Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 48

The faint glow of the city lights stretched out below them, shimmering against the backdrop of San Francisco

Bay. Izzy leaned back in her seat, the plush private booth offering both comfort and a breathtaking view from the

rooftop of The Argent, one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants. A soft breeze swept in from the open balcony,

mingling with the faint hum of conversations from other diners.

Liam sal across from her, impeccably dressed as always. Despite this, he had a calm and languid posture. He

raised his glass toward her, an eyebrow lifted in question. “Cheers, Mrs. Horvath Are we celebrating something?

Or did | forget your birthday again?”

Izzy smirked, clinking her glass lightly against his. “You've never forgotten my birthday. Unfortunately” For as

long as she could remember, Liam had always been the first to send her a greeting on her birthday. Even if he

was halfway across the globe, he wouldn't miss the chance to bother her with a midnight call, his voice was

always so smug as he wished her a happy birthday.

Over the years, she had started to reciprocate-though in her own way. She had started calling him at dawn just

to greet him. Izzy doesn’t care if she was the first one to call him. All she cared about was disturbing his sleep.

Liam leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with playful suspicion Unfortunately? 1 thought my gifts were

memorable.”

“Oh, they're memorable.” Izzy said dryly, taking a sip of her wine. How could she forget the gifts? The silly ones

that seemed designed to scare her. “Who could forget the horrifying doll with one eye you gavewhen | was,

what? Ten?,

“That was a collector's item,” Liam countered, smirking. “It had character, just like you.”

“It had nightmares,” Izzy shot back, shaking her head. The memory was still vivid. She had cried so much when

she first unwrapped the gift, the doll’s single, glassy eye staring back at her like it was plotting something.

Unfortunately, her grandfather hadn't let her throw it away, insisting it was “too unique to discard.” Instead, he

made her keep it under her bed, where it haunted her for weeks. Night after night, she dreamed of that one-

eyed menace crawling out to get her. It wasn’t until she begged and bargained that her grandfather finally

agreed to store it in the attic, just in case she ever “changed her mind about ugly dolls.”

“And then there was the... what was it?” Izzy continued, her expression shifting to amused exasperation. “The

life-sized flamingo lawn ornament?”

Liam laughed softly, cutting into his steak with precision. “That was a masterpiece. You had it on your balcony

for weeks”

“I kept it there to scare off pigeons,” Izzy replied, her eyes glinting with amusement. That flamingo was definitely

unforgettable. If she was right, the flamingo was still in her grandfather's mansion until now. “You've got to

admit, your gifts improved. The antique tea set last year was actually thoughtful.

Liam tilted his head in mock thoughtfulness as he slid a slice of steak onto her plate. “So you're saying I'm

growing on you.”

“Don’t push it,” she said, though the corners of her lips twitched

“Why are you talking about my gifts when you've sentweird ones too?” he asked.

“It was revenge, alright?”

He chuckled at that. “Admit it, you were really proud of that nean light-up tie.”

“Who wouldn't be?” 1zzy snorted. It had taken her days to find a tie with a special mechanism that lit up. It was

actually fun. and Izzy was tempted to keep it.

Liam's smirk faltered. “You gifteda cragainst fashion.”

“And yet you wore it.”

10:44 Sat, Jan 4

Chapter 48

had no choice. You brought it to my office and threatened to how the entire team if | didn’t.”

Izzy shrugged, her grin widening. “You deserved it after the flaringo.”

Liam poured more wine into her glass. “Admit it, though. You enjoyed my singing telegram.”

Izzy almost choked on her sip, setting her glass down quickly. “That was not enjoyment. That was secondhand

embarrassment

“You laughed.”

“I cried,” she corrected. There's a difference.”

Liam leaned back, watching her with a faint smile that held a hint of something more. He didn’t say anything,

but his lingered a little too long, making her suddenly hyperaware of how close they were despite the table

between them. She cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

gaze

Speaking of birthdays,” she said, picking up her fork and knife. “What's the thfor this year’s disaster?”

“You'll just have to wait and see,” Liam said smoothly. “But let's not call it a disaster. | prefer ‘creative genius.”

Izzy laughed softly, shaking her head..

Not long after, the two finished their meals and enjoyed scocktails while looking at the view of San

n Francisco.

Liam set his cocktail down on the table, his gaze fixed on Izzy as she stared out at the glittering San Francisco

skyline. “So.” Ire began, leaning back into his seat. “What do you want to do for your birthday this year? It's

coming up in a few weeks.”

Izzy didn’t answer immediately. She let the soft breeze brush against her skin, the faint hum of city life below

creating a calm backdrop. Her eyes followed the lights dancing on the water in the distance. She turned to Liam,

her expression unreadable for a moment, and then she said, “I want to spend it with you,”

Liam blinked, clearly surprised by her response. He straightened slightly, his eyes narrowing in question. “With

me? Are you

Izzy didn’t respond right away. Her thoughts drifted to her past birthdays, each one a carefully orchestrated

event by Monica or Amalia. Lavish parties, designer dresses, and hordes of people she barely cared for. The

decorations, the playlists even the food-it was all tailored to Monica's tastes. Amalia was always eager to play

hostess, ensuring that everything looked perfect for the photos, while Izzy found herself pretending to enjoy the

spectacle.

She thought of the smiling faces around her, none of which reflected the fatigue and emptiness she felt inside.

Each celebration was a performance, an event to please others, not herself. She had never truly had fun-not the

way she wanted. This year, she realized, she didn’t want that again. She wanted something simple. Something

real.

“I'm sure,” she said finally, meeting Liam's curious gaze. “I've spent so many birthdays doing what other people

wantedto do. | think | deserve to do something for myself for once,”

Liam leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. “And spending it withqualifies as doing

something for yourself?” There was a faint smirk on his lips, but his question wasn't teasing-it was genuine

curiosity.

Izzy shrugged, her expression softening. “You don’t throw ridiculous parties or force que into a designer gown.

show up. And that’s all | really want.”

You just...

For a moment, Liam seemed to consider her words, his gaze searching hers. “Alright,” he said after a beat. “We'll

do whatever you want. No flamingos, no singing telegrams-just us.”

Izzy smiled faintly. She looked back out at the view, the city lights shimmering like stars. “That sounds perfect.”

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