Rebirth Swapped Bride: Married to a Ruthless Cursed billionaire Book2-Chapter 172: lunch with one of Lucas’s women

Chapter 172: lunch with one of Lucas’s women
Lucas deliberately let the resume from the interview slip slightly, revealing Hannah’s name.
Beauty jolted in realization, then immediately forced a smile.
"Oh, Mr. Marson, I was just joking earlier.
I’ll go wash the cherries for myself.
You and Director Nathalie can take your time chatting."
With that, she hurried off to rinse the cherries, exhaling a long, relieved breath.
Lucas was as cunning as they came—that little move had clearly been a warning.
He was holding her friend’s fate in his hands, and whether Hannah stayed or left was entirely up to her now.
If Hannah ever found out she’d sabotaged her interview, she’d probably offer Beauty’s head to the heavens as tribute!
"Did you really mean what you said just now?
That my matters are always important to you?"
Nathalie’s heart fluttered, her cheeks flushing as red as ripe tomatoes.
Lucas paused for a fraction of a second.
He’d only said it because he’d seen that foolish girl walk in—who knew Nathalie would take it to heart?
His lips thinned imperceptibly, his expression unreadable.
"Just a joke," he said coolly.
"Don’t read too much into it.
By the way, you’ve changed your style lately.
The old you wasn’t like this."
His gaze drifted over her outfit, her hair, and even her makeup—lighter and more natural now, a stark contrast to the heavy, polished look she used to favor.
It made his brow twitch slightly.
Nathalie smoothed a hand over her ponytail, offering a demure smile.
"I met someone in the fashion industry recently.
She said my old look didn’t suit me, so she introduced me to a stylist.
I’m trying something new now.
Do you like it? Isn’t it much better than before?"
Just as Beauty pushed the door open to leave, she caught Nathalie’s sickly sweet, affected tone and nearly choked on her own spit.
So this was the classic woman in action.
Today was truly an education—because the woman at the villa that day had been nothing like this.
Lucas’s gaze swept over Beauty as he absently stroked the diamond-encrusted gold watch on his wrist.
"Not bad, though I think your previous makeup style suited you better.
This natural look doesn’t quite fit your vibe."
"Yeah! I much prefer seeing you all glammed up.
This innocent girl-next-door thing just isn’t you!
Don’t you agree, President Marson?" Beauty replied with a playful grin, plopping down onto her assistant’s small chair.
She arched her perfectly sculpted eyebrows, looking down at Nathalie seated on the sofa with undisguised triumph in her eyes.
Lucas didn’t respond.
Instead, he leaned back against the sofa, studying her with an impassive gaze before falling silent again.
"Since we’ve finalized the candidate’s resume, I’ll contact her tomorrow to come to the company.
Either way, since you recommended an assistant for me, I should treat you to dinner.
How about today?
It’s almost mealtime, and I haven’t eaten yet."
Nathalie spoke with hopeful eyes fixed on Lucas, clearly anxious that he might reject her in front of Beauty.
"Fine. I could use a meal too."
To her surprise, Lucas agreed without hesitation—and even glanced back at Beauty.
His voice was icy as he added, "Finish your work, then you can head to the cafeteria."
"Got it. No need for your concern, President Marson!"
She deliberately raised her voice, practically spitting the words through gritted teeth.
Watching Lucas and Nathalie walk out of the office side by side, Beauty furrowed her brows and devoured every cherry from the fruit platter, finally feeling slightly better.
In her mind, she cursed Lucas’s entire lineage eighteen generations back.
Without wasting another second, she dialed her best friend to share the good news.
After all, she had just secured a position at the subsidiary branch—no small feat for a fresh graduate trying to break into one of Marson Corporation’s affiliated companies.
"Hannah, congratulations!
I’m so happy for you landing that position at Marson Group’s subsidiary.
That’s the kind of opportunity most people can only dream of!
Take me for example—I’d kill to work in their design department, but that infuriating Lucas just won’t let me in.
It drives me crazy!" Beauty immediately called her best friend to vent about Lucas’s "crimes."
Her friend responded with undisguised disdain, "You’re complaining while sitting on a gold mine!
Being his personal assistant is amazing—you get to share an office with him every single day.
That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Who cares about being a designer?
Nothing beats working alongside a gorgeous guy like him!"
Beauty was momentarily speechless.
The mere thought of Nathalie constantly showing up at the office to flirt with Lucas made her blood boil.
What was even more infuriating was that the jerk never turned her down.
Men—they’re all the same! ... Suddenly, a text notification popped up on her phone.
Glancing at the screen, Beauty saw an unfamiliar number claiming to be Cassandra, inviting her to lunch at the teahouse downstairs.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Why would Cassandra suddenly want to meet?
Had she discovered her true identity?
The thought made her skin crawl.
After a moment’s hesitation, she typed a quick "Okay!" in reply.
Checking the time, she realized it was almost lunch hour.
After delivering some signed documents to the finance department, she grabbed her purse and took the elevator downstairs.
By the time Beauty arrived at the restaurant, Cassandra had already secured a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Spotting her from across the room, Cassandra waved enthusiastically.
"Cassandra, I’m so sorry!
I was in the middle of a work handover when you texted.
You must’ve been waiting forever.
Lunch is on me today."
Beauty set her bag down and settled onto the sofa, offering Cassandra a radiant smile.
"Don’t worry, I just got here myself.
Besides, didn’t we agree this was my treat?
If your uncle found out I let you pay for dinner here, he’d never let me hear the end of it."
With that, Cassandra slid the menu toward her.
The server recommended a few of the restaurant’s signature dishes—coincidentally, their favorites.
The moment the server walked away, Cassandra lifted her gaze, her tone casual but her eyes sharp.
"I heard there’s a girl who’s been getting awfully close to your uncle lately.
You know anything about that?"
Beauty knew instantly she was talking about Nathalie, but she had no intention of getting tangled in their drama.
After a brief pause, she chuckled lightly.
"Oh, I think there might be someone like that.
Actually, Uncle Lucas had lunch with her just today."
Cassandra’s expression darkened, her fingers knotting together anxiously.
"They say she looks a bit like my cousin.
Is that true?"
Of course, Beauty knew exactly who she meant—Amelia, Lucas’s ex-wife.
She nodded carefully.
"There’s a slight resemblance around the eyes, but it’s not that strong.
Probably exaggerated as gossip tends to be."
"Then... do you think you could help me arrange a meeting with her?"
Beauty’s heart skipped a beat.
If those two came face-to-face, it’d be a full-blown showdown.
The thought alone sent a chill down her spine.