Chapter 134: Chapter 134

The loud banging on the door interrupted his shower, but he immediately recognized that aggressive knocking—it could only be Lucas.

Still dripping wet, he hastily wrapped a towel around himself and dashed barefoot to answer the door.

As soon as he opened it, there stood Lucas, clad in a sleek black trench coat, his hair half-dried from the wind.

His piercing eyes, dark and unreadable, fixed on her with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

"Just wait inside for a bit.

I still need to dry my hair!"

Beauty turned to leave, but in an instant, his strong hand clamped around her wrist.

His deep, velvety voice was cool yet commanding.

"Don’t walk barefoot.

You’ll catch a cold."

Her cheeks flushed pink as she slipped her arm free from his grasp and bolted back to the bathroom, desperate to hide her flustered state.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged wearing a soft beige skirt set, her hair tied up in a fresh, youthful topknot.

The entire look gave her a sweet, delicate glow.

Lucas stood with his arms crossed, studying her intently, his sharp brows slightly furrowed.

"What? Is there something wrong with what I’m wearing?"

Beauty tilted her chin up defiantly.

You look adorable—perfectly matched with me."

The corners of his lips curled into a smirk, his shameless remark nearly making her bite her tongue in disbelief.

In all her life, she had never met anyone as conceited as this man.

Here he was, flaunting his arrogance, claiming she looked "adorable" enough to complement him.

Suddenly recalling the earlier incident, Beauty settled onto the sofa, lifting her chin haughtily as she fixed him with a steady gaze.

"By the way," she said slowly, "your dear Miss Nathalie mentioned she wants to join us when we visit Grandma and Grandpa."

"You agreed?" Lucas lifted his gaze to meet hers, his fingers lightly tapping against the coffee table, the rhythm matching the frantic pounding of her heart.

"Of course I didn’t! How could I make that decision on my own?

That’s why I wanted to ask for your opinion.

How about this—just take her to meet your family yourself.

Tell them we broke up, that you dumped me and found a new girlfriend.

Beauty stared at him expectantly, her eyes wide and unblinking.

Lucas flicked her forehead with his fingers, the sharp sting bringing tears to her eyes.

She shot to her feet in indignation, hands on her hips as she glared down at him.

A faint smirk curled his lips as he yanked her onto his lap, his arms locking around her like steel bands, leaving her no room to struggle.

"What are you doing?" Beauty squirmed restlessly against him, her cheeks flushing crimson.

"If you keep wriggling like that and get me worked up, don’t expect me to go easy on you."

His large hand settled possessively on her waist, his warning laced with a dangerous edge.

"Do you even know what you did wrong?"

He caught her slender fingers and brought them to his lips, his deer-like eyes half-lidded as he watched her.

Then, with a roguish grin, he nipped lightly at her skin.

The gesture sent her pulse skyrocketing, her bones melting into liquid heat.

Her words tangled in her throat, leaving her stammering.

"I... But you’ve always been so nice to Nathalie! And she and you—" Realizing she had misspoken, Beauty immediately noticed the shifting expressions on Lucas’s face.

His icy gaze burned into her, making her shrink back instinctively.

"Just forget I said anything! Weren’t we supposed to visit your grandparents?

Let’s go..." She had no intention of provoking Lucas.

Otherwise, one day he might skin her alive, and she’d still have to smile and thank him for taking her in.

Men were terrifying creatures—especially ones like Lucas, ruthless as a wolf.

"I told you, you’re mine now.

To avoid raising suspicion from my father and grandfather, you’d better play your part well.

No mentioning other people, got it?"

"Understood, Mr. Lucas." Beauty rolled her eyes so hard it nearly gave her a cramp.

The moment the door opened, they spotted Nathalie standing in the hallway.

Hearing the sound, she immediately turned and rushed toward them.

Her gaze landed on Beauty, whose waist was firmly encircled by Lucas’s arm, and she froze in shock.

"You two—" Seeing her stunned reaction, Beauty tried to pry Lucas’s hand away, but his grip was unyielding.

She was no match for his strength.

Beauty and I are heading to see my family."

Lucas shot Beauty a warning glance, silently commanding her to cooperate and not say anything out of line.

So she could only offer Nathalie a faint, graceful smile.

Before Nathalie could even react, Lucas had already wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her into the elevator.

She had half a mind to turn back and flash Nathalie an apologetic smile, but instead, she found herself locking eyes with the woman’s icy, penetrating gaze.

A shiver ran down her spine just as the elevator doors slid shut, leaving Nathalie standing alone outside.

"Aren’t you going to explain?" she murmured. "I think she misunderstood."

Is that really a misunderstanding?" Lucas shot back, his eyes glinting with a warning that instantly silenced her curiosity.

She pressed her lips together and stood quietly beside him, waiting for the elevator to reach its destination.

Once they arrived, Lucas gripped her hand as they stopped in front of the suite door.

The moment it swung open, Laura’s bright smile faltered.

She barely managed a perfunctory "Brother" before turning on her heel and disappearing into the room without another glance.

Beauty exhaled shakily, her fingers tightening around his.

Her nerves were wound so tight she could barely breathe.

Feeling the clamminess of her palm, Lucas leaned in close to her ear and murmured, "Don’t be afraid.

This isn’t your first time meeting the family.

Grandpa and Grandma already think highly of you."

Relief washed over her like a weight lifting from her chest. Inside the suite were only Lucas’s grandparents and Laura.

With utmost respect, Lucas greeted, "Grandfather, Grandmother," and Beauty followed suit in a sweet, demure tone. Follow current novᴇls on novel·fire.net

They took their seats nearby, and grandma Marson studied Beauty closely before beckoning her over with a gentle wave.

For a brief moment, she hesitated before stepping forward to gently grasp Grandma Marson’s bony wrist.

A soft smile played on her lips, making her appear utterly docile—a far cry from the prickly girl she usually was.

"You’ve lost weight again, Beauty," grandma Marson remarked with concern, patting her hand.

"Lucas told me you’re his assistant now.

That boy is such a workaholic, burning the midnight oil day after day.

Don’t you go picking up his bad habits..."

Her voice carried the weight of years as she guided Beauty to sit beside her.

The warmth in her expression and tone made it clear she was more than pleased with her future granddaughter-in-law.

Beauty responded with an easy laugh, "Don’t worry, Grandma, I’ll take care of myself.

You and Grandpa should do the same.

Lucas has the responsibilities of a CEO, so of course he’s busy.

I’m just a small-time assistant—nothing too demanding."

"You young people these days!"

Grandma Marson tutted affectionately.

"Always chasing after that skinny ideal.

But being too thin isn’t pretty, you know..."

"You’re absolutely right, Grandma," Beauty agreed cheerfully.

"Next time I visit, I promise I’ll have put on some weight—nice and plump for you."

Having grown up around elders, she knew exactly how to charm them.

Now, seeing the Marson grandparents, she couldn’t help but regard them as her own.