Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 39

The soft notes of a waltz floated through the room, blending seamlessly with the murmur of voices and the

gentle clinking. of glasses. Izzy found herself on the dance floor, her hand resting lightly on Liam's shoulder while

his other hand held hers.

firmly. Around them, other couples swayed to the rhythun, but all Izzy could think about was how much she

wanted t

disappear.

Liam leaned slightly closer, his breath warm against her ear as he said, “You should smile more.”

Izzy forced a polite smile, her eyes scanning the room to avoid his gaze. “Thank you,” she replied stiffly, though

her tone carried a hint of reluctance. She knew she couldn't argue with him here, not with so many eyes on

them. The ballroom was filled with curious onlookers, their gazes following her every move, analyzing,

speculating. The last thing she needed was to

create a scene.

“What are you doing. Liam?” she asked quietly, her eyes flicking to his face.

Liam smirked, his grip on her hand tightening slightly as he guided her through a turn. “I'm donating a million

dollars,” he said, his voice laced with a nonchalance that made her inwardly roll her eyes. “Isn't that too

obvious!”

“Generous, Izzy said, her tone even as she let him lead. “But this isn’t about charity, is it?”

“Maybe,” Liam replied, his smirk growing. “Or maybe I just wanted to ensure you didn’t end up in someone else’s

arms tonight. Can you imagine? My wife, swaying with sguy who's only here because his orthopedic shoes

finally lets him stand through a song.”

Izzy blinked, her composure slipping for a moment. She glanced up at him, her brows furrowing. “You're

impossible,” she muttered under her breath.

“Only when it comes to you,” he said smoothly, his eyes glinting with amusement. “And for the record, you're

welcome. It is my honor to save my wife from the clutches of other men.”

Izzy clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to stomp on his foot. Instead, she focused on the steps of the dance,

keeping her expression calm. “You're enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Immensely,” Liam said, his tone shameless. “But don’t worry. I'll let you return the favor one day. Maybe buy me

at an auction?

Izzy gave him a flat look. “Not in this lifetime.”

Liam chuckled, his confidence unshaken. He twirled her effortlessly, drawing her closer as the music swelled.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said, his voice quieter now, meant only for her.

Izzy's lips twitched into a small, reluctant smile. “Thank you,” she said again, this twith slightly less stiffness.

She couldn't exactly argue with him in the middle of the dance floor, not when the eyes of the entire room

seemed to be glued to them. Instead, she focused on getting through the moment without giving him the

satisfaction of a reaction.

As the waltz continued, Izzy caught sight of Monica near the edge of the dance floor, dancing with a much older

gentleman. The sight brought a flicker of satisfaction to 1zzy’s otherwise frazzled thoughts.

Liam must have noticed too, because his smirk deepened. “Looks like someone isn’t happy,” he murmured,

nodding subtly in Monica's direction

Izzy raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. “And whose fault is that?”

Yours, of course,” Liam said with a grin. “You're stealing the spotlight.”

“I didn’t ask for it,” she countered, her tone clipped.

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Chapter 39

“And yet, here you areing said, his voice light as he spun her gain. “Looking like you were made for it.

2K 88%

Izzy held back a retort, focusing on the rhythm of the music. She hated how easily he got under her skin, how he

always seemed to have the upper hand. But most of all, she hated that he wasn’t entirely wrong.

As the song drew to a close, Liam dipped her gracefully, his eyes locking onto hers. For a brief moment, the

world seemed to shrink around them, the murmurs and music fading into the background. Izzy held her breath,

her heart pounding in annoyance—or maybe something else she refused to name.

He straightened her slowly, his hand lingering on her waist as the applause from the crowd swelled around them.

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Mrs. Horvath,” Liam said, his tone almost teasing as he released her and stepped

back. “I'll see you later?

Izzy's lips pressed into a thin line. “Don’t push your luck.”

But even as she walked away, her back straight and her head high, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd

somehow just lost a battle she didn’t even realize she was fighting.

Meanwhile, Calen’s jaw tightened as he approached Izzy. The polished floor seemed to amplify the tension

crackling inside him. Watching Izzy danced with Liam was enough to ruin his night.

“What the hell was that?” he demanded, stopping in front of her

“What the hell was what?” Izzy countered, her eyes narrowing as her expression turned sour.

That Calen said sharply, gesturing toward the dance floor where Liam was now speaking casually with a few

other attendees. “You and Liam Horvath, looking like a damn picture-perfect couple out there.”

Izzy rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, intending to walk away. “I don’t have tfor this, Calen

Before she could take another step, Calen grabbed her arm-not forcefully, but enough to halt her movement.

“Wait,” he said, his tone lower now. He guided her toward a quieter corner of the hall, away from the prying eyes

of the crowd.

Izzy yanked her arm free as they stopped near an alcove adorned with ornate drapes. “What do you want?” she

asked, crossing her arms.

“Are you trying to makejealous?” Calen asked bluntly, his expression unreadable,

Izzy snorted, her arms dropping to her sides. “Jealous?” she repeated, incredulous. “Since when did you ever get

jealous, Calen?”

He faltered, his mouth opening slightly before closing again. The pause was brief but telling.

Izzy's lips curled into a bitter smile. “That's right. It’s not in your DNA to be insecure about other men, is it?”

Calen’s gaze hardened, but he still didn't respond immediately. The silence stretched between them until he

finally spoke, “I'm just asking if you're doing this. intentionally. Because of our minor disagreement.”

“Our minor disagreement?” Izzy repeated, raising a brow. “You mean you assuming Thave tto waste playing

mind games?” She stepped closer, her eyes locked on his. “You're overthinking things, Calen. I'm not doing’

anything. If you feel something about it, that’s on you.”

Calen’s jaw twitched, “You've never been this

“What? This what?” Izzy interrupted, her tone sharp. “Blunt? Tired of your attempts to control every little

narrative? | wonder why.”

Calen let out a breath, running a hand through his hair in frustration. I'm just trying to understand what's going

on here,

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Chapter 39

Izzy. You are fucking embarrassingin front of my mother and her friends.”

Izzy frowned. What the hell is this man talking about? How exactly did she embarrass him?

“I know you know Liam from before. Did you ask him to outbid me? Is this it? Are you trying to-”

Izzy's laughter interrupted Calen before he could complete his sentence. “Please, Mr. Weiss... let's not ruin each

other's night.”

“You-"

“Think what you want to think. That is none of my business.” Izzy leaned closer and lowered her voice. “But

don’t you: lay your hand onagain, or | will make you regret it for the rest of your fucking life.”

dare