CHAPTER 142: UNBEARABLE

Lucas arched an eyebrow and burst into laughter.

Beauty rarely saw him make such exaggerated expressions.

She had always assumed he was either poker-faced or had undergone bad plastic surgery—that any smile would make his eyes slant, nose twist, and face contort.

Who knew this stern, unsmiling man could radiate such warmth when he laughed?

It was like a ray of winter sunshine, dazzling and heart-melting.

"You actually believed me when I said I won an award?"

Lucas grabbed her hand, deliberately slipping on the ice and nearly toppling over.

Luckily, she caught him by the waist just in time, steadying them both.

Beauty narrowed her eyes suspiciously, scrutinizing him like a detective interrogating a suspect.

Tilting her chin up so far it nearly cramped, she spoke slowly, word by word: "Old man, don’t lie to me.

Are you really bad at this, or are you faking it?

Did you bring me here just to stage a fall?"

As a low-paid office worker, she definitely couldn’t afford to support a CEO of a multinational corporation.

If anything happened to him, the entire Marson Corporation would skin her alive!

A cold sweat broke out on her back as she clung tightly to his waist.

Her pink lips puckered in displeasure, and she shot him a sharp look.

"If you can’t skate, don’t push yourself.

I’ll guide you, but if you fall, it’s not my fault.

And remember—let go of me if you’re about to wipe out.

I don’t want to die because of you."

Lucas’s temple twitched.

Something about her words rubbed him the wrong way.

Beauty had learned to skate from Hannah.

Though she hadn’t participated in the school’s figure-skating competition, her skills were decent.

But having a tall, broad-shouldered man clinging to her was downright embarrassing.

If it were another girl, she wouldn’t hesitate to lead the way.

But she’d already experienced Lucas’s weight firsthand—if he fell on her, she’d be crushed flat!

Fortunately, he wasn’t as clumsy as she’d feared.

His agility and coordination were surprisingly good, at least not causing her any trouble.

She finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The two glided back and forth across the ice, their pace leisurely yet enough to keep Beauty thoroughly entertained.

The sensation of freedom, of soaring effortlessly, was simply exhilarating.

The ice was thick—so solid that the water beneath remained invisible.

It must have been freezing for nearly a week.

At this point, even driving a car onto the surface wouldn’t have cracked it anytime soon.

"Hey, you’re pretty good at this!

Are you *really* a first-timer?"

Seeing how quickly he’d picked it up, his movements growing steadier by the minute, Beauty couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride.

A satisfied smile tugged at her lips.

Lucas’s large hand still rested on her waist through her down jacket, though their stance had shifted.

Earlier, they’d been side by side, but now, guided by him, they faced each other.

The way she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze sent a peculiar thrill through him.

All his life, people had looked up to him—some out of respect, others out of necessity.

But this woman, this petite figure gazing up at him with admiration, stirred something different.

Pride.

A quiet, swelling satisfaction.

Her feet skimmed the ice with effortless grace, like a butterfly in flight.

Lucas adjusted his movements to match her pace, their coordination seamless—her elegance complementing his controlled strength.

The lake wasn’t wide.

Slowly, they glided from one end to the other, their motions fluid, almost like a waltz.

It reminded her of their first dance at the company gala, light-footed and effortless.

Lost in the moment, her steps faltered.

A misstep—her balance wavered, and suddenly, she was tipping backward.

Her eyes squeezed shut in the reflex.

*Well, this is going to hurt.*

The thought of dragging him down with her twisted her stomach with guilt.

He’s not exactly young.

What if he ends up with a broken hip—or worse?

Just as she was about to let go, Lucas’s grip tightened around her arm.

Before she could even hit the ice, he spun her around, his large hands catching her waist effortlessly.

He held her there, gazing down at her with an unreadable expression.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze—the blue sky, the drifting clouds, the gentle breeze, all fading into the background as the world spun around them.

Then, just like that, she was lifted, twirled gracefully across the ice before landing firmly on her feet, light as a sprite.

Her cheeks flushed pink with relief, and she looked up at him gratefully.

She was about to thank him when realization struck.

Something wasn’t right.

Hadn’t he claimed this was his first time?

Yet his movements were smooth, effortless—like someone who’d spent years mastering the ice.

There was no way he could’ve caught her like that without experience.

Her delicate brows furrowed in displeasure, her warm eyes narrowing accusingly.

"You said it was your first time.

How are you this good?

Were you lying to me?"

Lucas’s expression remained unshaken, the corner of his lips quirking up as his cold eyes gleamed.

Without a word, he cupped her face and brushed a light kiss against her lips.

Then, satisfied, he smirked. His long fingers tilted her chin up.

"Talent matters in everything.

Is it really so strange that someone as exceptional as me could pick it up on the first try?"

The logic was infuriatingly sound—she had no comeback.

It was just like business.

Even as a newcomer, Lucas had climbed to the top of the world.

What could she even say to that?

Beauty felt both her intelligence and physical coordination had been insulted.

Shaking off his hand, she stormed ahead. "I’m done skating.

This is boring."

"So what do you want to do then?"

A voice as cold as a ghost’s whisper snapped her back to full awareness.

What on earth has gotten into her today?

She’d actually dared to give their big boss attitude!

And strangely, he didn’t seem the least bit angry.

No matter how petulant she acted, he just went along with it.

Has this man actually grown a heart?

Kicking off her roller skates, she studied him with narrowed eyes.

"Why are you being so tolerant today?

This isn’t like you at all.

Did you do something behind my back?"

Lucas wore an expression of wounded innocence, his fingers absently brushing back a stray lock of hair that had fallen over his forehead.

With a cold retort, he countered, "Is that really the kind of man you think I am?"

Beauty fell silent.

Even now, she couldn’t quite define what Lucas meant to her.

Sometimes kind, sometimes cruel—dominant and unreasonable one moment, pushing her to the brink, then disarmingly gentle the next, leaving her utterly bewildered.

People always said women were fickle, but in her eyes, this impossible-to-read man was the real master of unpredictability.

They wandered through the nearby park for a while longer, but soon a blizzard rolled in, forcing them to reluctantly retreat indoors.

For her, being outside with Lucas was bearable—at least in the open air, the space between them didn’t feel so suffocating.

But back inside, huddled near the heater and fireplace, the awkwardness became unbearable.