Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Lovely wife 218 Isolated. Discredited. Vulnerable.

Isolated. Discredited. Vulnerable.

33 "Wait!" Cass rushed after Olivier as the elevator door opened. She grabbed his arm. What am I supposed to do now?" she demanded. "My fans are already stirring up trouble. We need Isabella to divorce Liam so we can move forward. What happens if she doesn't?" Olivier stepped into the elevator without glancing back. "She won't have a choice," he said.

Cassandra shook her head, panic rising. "That's not good enough!" she snapped. "You promisedthis marriage. You said if I played along, it would happen. If you don't deliver-" She shoved Celeste's hand off her shoulder when she tried to calm her. "Don't touch me," Cass snapped.

Turning back to Olivier, she stepped right in front of him before he could press the button. "You promised," she said through clenched teeth. "And if you don't make this happen, I'll burn you alive." Olivier's jaw flexed, but he said nothing.

Cassandra turned on her heel, marched inside the elevator alone, and jabbed the close button before either Olivier or Celeste could move. The doors slid shut, cutting her off from them.

For a second, neither Olivier nor Celeste moved. Then Celeste turned to him quickly." Don't mind her," she said. "I'll handle her. Just givestime." Olivier stared at the closed doors, his fists tightening at his sides.

Celeste stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You need to calm down," she said. "Don't let Isabella's words get to you. That's what she wants. If you lose control, you'll lose everything." Olivier didn't answer. He kept staring at the closed elevator, his mind already spinning with new plans. Celeste opened her mouth, but Olivier cut her off with a sharp glance. "Shut up, close your mouth," he said. She stiffened and stayed silent.

"Go back to the hotel first," Olivier added. "I have a few people I need to see and calm that woman down!" Celeste hesitated, then gave a short nod. Seeing this, Olivier immediately turned away without another word, his steps quick as he disappeared around the corner.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Izzy sat on the edge of the bed, her phone propped up against a stack of books for the video call. Maria's face filled the screen, her expression serious.

"The assault charges will be dropped before the day ends," Maria said. "Liam wasn't 1/4 Isolated. Discredited. Vulnerable.

really arrested. He was escorted for questioning. The media twisted the story." Izzy pressed her fingers against her temple. "Courtesy of Olivier Horvath," she muttered.

Maria nodded. "He must have wanted to damage Liam's reputation. Make it harder for him to move freely in the corporate world." Izzy stared at the screen. "Can you stop it?" "I'm already handling it," Maria said. She tapped a few papers into order on her desk, flipping through them. "Liam won't spend a night in prison. I'll make sure of it. But listen tocarefully, Izzy. Do not act carelessly. This could be part of a larger setup." Izzy shifted slightly, her hand curling against her thigh. "You think someone wantsto overreact?" Maria nodded again. "Exactly. Whoever this is- is hoping you'll make a move that'll be harder to clean up. Stay put for now. Lethandle the courts and the media." For a few more minutes, Maria continued giving /updates, walking Izzy through what had already been filed and who was working on Liam's case. Every step seemed carefully managed, but the warning remained clear- someone else was playing a longer game.

When Maria was sure Izzy understood everything, she ended the call.

Izzy sat still for a long moment, staring at the black screen.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the phone once before she set it down.

She needed to think.

Sadly, Izzy knew she didn't have tto sit and think. Her phone lit up again, vibrating against the bed. She picked it up and saw lan Morcant's nflashing across the screen.

She answered, switching to video call. lan's face appeared almost immediately, and the background showed a familiar glimpse of Rossi Group's executive floor.

"I'm glad to see you alive and well," lan said without any delay.

Izzy shifted, leaning back slightly against the headboard. "Thank you," she said. "I'm glad to see you too." lan nodded once. He set aside a few papers on his desk. "I'll get straight to the point. There's pressure building from certain board members. After your accident, things are...

tense." Izzy didn't flinch. "I assumed as much." "They want reassurance," lan said. "They want to see you step back from any public scandal that could drag Rossi Group's ninto this!" Izzy's mouth thinned. "Letguess. Gregory Vasili?" 2/4 Isolated. Discredited. Vulnerable.

lan didn't answer right away. He adjusted his chair slightly. "And Marla DuPont. They're already gathering support to call for an emergency session if you don't address it." Izzy crossed her arms. "What exactly are they hoping for?" lan shrugged once. "Either you issue a public statement disassociating yourself from Liam Horvath's case, or they'll demand a vote to freeze your shares temporarily until your legal situation is 'clearer."" Izzy's fingers tapped once against her knee. "They can't freeze shares without a majority." "They can," lan said. "Under emergency provisions. Temporary custodial management until the board deems your position secure again." Izzy closed her eyes briefly. Of course, they had found a loophole.

lan waited for a beat before continuing. "I'm not calling to pressure you, Isabella.

I'm just telling you how things are stacking up. They're using this situation. They want you weakened." Izzy opened her eyes and looked straight at the screen. "What about you?" lan leaned back in his chair. "I'll vote against it. So will Victor Jin. Leo Marchenko is still neutral, but he tends to lean your way if you give him good reason." Izzy considered that. "How long do I have?" lan glanced down at something on his desk. "Not long. They're trying to push it for tomorrow morning."

Izzy's hand tightened slightly around the phone. "Thanks for the warning." The meeting at Horvath Holdings will also happen tomorrow. How convenient, she thought. lan nodded. "Be careful. They're not playing fair." The call ended a few seconds later.

Izzy sat there, staring at her reflection on the black screen again.

No time. No room for mistakes.

Izzy stood up slowly, pressing a hand against the edge of the table to steady herself. She let out a long, measured sigh.

Was it all just a coincidence? She already knew the answer. No.

Someone was moving against her. That much was clear.

First, they went after Liam-dragging him into a scandal that was weak in evidence

but strong enough to stain his name.

Then they pushed the media narrative, twisting a simple word into an arresting headline. That wasn't just an attack on Liam. It was a warning to her. They wanted her isolated. Discredited. Vulnerable, The timing wasn't random either. Just when she had forced a board vote in Rossi 3/4 Isolated, Discredited. Vulnerable.

Group's favor, just when her standing should have been at its strongest, she was attacked-that incident happened.

Then when Liam protected her, the scandal broke. Someone had been waiting for the right moment to strike. Someone who understood exactly how Rossi Group's emergency provisions worked. Someone who wanted her political capital drained before she could consolidate it.

And it wasn't Olivier. That man wanted her to divorce Liam for his own personal gain.

Olivier was a bully, not a strategist.

He would burn a company down to win a personal argument, but this? This was cleaner. Smarter. Someone behind him was pulling strings-someone who didn't just want her removed. They wanted her options stripped away until there was no fight left in her at all. Her hand curled into a fist against the tabletop.

Just who are you..." she muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing at the darkened window. "And what do you want?" Subscribe