Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 94

bez’x breath quickened her puler hammering in her ears * Li leaned closer The weight of his prearre, the prsimity tary’s

peechpri of his face to hers, made her feel as though the world had shrunk to put the reen of them. His eyes flickerf down briefly to her lips and in that fleeting moment, hey resolve wavered.

Was he really about to kiss her? In the middle of this crowd?

She wasn’t sure if her heart was racing out of anticipation, panic or a mix of both. Before she could process the answer, a She I ure it hat wa H tiny voice pierced the moment like a pin popping a balloon.

“Excuse me,” a child said, loudly enough to grab their attention

Both Izzy and Liam froze, turning their heads in unison to see a small boy–maybe six or seven years old–standing a few feet away. He was clutching a colorful stuffed shark in one hand and pointing at the large aquarium behind them with the

other.

I’m trying to take a picture of the sharks,” the boy announced with the kind of unfiltered honesty only a child could muster. He waved the small camera in his hand. “You two have been standing here for a long time, just staring at each other. Since you don’t like the sharks then…can you, like… move? This isn’t a place to do bad stuff, you know. It’s for looking at fishes.”

Izzy’s eyes widened in mortification as she processed his words. Beside her, Liam straightened, his lips twitching as if he was fighting hard not to burst into laughter.

“We weren’t-” Izzy began, she couldn’t help but be defensive. She glanced around and realized, to her horror, that several nearby visitors had turned to look at them. The boy’s loud declaration had attracted a small audience.

“You were too close,” the boy stated firmly. “Mom says when people are that close, they’re doing bad things.”

Izzy felt her cheeks flame, her embarrassment quickly escalating into full–blown humiliation. She instinctively reached out, grabbing Liam’s wrist. “We should go,” she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper.

“But I wanted to-” Liam started, his grin firmly in place.

“Now,” she snapped, cutting him off before he could make the situation worse. Without waiting for a response, she tugged him away from the tank and toward the nearest exit.

As they stepped into the open area near the escalators, Izzy finally let go of Liam’s wrist and patted her hot cheeks. Her face was still flushed, her mind replaying the scene over and over. She refused to look at him, knowing that the second she did, she’d see that smug, infuriating grin.

to laugh, aren’t you?”

despite her warning. “I’m sorry, but did you see his face? That kid was

of her own mouth betrayed her, twitching upward against her will. Izzy couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer. It bubbled out of her, uncontrollable and genuine. Liam joined in almost immediately, shaking his head as they leaned against the wall near the escalators. The absurdity of the situation–the boy, his innocent accusations,

face?” Liam managed to say between

into the

Fri, Jan 244

Chapter 94

the corner of his eye, still chuckling-

shook her head, finally starting to catch her breath. “Unbelievable.

as the commotion of the park moved on around them. Izzy brushed her hair back. For some reason, she could no longer remove

“Come on,”

to now?” she asked,

a restaurant upstairs, just above the aquarium. You’ll like it,” he replied, turning toward

“Alright. But if the food’s terrible,

atmosphere as they reached the upper level. The entrance to the restaurant as understated but elegant,

lit space. As they stepped inside, Izzy paused, taking in

the marine life below. Soft blue lighting from the tanks bathed the room in a tranquil glow, while the quiet

colorful schools of fish dart through coral reefs. Larger creatures, like rays and sharks, moved gracefully in the

sat down, her gaze still fixed on the

from her, glancing at the menu the server handed him. “Told you it was worth it.”

lazily drifting past. She eventually picked up her own menu, scanning the options. Seafood was the obvious star, but there were enough

their orders, Izzy leaned back slightly, her eyes wandering back to the tank. “It feels like a

also on the aquarium. “It does. Peaceful.”

between them was comfortable as they watched the marine life, the stress of the morning fading into the background.

seafood pasta with delicate herbs and a hint of citrus–was as delicious as it looked. Liam’s grilled fish came with a vibrant side of vegetables and a light, flavorful sauce. They ate without much conversation, letting the view and the atmosphere speak for

surprisingly relaxed. She sat back in her chair, her gaze once again drawn to the

glass down, glancing