Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 35

“Alright, | think we're all set here.” Izzy closed the research file her team had just handed her. The crisp sound of

the folder snapping shut echoed in the boardroom. “I believe we're ready for the presentation.”

Anna stepped forward swiftly, taking the folder from the table with her usual efficiency. She hovered behind Izzy.

“May | know what we're going to do next?” Sherry asked, her curiosity evident. “I mean, the presentation’s on

Friday, and it’s still Tuesday, so...”

Izzy gave her a reassuring smile. “Anna and | will handle the rest from here. Thank you for your hard work. As

always, your research is impeccable.” She nodded toward the door. “You can head back now. | will ask Anna to

call you once she needed something done.”

With that, Izzy rose, her heels clicking against the polished floor as she left the boardroom. Anna followed a step

behind, her arms laden with files. They walked through the corridor, past-the quiet hum of office chatter, and

back to Izzy's office.

“Getscoffee, please,” Izzy said, pinching the bridge of her nose as she sat down. Fatigue had been

weighing on her. Sharing a bed with Liam was a restless endeavor she hadn't yet adjusted to. Sadly, she has to

do this until the renovation on Liam’s house is done. Add the revisions she’d had to make to the presentation,

and it was no wonder she was running on fumes.

Anna nodded and disappeared, leaving Izzy alone with her laptop. She opened the device, scrolling through the

reports she needed to review. Then she glanced at the files that needed her signiture. A sighed escaped her lips.

Asharp knock and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee interrupted her stupor.

“Thanks,” Izzy said, taking the cup.

“Uh... there's also this,” Anna said hesitantly, placing a brightly decorated lunch box on the table. “The guard-"

“Yeah, | know,” Izzy interrupted, her eyes falling on the box. It was cute, excessively so, with little patterns on

the lid that screamed Liam’s meddling. “Thanks, Anna. Just leave it here. Go have your lunch.”

Anna nodded and left, leaving Izzy to glance at the clock. It was already one in the afternoon. She let out a sigh,

realizing how easy it was for her to lose track of tand, consequently, meals. Picking up her phone, she sent a

quick text to Liam:

[Thank you for the lunch.]

Opening the box, she wasn’t surprised to see her favorite dishes carefully arranged inside. The sight made her

stomach grumble, and she shook her head at her own negligence. She took the first bite and immediately

smiled. As always, the food was excellent.

Halfway through, she sent another message:

[You should givethe nof your chef. The food is delicious.]

But instead of Liam's response, her phone buzzed with a nshe hadn't expected to see: Cecil Weiss-Calen’s

mother. Izzy's brows knitted in surprise as she hesitated. Cecil rarely called without a reason. After a moment,

she accepted. “Hey, Cecil,” Izzy said, leaning back in her chair.

“Izzy! | missed you. Do you have tfor dinner later?” Cecil's voice was as warm as ever, though tinged with

urgency. “Later?” Izzy frowned. Cecil Weiss was a New York socialite turned San Francisco staple after marrying

Calen’s father. She was nothing if not precise about her social calendar, which made this last-minute invitation

unusual. “Uh...”

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Chapter 35

“I know it’s short notice Gegil cut in, her tone apologetic. “But there’s something important | think you might be

interested in. | have been asking Calen about you and thought you were abroad. And, to make matters worse,

Calen didn’t even tellyou were back! | didn’t send you an invitation because | thought you were still out of

the country. Can you imagine that man? I've been pestering him to bring you around for dinner, but he’s always

‘busy.”

Izzy narrowed her eyes slightly, her thoughts flickering to Calen Their relationship was strained enough without

Cecil pulling her into these unexpected social maneuvers. Still, her connection with Cecil had always been

cordial, even bordering. on friendly. The older woman had a way of making Izzy feel like a sought-after

confidante, constantly inviting her to events and charity functions.

