Mr. Villain's Lovely Wife

Chapter 45

“What do you mean, Mr. Weiss?” Izzy asked, her expression calm though a hint of curiosity flickered in her eyes.

Calen stepped forward, a triumphant glint in his gaze. “The projected costs for the cultural center are

disproportionately high, according to the preliminary budget breakdown included to your report,” he said,

clicking his remote to display a slide he had prepared. It showed what he believed to be Izzy's earlier data, with

the cultural center's costs seemingly dwarfing the casino’s revenue projections. “These numbers don’t align with

realistic market estimates or even the government’s benchmarks for similar projects. | think it’s fair to ask for

clarification.”

Izzy's lips twitched into a faint smile as she glanced at the slide interesting,” she said, taking a step toward the

screen. Let's unpack this, shall we?”

Clicking her remote, Izzy brought up her actual data, which had been distributed in the board's official reports.

The numbers were starkly different from the ones Calen had displayed-precisely calibrated and well within

industry standards. “Mr. Weiss, the figures you're presenting don’t match the final budget in my report,” she

said, turning to face him. “Would you mind tellingwhere you sourced this information?”

Calen faltered for a fraction of a second but quickly recovered. “It was included in an earlier draft,” he said.

“Perhaps you failed to update all your materials”

Izzy nodded slowly, the faint smile still playing on her lips. “Ah, that must be it,” she said. “Let's address that

discrepancy.”

She clicked on her next slide, which displayed timestamps of her report revisions alongside a summary of the

changes. The board murmured as they noticed the meticulous detail in her work. 1zzy’s final draft clearly outlined

the adjusted cukural center costs-streamlined and optimized without compromising quality

Seeing this, Calen’s expression turned ugly. Clearly, the numbers weren't the ones he had seen. Did something

happen! “You see,” Izzy began. “These revisions were made three weeks ago and presented last week to CEO

Weiss. They were distributed to every member of this board and uploaded to the project's central repository.

However, | made a few changes this week. The changes was made in response to updated supplier negotiations

and government feedback, reduced costs by, 15%. | ensured that all stakeholders had access to the latest

figures. So, Mr. Weiss, I'm curious-why are you using outdated, numbers? Were you able to see the updated

reports?”

Calen stiffened slightly, the flicker of unease in his posture betraying his confidence. “I must've been given

incomplete data” he said, his voice tight. He was certain that those numbers were not the ones given to him.

Changes? Monica didn’t mention,

changes! Even his team had

any

lzzy

mentioned any changes!

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tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp. “Incomplete? That's odd, considering my team ensures synchronization

across all documents.” She clicked on another slide, showing an internal email thread that verified the report's

dissemination. “And just to confirm, Mr. Weiss, you were ce’d on these updates, weren't you?”

The board members exchanged glances, murmuring quietly. Izzy didn’t give Calen a chance to respond before

continuing. “Of course, mistakes can happen,” she said. “But letclarify the current numbers for everyone

here.”

She clicked again, bringing up a comparative chart of costs versus projected returns. The cultural center's

expenses were outlined alongside its expected revenue contributions, showing significant return on invesenient

within three years. The accompanying notes detailed partnerships with local artisans and sponsorships from-

global luxury brands, which had significantly offset costs.

The cultural center isn’t just an expense,” Izzy said, addressing the board directly. “It’s an investment that

positions LX as a forward-thinking, culturally aligned leader in the region. By leveraging these partnerships and

aligning with Macau's vision, we've ensured that the center enhances our profitability while meeting regulatory

requirements. As you can see, the ROI is not only competitive but strategic.”

The room fell silent as the board absorbed the data. Jergen Lund broke the silence, his voice firm. “Miss Rossi,

this is well- presented. Your revisions and partnerships show remarkable foresight.”

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hapter 45

887%.

Svend Nielsen nodded in agreement. “I have to admit, | was skeptical about the costs, but this breakdown makes

it clear. The phased integration of these partnerships is impressive.”

Calen’s jaw tightened, his eyes flicking to the table as murmurs approval for Izzy's work grew louder. He opened

his mouth as if to interject, but Izzy wasn’t finished.

“Before we move on,” Izzy said, clicking to a final slide. It showed a detailed timeline of her report updates and

the team members involved. “I'd like to address another concern. Over the past month, my team flagged

suspicious access patterns to our internal documents-unauthorized views that didn’t align with our project

permissions. To ensure transparency, | had our IT team investigate.” Izzy eyed Calen

She knew Calen had every right to access this information-it was well within his authority, What Izzy was

addressing. however, were minor concerns flagged by the system. They weren't significant, but handling them

would showcase her competence to the board.

She paused, her gaze locking onto Calen. “The findings were interesting. An employee from my team-someone

who no longer works with us-attempted to access early drafts of this report after leaving the company. I've

already alerted corporate security, and the matter is under review,”

The room went completely still. A few board members exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from

surprise to suspicion Calen’s composure visibly cracked, a flicker of alarm flashing across his face.

