Rebirth Swapped Bride: Married to a Ruthless Cursed billionaire Book2-Chapter 178: harming herself

Chapter 178: harming herself
"Of course there are.
Countless women would kill to be taken home by me.
If you’re not coming back, this is my perfect opportunity."
Lucas answered without hesitation.
Beauty grabbed him by the throat, her eyes blazing with fury.
"If you dare bring another woman into *my* bed, I swear I’ll make sure you never get it up again!"
Lucas smirked, his expression downright devious, as he yanked her closer. His lips curled.
"Looks like my little woman’s jealous.
And you know what?
I *love* seeing you like this.
It’s proof you care about me."
*Pfft—* Beauty nearly choked on her own rage.
What kind of twisted logic was that?
Did he need her to drag some mistress by the hair and slap her silly before he’d believe she loved him?
*Ugh.
Men.
All the same—disgusting.
Her delicate brows arched sharply as she seized his collar, her voice dripping with venom.
"Listen up—I couldn’t care less who you bring home!
Just keep them *off my bed*.
Take them to your room, the guest room, hell, even the kitchen if it makes you happy—"
"Mmph—!"
Her words were abruptly cut off as his mouth crashed into hers, his teeth scraping and biting until her lips throbbed, tears pricking her eyes.
It felt like he was trying to peel the skin right off her.
"That," he growled against her mouth, "is your punishment."
Lucas issued a cold warning, his fingers tightening around her neck with an icy disdain etched across his aristocratic features.
Beauty struggled futilely, rendered as immobile as a puppet in his grip.
A few seconds later, he finally released her, his eyes glinting with frost.
"Emily and Laura will be here for the next couple of days," he said coolly.
"It’s better if you stay at Sarah’s place.
That way, she won’t have another chance to target you."
The "she" Lucas referred to was, of course, Emily.
In his mind, Laura—despite everything—was still his half-sister, bound to him by blood.
But Emily?
She was nothing more than the woman who had schemed her way into his father’s life, usurping his mother’s place and driving her into depression.
A woman he could never forgive.
Noticing the shift in his expression, Beauty immediately wiped the playful grin off her face.
Nodding, she replied, "I don’t want to argue with them either.
It must be hard for you, caught in the middle like this."
Lucas’s eyes lit up instantly.
He cupped her flushed face in his hands and planted a firm kiss on her cheek before pulling back with a smug grin.
"Who knew you’d start considering my feelings?" he teased.
"Looks like Mrs. Lucas’s awareness is improving.
Not bad."
Beauty: "..." Since when did Lucas become so childish?
She was starting to find it downright embarrassing.
Marson Corporation.
Against all expectations, Sarah returned to work at Marson Corporation after just two days of rest.
As she put it, she needed the money—and more importantly, a demanding job to keep her mind from wandering.
Lucas had agreed.
In his view, throwing herself into work was the best thing for her right now.
Besides, the branch office had few familiar faces.
And of course, Drake wouldn’t be showing up there either. It was, without a doubt, the perfect place for her to heal.
Pushing open the door of the conference room, Beauty spotted Sarah standing by the entrance of the CEO’s office from afar.
She immediately broke into a jog toward her.
"Sarah!
You’re here!
Are you looking for Lucas?"
Beauty brushed aside the wispy bangs on her forehead with a radiant smile, then cast a glance at Lucas.
Their eyes met, exchanging silent, knowing looks.
"I came to discuss work with the CEO.
The company’s first press conference is coming up soon—how could I, as the person in charge, not be there?"
Sarah slipped her hands into her pockets and smiled gently at Beauty.
That smile made her seem like the old Sarah again—cool yet warm.
Overcome with excitement, Beauty grabbed her hands.
"Sarah, does this mean you’re coming back to work?
That’s amazing!
Keeping busy will help you move past things."
She was genuinely happy for her.
She had thought it would take Sarah much longer to recover, but here she was, ready to dive back into work.
"Sarah is back to her old self.
Expected, yet still surprising."
Lucas leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, his gaze calm as he spoke.
"To thank both of you for all your support and company, I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight.
And Beauty, you don’t have to stay with me anymore—my place is about to be sold.
The buyer even agreed to give me a month’s grace period to find a new place before moving out.
I couldn’t be happier."
A faint smile played on Sarah’s lips, as if all the gloom from before had vanished in an instant.
Beauty was surprised by how quickly Lucas had handled things.
She shot him an approving look before throwing her arms around Sarah.
"This is fantastic!
Everything’s working out now.
You’re amazing, Sarah!
But don’t worry about treating us—with a big boss right here, how could we let you pay?"
Sarah gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder with a bright smile.
"Don’t worry about the bill—treating you two to a casual meal is well within my budget.
Honestly, if you refuse, that’s what would really embarrass me!"
Seeing her insistence, Beauty and Lucas had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
They decided they’d pick the restaurant themselves—somewhere reasonably priced to keep things simple.
The moment Sarah left, Lucas swiftly closed the office door.
In one fluid motion, he lifted Beauty and perched her on his desk, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.
"Lucas, what are you doing?"
Beauty hissed, her cheeks flushing.
"If someone walks in now, I’m dead!
They’ll say I seduced you, and no amount of explaining will save me."
"How many mouths you have on that body of yours—do you think I wouldn’t know?"
With a dark chuckle, his large hands slid down her waist.
Beauty squirmed, her face burning, but his grip was unyielding. In desperation, she sank her teeth into his wrist, leaving two stark red marks.
Just as Lucas leaned in to savor what he’d been craving for days, a sharp knock echoed through the office.
His head snapped up.
Beauty’s legs twitched nervously, silently urging him to get off.
Beads of sweat glistened on her flushed skin.
With a frustrated sigh, Lucas pushed himself away, straightening his collar with a scowl.
His piercing gaze turned glacial.
Who dared interrupt him now?
His brows knitted together like storm clouds as he growled,
"Come in."
Meanwhile, Beauty hastily buttoned her blouse, wiping away traces of his kiss from her neck.
Smoothing her skirt with trembling hands, she felt her heart hammering against her ribs.