If Izzy was right, the older woman was aware that she was a member of the once-illustrious Rossi family, which

had moved from Italy decades ago. The invites weren't exactly because she wanted to know Izzy better. It was

because of Izzy's last name. However, Izzy had no reason to decline the older woman invitation.

“All right,” Izzy relented. She was curious about what this was all about. Moreover, she wanted to know if Calen

had told Cecil about their current ‘disagreements.’ “Sendthe details, and I'll see you later.”

“Really?” Cecil sounded genuinely pleased. “Wonderful! Alphie will send you the details shortly. | can’t wait to

catch you tonight!”

up. See

The call ended before Izzy could second-guess her decision. She stared at her phone for a moment, then turned

her attention back to her lunch. The delicate flavors of the meal were suddenly less satisfying, her thoughts

clouded by the unexpected dinner.

Within minutes, Izzy received an email containing all the details of the dinner party, including the dress code.

She snorted, shaking her head. What she had assumed would be a casual dinner was, in fact, a grand affair,

complete with an impressive guest list of prominent figures from San Francisco's socialite community.

After careful thought, Izzy smiled. Then she told Anna to cancel the rest of her meetings as she needed to

prepare.

“This place is massive,” Arianna murmured, leaning toward Monica as her gaze swept over the opulent

surroundings. The chandeliers glittered above them, casting a soft glow over the crowd of elegantly dressed

attendees. “I wasn’t expecting you'd getan invitation to something like this.” She smoothed her dress

nervously. “I think we're underdressed.”

Monica smirked, her eyes scanning the room. “Don’t worry. You look fine.” She held back a laugh, noticing

Arianna’s fidgeting. “Calen handedthe invite, but | didn’t think it would be this grand either.” Of course,

Monica didn’t bother mentioning that she simply took the invitation off Calen’s desk. It had been sitting there for

days, unattended. If he really cared, he'd have brought it up by now.

She looked around and smiled. The room was a sea of luxury. Men in sharp tuxedos and women in flowing

evening gowns moved gracefully, champagne glasses in hand. Arianna’s short cocktail dress was striking, but in

the wrong way-it screamed nightclub rather than gala. Monica, on the other hand, had dressed strategically in a

tailored pantsuit that exuded. understated sophistication. She might not have the wealth of these elites, but she

knew how to blend in.

“Do you think Liam Horvath will be here?” Arianna whispered, her eyes scanning the crowd eagerly.

“Who knows?” Monica replied casually, though the question piqued her curiosity. Lately, Arianna had been

bringing up Liam more often. Unfortunately, Monica had no interest in him; she already knew how ill-mannered

the man could be, thanks to the stories Izzy had shared in the past. Obviously, she was not going to stop her

friend if she wanted to get close to him.

Spotting a passing waiter, Monica deftly grabbed two champagne glasses from his tray and handed one to

Arianna. “Shall we?” she said, nodding toward the long banquet table laden with hors d'oeuvres. “Might as well

find something to eat before we mingle.” She just got off from the office and to be honest, she was already

starving.

Arianna’s eyes darted nervously around the room. “Are you sure we'll be okay? | mean... you said this was just

an auction, but this feels like something out of a movie.”

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Monica chuckled under her breath, sipping her champagne. “Relax. Just follow my lead.” She adjusted the lapel

of her blazer and straightened her posture, her gaze honing in on the familiar faces in the crowd. She’d done her

homework. Cecil Weiss, Calen’s mother, was one of the event's founders, which meant she would almost

certainly be here. Monica had dressed the part for a reason-she was ready to be noticed.

Arianna still looked uncertain, tugging at the hem of her dress.” think everyone's staring.”

Monica didn’t bother to correct her. If anyone was staring, it was at Arianna’s choice of attire, which wasn’t

Monica's problem. In fact, it worked to her advantage. She'd fade into the background while Arianna drew the

wrong kind of

attention.

She glanced at the crowd again, her smirk growing. Tonight was going to be interesting.