Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Lovely wife 221

Pressure

"What should I do now?" Cassandra Sarano muttered as she paced her

apartment, her voice sharp and tired. Her large panda eyes reflected in the mirror she passed. Since receiving the news of that announcement last night,

Cassandra had been tense. She barely slept. She barely even ate.

She punched another number into her phone and pressed it against her ear, waiting.

It rang. And rang. No one answered.

She cursed under her breath and tried again. She circled the living room, stepping over piles of clothes she hadn't bothered to pick up last night. Her hand tightened around the phone. She called again, stubbornly Still nothing.

Then the door to her apartment slammed open. Cassandra nearly dropped her phone as she turned.

Her manager Lianne stormed in, face twisted in fury. "Are you out of your mind?" Cassandra scowled. "What the hell are you doing barging in here?"

"What the hell are you doing hiding here?" the manager snapped back, throwing a folder onto the coffee table. "Do you have any idea what's going on outside? Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Cassandra tossed her phone onto the couch and crossed her arms. "It's not like that-"

"What were you thinking, accusing Liam Horvath?" her manager shouted. "Do you even understand the consequences of your actions? This isn't some tabloid stunt! This is defamation. It's a felony if they push it! They have proof, Cassandra! They're going to destroy you!"

Cassandra pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to scream. "I thought he would be pressured into marrying me," she said finally, her voice cracking. "Pressured into marrying you?" Her manager stared at her like she had lost her mind. "In what world," the woman said, stabbing a finger toward her, "in what world does a man marry a woman because of pressure? What is this, the 1970s? The '80s? You think a lawsuit would make Liam Horvath propose to you?"

Cassandra glared at her. "It wasn't supposed to go this far."

The manager let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, it went far, alright. You just buried your career six feet under! It was clear that it was you who tipped the media off about that 'arrest' that wasn't really an arrest! What were you thinking Cass?"

turned away, grabbing the back of the chair

I'll support you. He had promised her a seat in several upcoming international films. He promised her that Horvath Holdings' media branches would promote her career. He even slipped her a packet of documents- shares in a smaller entertainment company tied to

the money, he had told her. It's about securing your future. If Isabella is out of the way, the board will need a fresh face beside Liam. Someone like you. You'll be

wasn't doing this just for the fame or the money. She was fighting for something real-something she had imagined ever since

weight of reality crashing down around her,

the room, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Do you realize you signed your name on that statement? You can't just say you changed your mind now. If Horvath's legal team files, you're looking at a career- ending lawsuit. And jail, Cassandra.

gritted her teeth. "I didn't have a

a choice! You chose wrong. And now you have about two hours to figure out how to clean this up before Horvath

to stay calm. She still had Olivier. He wouldn't abandon her. Not after

least, she hoped

snatched her phone off the couch and dialed again. This time, she

She was calling Olivier.

her

give her time to breathe. She

fans to

Pressure

up.

Her manager threw another folder onto the coffee

shaking hands and flipped it open. Email after

looked up, her

manager said, folding her arms. "The

Cassandra's voice cracked. "They

can. And they will if you don't fix

me and him... she would think he cheated and leave." Her manager let out a harsh breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You thought wrong" Cassandra

"That night? The so-called

shook her head. "But