Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 176

“That brat!” Olivier Horvath harshly placed his phone on the table in front of him. He leaned back and loosened his tie.

“This is my fault,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face. “He hates me. He’s hated me since he was a boy.”

Margarette sat on the edge of the couch, legs crossed, arms folded tightly against her chest. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” she said. “Liam was just spoiled by your father. That’s all this is.”

He didn’t respond. Margarette was beside him when he called Liam and heard Isabella’s words toward him.

“He never listens to anyone but Philip,” she continued. “It’s always been like that. And your father never disciplines him, no matter what. He just let it slide. But when it comes to Eli…”

She stopped, her lips trembling. “He’s so cold to Eli. It’s like he doesn’t even see him. That child has done nothing wrong. My poor Eli.”

She covered her face with her hands. “It’s not fair. Why blame a child for something that happened in the past?”

Olivier slammed his hand on the table again. The sound echoed in the room.

“I’ll talk to him myself.”

Margarette shook her head quickly and stood up. “Don’t. That’ll only make it worse.”

“He can’t let other people–talk to me like that.”

“You think showing up now will fix anything? He’ll just push you further away. And from the looks of it… It looked like he dotes on Isabella too… perhaps this was just her way of protecting him.”

Olivier didn’t sit back down.

Margarette immediately wiped at her eyes. “But maybe I’ll talk to him or that girl… Isabella Rossi. He seemed close to her.”

“What about her?” He recalled how she answered his phone. As far as he was concerned, Isabella grew up with Liam.

“I don’t know. They looked comfortable. Do you think they actually got married?” She walked toward the hallway, then turned back. “I’ve never seen him act like that before.”

Olivier’s jaw tightened. “He wouldn’t marry someone without telling me. I’m still his father.”

Margarette didn’t answer. She grabbed a tissue from the table and dabbed at the corner of her eyes.

going to

mouth to argue, then

ask me about my father?” Liam asked as he sliced some

up from her book. She was curled up on the living room couch, her legs stretched out and resting comfortably over Liam’s lap. A soft blanket covered

you’re ready,” she said, flipping a

placed the apple slices onto a plate. He brought it over and

first.

Mon, 24

Chapter 176

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to support her legs again, “your idea of spending

and took the plate.

picked up a slice and bit into it. “Now that I only have a week left before I become jobless,

leaned back, watching her eat.

Grandfather’s tonight?” she asked, setting the plate on

looked at her. “You already told my father we’re not attending

asked, shifting slightly on the

with you. But

kept her eyes on

With you.” She pulled the blanket up

nodded. “That’s fine.”

under the blanket and started massaging her legs, his thumbs pressing slowly into her calf. She didn’t say anything right away, just closed her eyes and let him continue. The room was quiet, the only sound coming from the occasional rustle of a page or the soft

her chest, still holding it loosely. “I might not hate being jobless as much as I thought,” she muttered.

her legs. Then

didn’t

I looked too much like

help the look of surprise on her face.

with my

up grandfather and yours. My father was in Europe most of the time. He tends to stay there for months and sometimes not come home during holidays and even birthdays,” he said.

the couch, one arm draped over the cushion behind Izzy. He looked at the ceiling for a second

I used to wait for him to come home on

Her eyes stayed on

didn’t even like.