Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 9

“Would you mind moving a little closer?” Cherry, the photographer, smiled as she adjusted her camera. “Perhaps place your hand on her waist.. yes, just like that.”

Izzy stiffened at the suggestion. She and Liam had been standing apart, awkwardly, as if an invisible wall separated them But now, with Cherry’s request, Idam slid his hand around her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies touched. The warmth of his hand on her back sent an unexpected jolt through her.

Izzy’s breath caught for a second, but she kept her face neutral. After her meeting with Maria, her second task for the day. was taking photos for Liam’s grandfather–a necessary part of the facade she had to maintain. This was just part of the act. Nothing more. She glanced up at Liam, who was watching her dosely, his expression unreadable.

“Good, now hold it there,” Cherry instructed, snapping a few shots. She circled around them, camera clicking “Perfect. Let’s try another pose. How about Mr. Horvath, tilt your head toward her, just a bit. Mrs. Horvath please, look up at him.”

Izzy resisted the urge to roll her eyes but did as instructed, raising her head to meet Liam’s gaze. His eyes bored into hers, and for a brief moment, she was tempted to look away. She immediately reminded herself that she was doing this for his grandfather. It was part of the deal.

In fact, Liam meticulously organized everything, even booking a private villa and hiring a photographer to ensure their privacy remained intact. They had both agreed to keep their marriage under wraps until Izzy had achieved the revenge she sought

“That’s it,” Cherry said, moving around them. Now, let’s get something more intimate. Mr. Horvath, why don’t you close, like you’re about to kiss her? Like married couples?”

hold her

Izzy froze. What? She glanced at Cherry, the photographer. She had been told this was going to be an intimate photoshoot, but had Izzy given something away? Had she been too obvious: Doubt crept in, making her wonder if her true feelings were starting to show.

That wouldn’t be good, would it? She couldn’t afford to let anyone see her disdain for her own husband, especially not in front of his beloved grandfather. Maintaining the facade was crucial, and any slip could jeopardize everything.

Before she could protest, Liam’s hand tightened on her waist. He pulled her even closer, so close that their faces were only inches apart. His other hand came up to rest lightly on her cheek. She could feel the heat radiating off him, the firmness of his grip on her body. Her pulse quickened, and she hated that it did.

“Are we really doing this?” she muttered under her breath, her eyes locked on his and, for the first time, she noticed how beautiful his brown eyes were.

Liam’s lips curled into a smirk. Then he whispered. “Come on, Darling. You agreed to this. No half–measures, remember? Besides, isn’t it a litle late to play modest in front of me?”

Izzy gritted her teeth but didn’t pull away. The other night, she’d been so drunk that she’d thrown up all over his place, leaving him no choice but to help her clean up. That had, unfortunately, involved him getting her into the bathtub without her clothes on. Though he swore he’d had a female helper, take care of it, the memory still made her cringe.

Izzy held her ground, refusing to let him see how much this was affecting her. She could play this game just as well as he could.

now a little closer,” Cherry chimed in, clearly pleased with the chemistry she saw through the lens. “Mr. Horvath,

against Liam’s chest. He was right. It

a moment, the closeness of it all became too real. Her fingers twitched, but she kept

1/3

Chapter 9

it,” Cherry encouraged. “You two are naturals

Izzy almost scoffed. Nothing about this felt natural. It felt charged And Liam wasn’t helping. His eyes never left hers, that infuriating smirk

a few more clicks of the camera, Cherry paused, tilting her head to the side. “You know, I’ve done a lot of wedding shoots, and I

arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him. The sudden movement startled her, and

her back, holding her possessively. The gesture was so natural, so practiced, that Izzy momentarily forgot it was all for show,

but she didn’t press further. “Well, you’ve got the chemistry down,” she said with a

leaned down slightly, his lips hovering dangerously close to Izzy’s ear. “You heard her,” he murmured, low enough that only she could hear.

her head up until her lips just barely brushed his–more gentle touch than an actual kiss. The action clearly caught him off guard but Izzy was certain the man wouldn’t back down. So she was not

pulling her closer as the kiss deepened. For a second, she almost forgot it was just for the show, just for a

pulled away, her breath uneven as she glanced over at Cherry, who stood. frozen, staring at the display with wide

Izzy asked, forcing

“Now.. one more time!”

last. At one point, she had them seated on a small couch, with Izzy sitting between Liam’s legs, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. His touch lingered longer than necessary, and despite herself, Izzy couldn’t ignore the warmth of his

hers.

them. “Mr. Horvath, how about you kiss her on the

end with.

hesitate. His lips brushed against her forehead lightly, but the simple touch sent a shiver through her that she couldn’t suppress. She clenched her hands in her lap, trying to keep

“That’s a

camera was down, Izzy pulled away from Liam, standing up quickly. She needed

spent the last hour pretending to be madly in love. “See?” he said with a grin. “That wasn’t so bad, was

him a glare. “Don’t get used to

I

his pants. “Oh,