CHAPTER 111: A KISS ON HER FOREHEAD

Beauty lounged on the sofa in her loose pajamas, a facial mask clinging to her skin.

For some reason, sleep eluded her tonight—odd, considering the alcohol should have knocked her out by now.

Suddenly, a piercing beam of light swept across the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting erratic shadows on the curtains.

She knew instantly—Lucas was back.

A glance at her wristwatch confirmed it was past midnight.

She hadn’t expected him to return tonight.

As the car rolled into the garage, Beauty rose from the sofa and pulled back the curtains.

Under the warm glow of the streetlights, she caught sight of his tall, imposing figure.

Maybe it was the golden brightness of the lamps, but something about him seemed weary—exhaustion etched into his features, even in his eyes.

She waited until he disappeared into the main hall before drawing the curtains again and sinking back onto the sofa.

An inexplicable flicker of joy stirred in her chest, and suddenly, the moonlight outside seemed more radiant than ever.

Just as she yawned, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, stopping right outside her door.

A pause—then a sharp knock jolted her upright, her skin prickling with alarm.

*Should I open it? What could he possibly want at this hour?*

Questions swirled in her mind, each spawning wild guesses, but the insistent *bang bang bang* left no room for hesitation.

She pulled the door open to find Lucas leaning casually against the frame, his dark eyes raking over her face—still half-covered by the black sheet mask.

Amusement flickered in his gaze.

Flustered, she peeled off the mask and forced a smile.

"What brings you here so late?"

Her hand braced against the doorframe, a silent barrier.

She wasn’t about to let him in.

Eyes crinkling into crescents, she crossed her long legs, meeting his intense stare with a posture that bordered on teasing.

The corridor light cast a cold glow that stretched languidly across the floor.

The entire villa was scary quiet—so silent that even their breathing became audible.

Suddenly, he reached out and cupped her delicate face in his palm, startling her so much that she stiffened instinctively.

Her ink-washed eyes widened slightly, her rosy lips pressed tightly together as she held her breath.

Before she could react, Lucas’s fingers began massaging her cheeks with surprising gentleness.

Her skin was still damp from the sheet mask she had just removed, its essence lingering on her face.

He was actually helping her massage the serum into her skin!

His fingers, defined by prominent knuckles and calloused from years of work, moved with deliberate softness against her face.

A trace of warmth radiated from his fingertips, his faint breath brushing against the crown of her head, sending an inexplicable current through her entire body.

Her pulse raced uncontrollably—damn it all, she was blushing!

"Shouldn’t you be asleep by now?

What’s the point of masking this late?"

Lucas’s deep voice broke the silence, though his hand withdrew as swiftly as it had come.

His gaze remained cool and detached.

Noticing the heat rising in her cheeks, a faint

smirk flickered in his eyes—only to vanish just as quickly.

Beauty exhaled slowly, her lips still pressed into a thin line.

"I just... wanted to do a quick mask before bed," she managed, her voice barely steady.

She certainly wasn’t about to admit she couldn’t sleep.

Otherwise, she could easily imagine the methods he’d use to torment her before finally letting her succumb to deep slumber.

This was his specialty, and she could never refuse him.

"Get some rest early.

You’re coming to the company with me tomorrow."

For the past couple of days, he had left for work at dawn, long before she even woke up.

By the time she got up, he was already gone, so they had been taking separate cars to the office.

That was just as well—it spared her from becoming the center of attention.

The sudden change of having to go to work with him left her feeling uneasy.

Though most people at the company already knew about their relationship, and no one would bat an eye at them living together.

"Alright, I’ll wake up early tomorrow."

She couldn’t refuse, so she had no choice but to accept.

As soon as she finished speaking, he lifted his clear, bright eyes to glance at her.

Before she could react, his soft, cool lips brushed against her forehead.

She instinctively closed her eyes.

The kiss was feather-light, like a snowflake settling between her brows.

A fleeting coolness touched her skin, melting almost instantly.

Then his lips drifted to her eyelids, still impossibly gentle, as if handling something precious.

When he pulled away, he turned and left without another word.

But she had clearly caught the faint curve of a smile lingering on his lips—so deep and genuine that it reached his eyes, softening his entire expression.

For a moment, he looked almost childlike.

That night, she slept soundly, not a single dream disturbing her peace, and woke only when morning light spilled into the room.

After changing clothes and heading downstairs for breakfast, Lucas and Laura were already seated at the dining table, both silently focused on their meals.

When they noticed her arrival, they merely glanced up lazily before returning to their food.

A flicker of mockery flashed in Laura’s eyes—her usual haughty demeanor.

But by now, she was immune to it.

Finishing her breakfast quickly, she found the chauffeur already waiting outside.

Lucas wore only a thin dress shirt with a dark tie, then handed his suit jacket to her.

She took it without hesitation, only to be met with another icy smirk from Laura.

Deliberately raising an eyebrow in disdain, Laura sneered, "Looks like an assistant is no different from a maid.

Brother, you sure know how to boss her around."

"She’s your sister-in-law," Lucas corrected coldly.

In front of the Marson family, her identity was his girlfriend—though within the villa, everyone treated her as the lady of the house.

Everyone except Laura.

Scolded by Lucas, Laura fell silent, her brows knitting tightly together.

The look she shot Beauty turned even sharper.

A surge of satisfaction washed over Beauty.

Seeing the little princess rendered speechless, she nearly laughed out loud.

Served her right—after all, hadn’t Laura called her "sister-in-law" in front of Samuel just yesterday?

The sleek black car pulled up in front of the company building, and all the employees immediately recognized it as the CEO’s vehicle, instinctively clearing a path.

Beauty trailed behind Lucas while Laura walked beside her, deliberately bumping into her with her elbow from time to time.

Beauty ignored her, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

Fortunately, they didn’t work on the same floor.

Laura was a newly signed model for the company and rarely stayed in the office unless she had a shoot scheduled.

The photography studio was also quite a distance from the CEO’s office, so Beauty seldom ran into her—a fact that brought her immense relief.

Having to face that spoiled princess every day would have been nothing short of a nightmare.

"Beauty," came the voice of Lena, the senior assistant, "there’s a product shoot today.

You’ll be assisting Director Sarah.

She oversees all the company’s photography and endorsements, and from now on, you’ll be working with her on this."

Just her luck.

Mere moments ago, she’d been grateful she wouldn’t have to deal with the little princess, and now she was being assigned to assist Sarah.

After a brief pause, she responded with a quiet, "Got it."

This was the workplace, after all.

She was just a lowly assistant—someone who could be crushed under the weight of even the smallest straw.

She didn’t have the luxury of choice.