The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 1046

When they returned to the hotel that evening, Naylor transferred the photos from his DSLR camera and sent them to her phone.

She practically squealed with every swipe, completely unable to believe the stunning woman in the pictures was actually her.

"You are incredible! How are you so good at taking pictures? Tell me the truth, did your long line of ex-girlfriends train you?" After her initial shock faded, Katrina suddenly put on a serious face, interrogating her "personal photographer."

Naylor maintained his charming smile, entirely unbothered by his wife's mock-ferocious questioning.

"First of all, I studied art for years, so I have a solid grasp of composition and aesthetics. I know exactly which angles look best. Second, yes, it probably does have a little bit to do with my past dating experience..."

He didn't try to deny his past, admitting it with complete transparency.

Hearing his confession, Katrina couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of jealousy, imagining him putting this same level of intense, devoted effort into photographing other girls in the past.

Noticing her sudden silence, Naylor grew a bit anxious. "What's wrong? Are you upset?"

Katrina let out a soft sigh. "I'm not upset. I just feel regretful. I regret that I didn't meet you sooner."

Naylor's response was effortlessly perfect. "Right now is the perfect time. If we had met any earlier, we probably would have missed our chance entirely, and that would be the real tragedy."

Because back then, he had absolutely no intention of settling down.

Katrina looked at him. Though a tiny part of her was still stubborn, she knew he was right. "That's true... meeting the right person at the wrong time doesn't work anyway."

Naylor chuckled, reaching out to gently pinch her cheek.

Katrina smiled back. "Besides, I guess I really came out on top here."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the man you are today because your exes spent all that time training and refining you. They put in the hard work to shape you into great boyfriend material, but they didn't get to enjoy the final product. So I definitely got the better end of the deal, didn't I?"

Naylor laughed, shaking his head in amusement.

He thought Katrina was going to overthink things, sulk, and throw a jealous fit. He had no idea she could be this incredibly pragmatic about it.

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower. You keep admiring your gorgeous photos."

Since returning to the hotel, Naylor had been busy transferring the photos, so Katrina had showered first.

Now that he was in the bathroom, Katrina leaned back comfortably against the headboard, continuing to swipe through her stunning portraits.

She picked a few of her favorites and sent them to her best friend.

Ivy replied instantly: *You guys went on a trip and hired a professional travel photographer? Your husband is pretty romantic.*

Katrina: *You think these were taken by a professional?*

Ivy: *Weren't they?*

She genuinely hoped that the change of scenery, the relaxed mood, and their intense passion would up their chances of hitting the jackpot.

Now, it was all up to the universe...

After they returned from their "honeymoon," Naylor stayed home for exactly one day before flying out on another business trip.

When Katrina walked back into the law firm, the way her colleagues looked at her had fundamentally shifted.

Everyone treated her with a distinct level of respect. No one dared ask her to run errands or do grunt work anymore, and Mr. Halloway clearly valued her input, actively including her in major cases.

She had initially worried about being isolated, but the result was the exact opposite. Without menial tasks draining her time and energy, she could dive directly into substantive legal work, and her professional skills skyrocketed.

With Naylor out of town on business, Katrina headed straight to her mother's place after work.

Willa Lester took one look at her daughter's glowing, post-wedding complexion and felt her own spirits lift.

"Since Naylor isn't home, you don't need to come over here every single night. Make sure you call your in-laws and check in on them. If they have time, you should go over there for dinner and keep them company."

Willa had always felt immensely grateful for how wonderful Naylor's parents were, and she wanted her daughter to show proper appreciation.

Otherwise, over time, they might start to think of Katrina as ungrateful and lacking manners.

Katrina nodded. "I know, Mom. I'll call Dr. Wilson and Professor Penn tomorrow. If they're free, I'll head over to see them after work."