Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 78

Chapter 78

80%

“What the hell are you doing?” Calen asked sharply the moment Liam took his seat, his frustration barely

contained.

“What do you think?” Liam responded, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Without waiting for an answer,

he turned toward Izzy, his presence dominating the space between them. “Elello, Miss Rossi. It's nice to see you

again.”

Izzy turned to him, her expression calm and composed, though her pulse quickened as his familiar scent-a mix

of sandalwood and something crisp-lingered in the air. She stiffened. This wasn’t the first tthat she had

smelled this familiar scent, but it still had this effect on her.

Why was she reacting like this around him? Still, she managed to maintain the professional smile on her face.

“It's a pleasant surprise to see you here, Mr. Horvath. I'm glad we'll be working together on this project.

Liam’s smirk deepened as he leaned slightly-closer, his gaze locking with hers. “Really?” he asked, his voice low

enough that only she could hear.

For a brief moment, Izzy hesitated. The space between them seemed to shrink as her senses heightened, every

detail of his closeness becoming impossible to ignore. She forced herself to hold his gaze. “Of course. Horvath

Industries is a highly respected company. Your involvement will undoubtedly elevate this project.”

His eyes searched hers, lingering as though testing the resolve in her words. Then he leaned back, his smirk

never fading. Seeing this, Calen’s grip on the table tightened, his glare flicking between the two of them. The

tension in his jaw was visible, but he held his tongue. He wanted to erupt, lash out on Liam. But the people inside

the room kept him in check.

He couldn't lose face now. No. Not now!

Oblivious to the undercurrent between them, Mr. Lin smiled warmly. “It’s wonderful to see that you two already

know each other. That familiarity will certainly make the collaboration smoother.”

He picked up his wine glass and raised it. “To a happy cooperation between all of us and the success of this

project!”

The room echoed his sentiment as the executives lifted their glasses. Seeing this, Izzy smiled as she lifted her

glass. 1zzy’s hand was steady as she clinked her glass lightly against Liam's and tried to avoid his gaze that

lingered on her a moment longer than necessary.

“Happy cooperation,” Liam murmured, his words almost too quiet to catch.

Izzy's polite smile remained in place, though her heart beat faster than she would have liked. As she sipped her

wine, the subtle awareness of his presence beside her refused to fade. She forced herself to focus on the

meeting ahead, determined not to let him rattle her any more than he already had.

Calen wasted no time, grabbing Liam’s arm as he turned to leave “Why are you here, Horvath? I didn’t hear

anything about Horvath Industries’ participation in the bidding,” Calen said, his grip firm.

Liam looked down at Calen’s hand on his arm, then back at him an amused glint in his eyes. “What do I'm here

because | enjoy surprise entrances. Keeps things lively, don’t you agree?”

you

think? Maybe

“Don’t play games with me,“Calen scowled, clearly unimpressed. What the fuck are you doing?”

Liam tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening. “Guess.”

Calen opened his mouth, but before he could retort, Izzy was already there. Her hand shot out, pulling Calen’s

grip off Liam's arm. “What are you doing, Calen?” she demanded, her gaze cold.

1/3

80%

Chapter 78

Calen faltered for a moment, surprised by her interference. Meanwhile, Liam rubbed his arm with an

exaggerated wince, catching Izzy's attention. “Ouch,” Liam said, holding his arm delicately. “That was quite the

grip. | think it might bruise

Izzy frowned, glancing at his arm. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Very” Liam replied shamelessly. Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and placed it on the spot Calen

had held, “Maybe you should massage it. You know, to prevent swelling. | might need to see a doctor otherwise.”

Izzy stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. But she didn pull her hand away, instead pressing lightly on

the area, though her annoyance was evident. “Are you happy now? This is ridiculous,” she said, glaring at Calen.

Calen’s glare darkened. “What the hell did Ido? Stop making a scene!”

“What's your problem, Mr. Weiss?” she asked. “Why are you causing trouble? He's part of the project now, so act

like an adult and deal with it.”

Liam's smirk reappeared, though Izzy couldn't see it with her back to him. He glanced at Calen, clearly enjoying

the reaction he was provoking.

Calen’s fists clenched at his sides. “Stop hiding behind a woman's skirt, Horvath. Handle your issues directly if

you've got something to say.”

Liam's expression turned mock-thoughtful. “I wouldn't mind hiding behind a beautiful’s woman's skirt, Mr. Weiss.

You should try it sometime.”

Calen took a step forward, his anger barely in check, but Izzy stepped between them, holding up a hand to stop

him. “Enough, both of you! This is a professional setting. | don’t have tfor your petty squabbles.”

Liam took a single step back, his hands raised in mock surrender “Of course, Miss Rossi. | wouldn't dream of

upsetting you further.”

His actions and words almost made Calen explode, but he could only grit his teeth. Calen continued seething in

silence as he glared daggers at Liam, who only responded with an infuriatingly calm smile. Sensing the tension,

Izzy shot them both one last warning look before turning on her heel and walking away, leaving the two men

standing in tense silence.

The moment Izzy disappeared around the corner, Liam leaned slightly toward Calen, his smirk practically

dripping with mischief. “This is shaping up to be so much fun,” he said, the words like gasoline on Calen’s

simmering anger.

As if that weren't enough, Liam turned on his heel and called after Izzy with an exaggerated air of concern. “Miss

Rossi! Please wait for me. | think you might need to escortto the hotel clinic. You know, just in case this

serious injury leads to complications!”

Calen’s eye twitched as his fists clenched at his sides. His vision blurred at the edges as he watched Liam

casually stroll away, clearly relishing every second of his taunt.

The final straw was when Liam glanced back over his shoulder and added, “You wouldn't want the project

delayed because of a workplace injury, would you, Miss Rossi?”

Calen felt the heat rise in his face, his head pounding as though it might actually explode. “You bastard-"

But Liam was already out of earshot, humming softly to himself as he caught up with Izzy, leaving Calen to stew

in a rage so intense he couldn’t even form words.