Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 144

Chapter 144

The door shut behind Liam with a quiet click.

Silence stretched across the boardroom for a few moments, the tension from the meeting still thick in the air. No

one moved. No one spoke. It was as if they were waiting for confirmation that what they had just witnessed was

real.

Then-

“He smiled.” muttered Christopher Adler, the CFO, blinking at the door like he had just seen a ghost. He turned

to the others, still processing. “He actually smiled.”

A ripple of disbelief moved through the room.

“Did you see that?” another executive, Vincent Dupont, asked, adjusting his tie. “Or am I-am | hallucinating?”

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“You're not hallucinating,” Luca Moretti, head of legal, muttered. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed,

looking deep in thought. “That was a smile.”

The entire team exchanged glances.

Their CEO-Liam Horvath-the man who had spent the last few weeks tearing through everyone like a cold-

blooded executioner, had just smiled at his phone. Not a smirk, not a half-second twitch of amusement, but an

actual, unmistakable smile.

It was unsettling.

Christopher frowned, rubbing his chin. “Since when does he smile?”

Vincent leaned in. “Since never.”

“Exactly,” Christopher said. “So, the question is-who the hell was on the other end of that message?”

A hushed murmur spread through the room.

Liam had been in a foul mood since he returned from his last trip. No one knew exactly what had happened, but

his patience had been razor-thin, his temper even worse. The Covington acquisition team had been getting the

worst of it, but truthfully, everyone had been walking on eggshells.

And yet-one text had flipped a switch.

Luca tapped his pen against the table. “Who do we know that could possibly make him react like that?”

Vincent's eyes gleamed with curiosity. “A woman, obviously.”

Silence.

Then, one of the junior executives, a woman named Lisa Laurent, leaned forward. “Do you think it’s... you

know... someone special?” The CEO had been very private with his life. Many rumors surrounded him, but

everyone in this room knew that those aren't true. After all, they knew that the CEO mostly stay in the office

almost all the time.

The room fell into thoughtful silence.

It made sense.

Liam wasn’t the type of man to engage in casual conversations during meetings, let alone be distracted by his

phone. If he had actually smiled, then whoever had messaged him must be important.

11:25 Wed, 26 Feb

Chapter 144

“Could it be someone from his family? Christopher wondered out loud

Luca shook his head. “I in were family, he wouldn't have smiled like that. He barely acknowledges his relatives”

“That's true,” Elise said. “And | doubt it’s business-related. Nothing about Covington is making him happy.”

Vincent smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Then it must be a woman?

That seemed to settle it.

But now a bigger question hung in the air-who?

Christopher adjusted his watch. “I mean, has anyone ever seen him with someone?”

“Not romantically, no.”

“I heard he doesn’t date.”

“Impossible. Someone like him? There's no way.”

Vincent chuckled. “Maybe he’s just good at keeping secrets.”

Elise sighed. “If that’s the case, then we'll probably never know.”

Luca glanced toward the door Liam had walked out of. “Unless,” he mused, “we start paying attention.”

A few exchanged amused glances, but the curiosity remained.

Whoever had just texted Liam Horvath had managed to do the impossible-change his mood.

Meanwhile, Liam immediately called Izzy when he arrived at his office.

“How are you?” he asked. “If anything feels off, take the meds the doctor prescribed right away and keep Anna

close.”

He didn’t bother hiding his concern. Leaving for London after what happened to Izzy wasn’t something he

wanted, but he had no choice. She had been the one to convince him to stay and finish this project.

Even now, being away from her irritated him. His mood had been foul since the moment his plane left the U.S.

What worsened his mood was the fact that Izzy had to go to Macau without him.

Liam loosened his tie slightly as he leaned back in his chair, waiting for Izzy's response.

“Well,” Izzy finally said, dragging out the word. “I'm not feeling so great.”

His fingers tightened around his phone. “What's wrong?”

“I think | might be lovesick,” she said tically. “Terrible condition, really. There’s only one known cure, but

unfortunately, my doctor is stuck in London.”

Liam exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose, but a smirk tugged at his lips. “You're ridiculous.”

Izzy sighed. “And yet, you still like me.”

Liam shook his head, but the tension in his shoulders eased. “If you keep saying things like that, I'll fly to Macau

tonight.”

“You should,” Izzy chuckled. “Speople are trying to get close to me,

you know.”

Liam straightened in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “Who?”

Chapter 166

izzy leaned Brother and wing and of hair oder Vast is e

the

“He's apparently fall with Law Bzzy countuned. And he’s maying to the sbones building as me

Lale waghed “%ur exactly as doing in face

No ex try and the do's the mosting fock off

Lia was by and hang hos lapsy with sound. “You want adormation on hi

“Yes” Tory on up you or anything and it so e 1 use a bad feeling about this guy, Send it to my email”

Liam's fingers moved swildly across the keyboard handle at

Izzy smiled. “I knew you'd say that

Liam's expression darkened as he pulled up the files he had on Frederik Vasili. If that man was anywhere near

Izzy, then he was a problem Lian intended to eliniame

A firm knock echoed through the office, interrupted him Liam’s gaze flicked toward the door, irritation flashing in

his eyes at the interruption

Mondo stepped inside, his wond composed demeanor in place, Sir, Miss Covington is here. She says it’s urgent”

Liam exhaled sharply, his fingers pausing over the keyboard Tm in the middle of something”

On the other end of the line, Izzy bummed “Someone’s popular.”

He ignored that comment. Tell her I'm busy”

Mondo remained unfazed. She insists it won't take long”

Izzy stretched out on the bed. Liam, get off the phone and finish your work.”

His jaw tightened 1 don’t like leaving you alone there.”

“And | don’t like waiting forever for you to chere,” she countered. “So stop hovering and get things done.”

Liam leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers once against the desk before sighing. “Fine.”

“Good,” Izzy smirked. “Now go be an intimidating CEO and get that takeover wrapped up.”

Liam rubbed his temple. “Stay near Anna and don’t let that bastard get close to you.”

“Til be fine,” she assured him. “Now hang up.”

He hesitated before finally ending the call.

Mondo watched him, one brow slightly raised. “I'll send Miss Covington in now.”

Liam didn’t respond, his focus shifting back to his screen.

Frederik Vasili in Macau?

That wasn’t a coincidence. And Liam was going to find out exactly why he was there.

11:25 Wed, 26 Feb

Chapter 145

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