The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 992

Katrina's expression froze as she turned to look at him.

He remained perfectly calm, the quintessential gentleman. The eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses even held a warm smile, yet Katrina clearly detected a veiled threat in his words.

Seeing her lack of interest, he was using her terminally ill mother as leverage.

Katrina stared at him for a couple of seconds before refusing. "No need. Let's not bother my mom with this. Indoor is fine, it's safer and we won't have to worry about the weather."

"Alright, whatever you prefer," Julian agreed in his usual gentlemanly tone. After confirming the details with the staff, he looked at Katrina, hesitating to speak.

Noticing this, Katrina took the initiative. "What is it? Just say it."

Julian was frank. "Are you still hung up on your ex?"

Katrina paused, caught off guard. Not quite understanding his angle, she fired back, "Does that... bother you?"

She wanted to say that if it bothered him, they could just call off the wedding.

She would explain it to her mother.

But Julian shook his head. "Not really. If anything, it shows you take relationships seriously and commit fully."

Katrina was surprised.

She hadn't expected this reaction.

His understanding and rational attitude made her feel guilty. Perhaps she had misjudged him when she assumed he was being manipulative just moments ago.

Noticing her skepticism, Julian emphasized, "I mean it. I'm not just saying this to humor you. If you had jumped right into another relationship immediately after a breakup, happily getting married like nothing happened, that would terrify me. I can give you enough time to move on and accept me. And I believe I can eventually replace him."

The more Katrina heard, the more shocked she became.

She had never believed Julian actually had feelings for her. Even Naylor, an outsider, could tell this rushed marriage had some hidden agenda, so how could she be blind to it?

But hearing his words now, it sounded like he was taking this marriage seriously.

Priding himself on being a master of romance, with enough exes to form a soccer team, he had never been played this badly before.

Opening the invitation and seeing the wedding was at the end of the month, Naylor scoffed. "In such a hurry? Are they trying to cover up a pregnancy?"

Ivy was so enraged by the comment she nearly told her husband to punch Naylor in the face.

"Would it kill you not to be so toxic?" Ivy snapped.

Unfazed, Naylor shot back, "Your husband is an expert at it. I learned from him."

Ivy was speechless.

Jamison shot his best friend a glare. "We're dealing with your mess, keep me out of it. Keep acting like you don't care, and Katrina will belong to someone else for good."

"I don't care whose she becomes. It's none of my business," Naylor retorted.

Jamison was annoyed, too.