Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Lovely wife 227 Two Empires "Are you sure about this?" Liam asked, his eyes locked on the tablet in his hand as he scrolled through the files Mondo had handed him.

"Yes, sir," Mondo replied. "It seems that your previous assumptions about the mafia being involved were right. Cassandra's disappearance wasn't voluntary. Everything was cleaned too fast. No records, no leaks, no press. Someone is steering this.. Even the images that they released were doctored, its all fake." Liam's jaw tightened as he read through the timeline. Cassandra had vanished less than three hours after the staged overdose story broke. The footage from her penthouse was gone from every feed. All medical records had been scrubbed. Her agency posted a vague statement about her needing 'long-term rest. The system had kicked in fast. Too fast. "They didn't like the detour," Liam muttered. "I used her to disrupt the narrative. They intervened immediately. We just confirmed the scale." He turned off the tablet and handed it back. "Do what I told you to do. Lock down our contacts. Make sure Izzy's covered." "She's safe," Mondo said. "The meeting with the Rossi Group is about to start. Since the Madam is still 'injured, she'll be attending remotely. I've already asked our people to watch from behind the scenes as this is a critical moment." Liam gave a sharp nod. He knew Izzy was next door. The adjoining suite had been secured since morning. She hadn't left the room since the press conference. Not because she couldn't, but because they both agreed it was better for now. He turned and headed for the main office doors of Horvath Holdings.

The hall smelled like polished stone and old money. Security gave him a slight nod as he passed, but no one stopped him. Everyone here knew who he was. And more importantly, they knew who he would become. Eventually.

He pushed open the double doors into the executive wing. The office hadn't changed-dark wood, steel fixtures, Horvath family portraits on the wall like a carefully curated threat.

Olivier Horvath stood by the far table, flipping through a set of printed market reports. He didn't look up immediately. When he did, he set the paper down and folded his arms.

"You've got sguts showing up after that disaster," Olivier said. "Eggs? Tomatoes? Lawyers getting tackled?" Liam walked forward without hesitation. "We're containing it." Olivier scoffed and leaned back slightly against the edge of the table. "Is that what you're calling it? Because it looked like your wife's legal team just lit a fire under half the entertainment industry." When Liam didn't respond, he added, "If I were you... I would have hid myself under stunnel." "Isn't that because you are a coward?" Liam snapped back without batting an eyelid.

"You-" "Alright, I don't think we are here to talk about other people's personal problems," someone butted in. "We're here to talk about the future of Horvath Holdings now that its CEO is still in the hospital." Many people around the table nodded, which prompted Olivier to shut his mouth. That's right, he was already certain that he would win. There was no point in arguing with Liam today.

Olivier's gaze drifted across the long, polished boardroom table as the members of Horvath Holdings' executive board filed in. Swere older, seasoned men like Mr. Reinhardt, whose loyalty wavered depending on who held the stronger cards that day. Others were new-young, sharp, too eager. Too easily influenced. He adjusted the cuff of his jacket, checking his watch. Five minutes past the scheduled start time. No one commented. That was the power of seniority. Of legacy.

Liam had taken a seat three chairs down. He was calm. Too calm. That annoyed Olivier more than the fact that he had shown up at all.

When the doors finally shut, Olivier stood.

He didn't clear his throat or wait for the room to settle. He simply stepped forward and placed both hands flat on the table.

"We've all seen the news," he said. "The press conference. The backlash. The press assault that followed." His eyes moved deliberately from one end of the table to the other. "And we've all read the statement that cout this morning confirming that my father-your CEO-remains in critical care. He will not be joining us today, or likely any tsoon." He reached for a single page in front of him and successfully unlocked!ur bylaws, in the event the sitting CEO is incapacitated and cannot fulfill his duties, the board may vote to reassign temporary voting rights to another qualified member of the Horvath family-until the CEO returns, or until a permanent transition is required." No one interrupted.

Olivier glanced sideways, toward Liam. His son sat still, one leg crossed, hands on his lap. That unbothered expression 1/2 Two Empires again. Olivier hated it.

He set the paper down.

"Now, I understand there may be questions about succession. I'll make my position clear. Liam is the CEO of Horvath Industries. He's built a strong profile, and the board of that entity has trusted him with expansion in logistics and private aerospace. I am not here to ignore that." He paused briefly, letting that acknowledgment settle in. Then continued.

"But this," he gestured broadly to the room, "is Horvath Holdings. The mothership. The parent company. The one holding the controlling interests across the family's legacy assets-real estate, maritime, telecom, energy. A different animal entirely." He leaned forward slightly, palms pressed again to the table.

"And this company," he said, eyes narrowing slightly, "requires stability. Leadership. Someone who can focus." He didn't look at Liam this time, but the implication was clear.

"I am not questioning my son's intelligence," Olivier continued. "But let's not pretend the last two weeks have been easy to ignore. He has been publicly entangled in a scandal that involved defamation, press lawsuits, and what now appears to be a coordinated media war involving his wife and the Rossi Group." Someone on the left side of the table shifted slightly. Reinhardt didn't speak, but made a small note on his pad.

Olivier pressed on.

"The issue here is not Liam's ability to manage his private company. It is whether he has the bandwidth, right now to step in and carry voting authority over Horvath Holdings-on behalf of a grandfather who can no longer speak for himself." "This company has survived three global financial crises. Two hostile takeovers. We do not need to gamble with more uncertainty." Olivier straightened.

"For that reason, I am proposing that the board temporarily reassign voting rights from our CEO to myself until such tas his health stabilizes or a long-term plan is established. I am the eldest and only son. I have been with Holdings longer than any executive here. And unlike my son, I am not currently fighting a media war with half the entertainment sector." He stepped away from the table, giving them room to react.

No one spoke for a moment. Then Reinhardt lifted his pen again and looked around.

"Let's call this what it is," Olivier added calmly. "We can respect Liam's accomplishments without pretending that right now, he's in any position to carry the weight of two empires." 2/2