Izzy let the silence linger for a moment before clicking back to her main presentation slide. “Of course, | trust

that we all value the integrity of this process,” she said, her voice cool. “Which is why | ensured my final report

was as thorough and accurate as possible.”

The CEO cleared his throat, his gaze shifting to Calen, who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. “Mr.

Weiss,” the CEO said, his tone sharp. “Do you have anything to add?”

Calen forced a tight smile. “No,” he said after a long pause. “No further questions.”

“Well... | believe it is now my tto ask questions,” Izzy said, smiling at Calen. She took a step forward, her

movements calculated as she addressed him directly. “Mr. Weiss, since you brought up questions about

budgetary allocation and timelines, may | ask about your own proposal?”

Calen straightened, clearly bracing himself. “Of course,” he said stiffly.

Izzy clicked on a new slide, which displayed an excerpt from Macau's regulatory guidelines regarding foreign

investments in integrated resorts. Highlighted in bold was a specific clause pertaining to cultural contributions as

a mandatory requirement for project approval.

“You mentioned in your presentation that the casino should take precedence, with cultural elements introduced

later,” Izzy began, her tone calm but precise. “Could you explain how your phased approach ensures compliance

with Macau's Cultural Contribution Act? Specifically, Clause 8.3, which mandates cultural components to be

operational at the tof the initial project launch?

Calen’s face tightened. His hand shifted slightly as if reaching for his remote, but he stopped himself. “Well, the

Act allows for certain exceptions,” he began, but his hesitation was obvious

Izzy tilted her head, her expression polite but unyielding. “Exceptions, Mr. Weiss? Could you clarify which

exceptions you're referring to? Because, to my knowledge, Clause 8.3 has no exemptions for phased cultural

integration unless explicitly approved by the Cultural Advisory Board. And from the records available, no such

approval has been granted for The Pearl Resort”

The room grew silent, all eyes turning to Calen. He opened his mouth, but no words cout. His gaze darted

toward the board members, then back to Izzy, as if searching for a lifeline.

Izzy continued before he could stumble further. “For context,” de said, clicking to another slide. “My team

conducted a thorough review of the advisory board's recent approvals. All projects with cultural components

deferred to later phases faced either rejection or significant delays in licensing. That's why my proposal ensures

compliance by integrating the

10:43 Sat, Jan 4

apter 45

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Macau Cultural Center into the initial launch. It not only meets regulatory requirements but also streamlines the

approval

process,”

Jorgen Lund nodded, clearly impressed. “That's a critical point. Miss Rossi. Regulatory delays could cost us

millions”

Izzy smiled briefly before turning back to Calen. “So, Mr. Weiss, if your plan prioritizes the casino and delays the

cultural elements, how do you plan to secure timely approval without violating Clause 8.37"

Calen’s jaw tensed, his composure cracking. “We... we would address those requirements as needed,” he said

finally, but the weakness in his answer was evident.

Izzy clicked on another, slide, showing a breakdown of projected licensing timelines for noncompliant projects.

“Addressing them as needed? Interesting strategy. According to the advisory board’s own data, non-compliant

projects face delays of up to 12 months for licensing approval. That's an entire year of missed revenue.”

She turned fully to the board, addressing them now. “My phased approach not only ensures compliance from the

outset, but also aligns with the government's cultural vision, creating goodwill and trust. By contrast, Mr. Weiss’s

approach risks unnecessary delays and financial setbacks due to incomplete alignment with local regulations.”

The board murmured in agreement, several members nodding as they reviewed the data on the screen. Calen’s

shoulders stiffened as the weight of their approval shifted toward Izzy.

Izzy paused, her gaze sweeping the room before returning to Calen. “One last question. Mr. Weiss,” she said, her

voice deceptively light. “You emphasized immediate profitability in your proposal. Could you clarify how your

budget accounts for the required cultural integration, given that no line items in your report address this? Or was

that an oversight?”

Calen’s face turned a shade paler. He fumbled for his remote but didn’t click it, clearly stalling. “The cultural

elements. would be added in subsequent updates,” he said weakly.

Izzy arched an eyebrow. “Subsequent updates? Without a preliminary budget allocation? That's bold. However,

the Cultural Contribution Act explicitly requires upfront budgeting for these components before any permits are

issued. So, again, how do you propose to meet that requirement?”

Calen was silent, his hands clenched at his sides. The board members exchanged glances, their earlier

confidence in his proposal now visibly shaken.

Even CEO Weiss seemed stunned at Izzy's questions. He stared at his son as he leaned forward, his fingers

steepled as he addressed Calen “Mr. Weiss, do you have a concrete answer to Miss Rossi's question?”

Calen opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly unable to salvage the situation. “Not at this time,” he

admitted finally, his voice tight.

Izzy inclined her head slightly, her expression serene as she clicked back to the main slide, summarizing her

proposal. “Thank you, Mr. Weiss,” she said, her tone carrying just the faintest edge of finality that only made

Calen even more irritated. “I believe that answers my questions.”