget this straight...” he said. “You and | are going to pretend to be together to make her jealous, and

so you can introduce a man to your parents and get them off your back?*,

“Not just that...” Miss Johnson said. “I will help you becthe head of this project.”

Calen stared at Miss Johnson, his frown deepening. “You're saying you can helpbecthe leader of the

project? How exactly do you plan to do that?”

“Simple.” Miss Johnson smiled. “You sabotage the project-not enough to destroy it completely, just enough to

cause a few setbacks. Izzy will have no choice but to ask for help.”

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Chapter 76

Calen raised an eyebrow. “And you think she’ll askfor help?

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Miss Johnson smirked. “Even if she doesn’t, your father will step in. He won't let a high-stakes project like this fall

apart, and you know he trusts you to clean up messes. He'll reassign the leadership to you.”

Calen mulled over her words, his grip tightening on his champagne glass. “Izzy has an ego. She wouldn't want to

fail.”

“Exactly,” Miss Johnson said, nodding. “She’ll do everything she can to fix it, even if it means working under you

again. And that’s where you win, Calen. She'll realize she still needs you.”

Calen stared at her. “And what's in this for you, aside from having someone to parade in front of your family?”

Miss Johnson's lips curved into a confident smile. “What | want is simple: for Isabella Rossi to fall off her pedestal.

If she wins the bidding and has a successful project, your father might even promote her into an executive

position. This benefits both of us. You get her back, and | get to see her brought down a peg.”

Calen pursed his lips. “I will think about it,” he said.

Miss Johnson raised her glass in a mock toast. “You won't regret this, Calen. | can assure you that.”

He picked up his own glass, clinking it against hers.

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