World Traveler Villain

{Chapter: 331 Laugh to Your Heart's Content}

In the dense forests near Lake Washington, nestled in the secluded suburbs of Seattle...

High in the sky, with the wind howling past them, Pepper clung to William's neck as he flew through the air, effortlessly carrying her like she weighed nothing. Her hair whipped violently in the wind, but her voice cut through it like a blade.

"Wait, wait—hold up a damn second. Isn't this Bill Gates' estate down there? Are you actually bringing me to his house?" she snapped, her tone laced with a mixture of incredulity and exasperation.

William smirked, his voice lazy and amused. "Used to be his. It's my place now. Upgraded the security, added some shark tanks. You know, made it a little more me."

Pepper narrowed her eyes, trying to read his face. "Oh my god… You didn't kill him, did you?" she asked with genuine concern—and annoyance. "Jesus, William. You already assassinated the damn president. I wouldn't put anything past you at this point. One of the richest men in the world is just another stat for you, huh?"

William gave her a sideways glance and shook his head like she was being dramatic. "Don't be so dark, Pepper. I didn't kill the guy. Come on, give me some credit. I'm a gentleman."

"Bullshit." she muttered, not even trying to hide her contempt.

"I only tied him up and tossed him in the basement," William admitted with a grin, "and I even give him two meals a day. I'm practically running a luxury prison."

Pepper groaned and rubbed her temple. "You are insane. Completely f***ing insane. You're like... the poster child for supervillains who think they're doing society a favor."

"You're just mad you secretly like it," William teased as they descended.

Inside the extravagant lakeside mansion, the luxury was overwhelming. In the center of the living room was a colossal aquarium—large enough to house not only dolphins and sharks, but a massive whale shark that swam gracefully past the glass.

Sprawled across the velvet sofas were three women, each radiating their own brand of deadly elegance: Alice, Ada Wong, and the White Queen. All of them lounged with casual ease, as though world events were little more than a passing weather report.

"This life is a bit too decadent," Ada said, lazily stretching. "I'm starting to forget what a battlefield smells like. Might lose my killer edge."

Alice chuckled, flipping through a fashion magazine. "Tell me about it. The only thing I've fought lately is boredom."

The White Queen smiled, tapping on the holographic projection device on the glass coffee table. A 3D image burst to life, displaying a swirling collage of global headlines—all flashing in red.

"Well," she said, her tone dripping with amusement, "looks like our dear William stirred the pot again."

"You can say that again," Alice muttered, arching an eyebrow at the feed.

"The President of the United States is dead," Ada announced, scanning the projection. "No wonder every country's losing their damn mind. That's a hell of a headline."

On the screen, a solemn-looking female news anchor spoke in a voice laced with sorrow and patriotic outrage.

<"This morning, the bodies of multiple government officials were discovered floating in the Caribbean Sea. One has been confirmed to be the kidnapped President of the United States. His tragic death is a loss not only for our nation but for the entire civilized world..."

The White Queen scoffed. "Please. Half the world's probably popping champagne right now. Everyone pretends to care when a leader dies, but most countries just want their own problems to shrink by comparison."

The anchor continued: "Initial investigations by the FBI and the Pentagon have concluded that the perpetrator of this heinous crime is none other than the global menace, William. Ruthless. Cold-blooded. Unstoppable. The United States hereby declares William the public enemy of mankind..."

Alice laughed bitterly. "Public enemy of mankind? That's some classic propaganda. So dramatic."

The White Queen added dryly, "And all too accurate, unfortunately."

The anchor pressed on, desperate for unity. "We call upon the people of the world to unite—forget national divides, let go of historic grievances. This is not just an American issue. This is a global crisis. Only by standing together can we defeat the darkness that William represents and return the world to the light."

---

Pepper rolled her eyes as she walked into the mansion behind William, still fuming. "Jesus, you're like a damn Bond villain. What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped.

He turned to her, that maddening smirk still on his lips. "I prefer the term 'necessary evil.'"

Pepper threw up her hands. "You literally have Bill Gates chained up in the basement and a f***ing whale shark in your living room. That's not 'necessary,' William—that's psychotic!"

William shrugged. "I call it ambition."

Her voice cracked with frustration. "And I call it insanity! But... god help me… I also call it... you." She stood there, looking at him—furious, disgusted, and helplessly drawn in all at once.

William stepped closer, his expression softening just slightly. "You're still here though, Pepper. You could've run. You always had the option."

Pepper clenched her fists. "Yeah, well... I haven't decided yet if I'm gonna kiss you or stab you."

He grinned wider. "That's what I love about you."

"F*** off," she muttered—but she didn't move.

---

A flurry of glowing data flickered across the eyes of the White Queen as she stood near the central monitor in the lavish living room. Her lips curled into a sly grin. "Someone's back... and he brought a girl with him. Just as I predicted. Honestly, I should start charging for my foresight."

Ada raised an eyebrow, smirking lazily from her spot on the couch. "Girl? Don't tell me it's Pepper. Oh, I have to see her face. She used to act like William was radioactive."

Alice leaned over, eyes gleaming with amusement. "She practically wanted him burned at the stake. This should be good."

---

Meanwhile, outside the opulent, reinforced front doors of the mansion, Pepper hesitated at the threshold, her heart pounding faster than she wanted to admit.

"I'm not going in," she muttered, folding her arms across her chest like a shield.

"Why not?" William asked with that infuriatingly smug grin of his, standing just inches away. The bastard was enjoying this.

"I-I… they'll definitely laugh at me. I can't— I won't give them that satisfaction. I want to leave," she said, spinning on her heel, trying to hide the swirling mess of emotion in her chest.

William casually caught her wrist before she could bolt. "Too late, sweetheart. You think they don't already know? The moment you stepped onto the property, every damn sensor screamed. Besides… an ugly daughter-in-law always has to meet her in-laws sooner or later."

Pepper scowled. "You're ugly, jackass!"

With an exaggerated sigh, William scooped her up like it was nothing. "Alright, time to stop being dramatic."

"Put me down, you asshole! You arrogant, delusional, ego-driven—!" she kicked and squirmed, pounding against his chest, but William just smirked and kept walking.

"Save your energy, sweetheart. You're not getting out of this."

The grand living room was already buzzing when he strolled in, carrying Pepper like a sack of defiant potatoes. Alice, Ada, and White Queen were all reclining like royalty, sipping wine and watching the entrance with wicked smiles.

"Oh my," White Queen drawled with a smirk. "William is carrying his wife. How romantic."

"Wait, wait—Pepper?" Alice laughed, eyes wide. "But she used to hate him! Didn't she once say she'd rip out his spine and shove it up his—?"

"Oh yeah," Ada nodded. "Definitely her. Unless this is some kind of hallucination. Pepper Potts voluntarily in William's arms? That's some serious glitch in the matrix."

"William, I swear to God, put me down!" Pepper barked.

"As you wish." He plopped her onto the couch.

Flushed with embarrassment and frustration, Pepper stood up, brushing herself off and glaring at the trio. "Go ahead. Get it over with. Laugh your asses off."

Alice waved dismissively. "We're not laughing at you. We just admire your courage—choosing William, of all people. That takes guts."

"I didn't choose him!" Pepper snapped, cheeks turning a deeper red. "I was kidnapped! Dragged here like some damsel. You all have no idea what he put me through!"

White Queen raised an eyebrow, her tone sweetly venomous. "Hmm… That's funny. Because I distinctly remember a woman—smart, determined—who once declared she'd make a certain scumbag pay. She swore she'd never, ever fall for that bastard."

Ada leaned in. "And now that same woman is standing in a mansion, freshly kidnapped, freshly groomed, practically glowing."

Pepper's face twisted. "Goddamn it, stop! I know, alright?! I broke my fucking oath! I'm a walking contradiction. I'm a mess. I hate him, and I... I don't know!" she shouted, throwing up her hands in pure frustration.

"Now that's more like it," White Queen smirked, approaching. "You're finally being honest. Took you long enough."

"You're such a bitch," Pepper muttered.

"I prefer the term delightful," White Queen said, placing her hands delicately under her chin. "Besides, I'm not the one who's love-struck and confused."

"You…" Pepper started, then stopped as the White Queen's eyes narrowed and glowed faintly.

Her hand reached out and gently took Pepper's wrist.

"What?" Pepper asked, taken aback.

"You've got something going on inside you… not just emotionally." Her voice was analytical now. "Your cells are unstable. It's not obvious on the surface, but…"

William stepped in. "It's the Extremis virus. She's still running hot—unstable. If she overuses it or takes heavy damage, her body could overheat and, well… go boom."

White Queen gave a thoughtful nod. "Got it. I can stabilize her. Reinforce the cellular integrity. Remove the volatility."

Pepper blinked. "You can really do that?"

"Of course," she said, smiling with just a hint of mischief. "But it depends on whether you're willing to cooperate."

"What do you mean?"

White Queen stepped closer, her smile sharpening. "First question. Are you a virgin?"

Pepper's mouth fell open. "What the hell kind of question is that?!"

Ada nearly spat out her wine laughing, while Alice covered her mouth, grinning.

White Queen shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying. We need to rule out hormonal imbalances and neurochemical effects linked to enhanced stress under sexual repression. It's science, darling."

"You're science fiction!" Pepper shot back, flustered.

"I'm your only hope for not spontaneously combusting. So—" she leaned in closer, her eyes glowing with quiet menace, "—answer the damn question."

Pepper groaned and slapped her forehead. "I should've just jumped out of the plane…"

Alice chuckled, raising her glass. "To Pepper—who got kidnapped, caught feelings, and is now debating her virginity with a homicidal AI in a mansion that used to belong to Bill Gates."

William smirked at her and leaned back against the wall. "Hey, at least I feed my prisoners."

Pepper glared. "Yeah, well... you better keep feeding me and fix this damn virus, or I'm torching this whole ridiculous lair."

"Aw, is that a threat?" he grinned.

"No. It's a promise, asshole."

Everyone laughed, even Pepper—just a little.

But in her heart, a war still raged.

Hate and love danced too close together.

And William? He just stood there, watching her with that irritating, almost affectionate gleam in his eye.