CHAPTER 161: OUR MARRIAGE IS OVER?

Every time his phone buzzed, he snatched it up immediately, only to be disappointed each time—no message from Beauty.

Frustration gnawed at him until he was practically vibrating with restless energy, tempted to hurl the damn thing against the wall.

Unable to bear it any longer, he called both Sarah and Drake.

Sarah was utterly baffled when she answered.

"What’s going on?" she demanded.

Lucas had no choice but to explain the fight he’d had with Beauty earlier that day.

To his surprise, Sarah tore into him mercilessly.

"Aside from you and me, who else does Beauty even have in this town?"

Her words hit him like a lightning bolt.

How could he have forgotten about Hannah?

But the truth was, he’d never bothered to learn about Beauty’s friends, let alone where that girl lived.

Hanging up, he immediately dialed Beauty’s high school homeroom teacher—the only lead he had was that Hannah had been her classmate.

Once he got Hannah family’s address, he sped off like a man possessed.

Luckily, the Hannah family residence wasn’t too far from the villa district.

Within half an hour, he was at their doorstep.

The moment Hannah’s parents laid eyes on Lucas, they lit up as if greeting a god of wealth, showering him with effusive hospitality.

From Hannah’s mother, he learned that Hannah had recently bought a small apartment near the city center and was now living there alone.

A long exhale escaped him.

He was almost certain that damn girl was holed up in that apartment.

Securing the address, he tore out of there like a hurricane, tires screeching against the pavement.

By the time he pulled up outside the apartment complex, it was already 8 p.m.

He’d sternly warned Hannah’s parents not to tip off their daughter—he was just here to find someone, nothing more.

They beamed, all too eager to oblige, even reciting the exact unit number without hesitation.

After all, in New York, countless people dreamed of even the slightest connection to a man like him.

Now that he’d come knocking, they were more than happy to spill every detail.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Hannah and Beauty remained blissfully unaware as they went about their separate routines after showering, both wearing facial masks.

Hannah was happily fiddling with the new accessories she had bought earlier that day, while Beauty lounged comfortably on the sofa, mask on her face, engrossed in a drama.

A smug satisfaction filled her heart—she had long pushed Lucas out of her mind.

She reassured herself that as long as she kept her phone off, he would never find her.

But it seemed she had sorely underestimated his capabilities.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

The door shuddered under the violent knocking, startling her.

She was about to call out to her best friend when she realized Hannah had probably retreated to her room to try on the gorgeous new outfits they’d bought.

Sighing, Beauty tiptoed to the door and peeked through the peephole.

A property management staff member smiled politely at her through the fisheye lens, and Beauty exhaled in relief.

For a fleeting moment, when the door had been pounded so aggressively, she had feared it might be Lucas himself.

Her heart had raced like a startled deer—only to settle again when she saw the familiar face of the staff member.

Yet, a faint, inexplicable disappointment lingered in her chest.

But the moment the door swung open, her heart seized all over again.

Standing right behind the staff member was that unmistakable, icy countenance.

"Miss, this Mr. Marson is here to see you," the staff member said, her eyes practically sparkling with admiration as she glanced at Lucas before turning back to Beauty with an envious, knowing smile.

Her finely arched eyebrows lifted suggestively, her expression brimming with gossipy delight.

"Thank you for your trouble," Beauty replied stiffly.

"I’ll handle the rest myself."

After speaking, Lucas shot a frosty glance at the starry-eyed property manager.

The young woman reluctantly nodded before turning to press the elevator button, stealing longing backward glances at him with every step.

"What are you doing here?" Beauty gasped, nearly biting her tongue in shock.

She clung stubbornly to the doorframe, clearly unwilling to let him enter.

"What else would I be here for?

To bring my wife home, of course."

A pair of large hands clamped around her wrists as his icy glare bore into her, his brow twitching violently, eyes blazing with barely contained fury.

Beauty’s legs nearly gave way in fright, forcing her to stumble back until her entire body was pressed against the doorframe, her wrists still locked in his iron grip.

The next instant, his cold lips crushed against hers with bruising force, grinding relentlessly until she could barely breathe.

Just then, the door swung open as Hannah came bounding out excitedly, about to ask for an opinion on her outfit—only to freeze at the shockingly intense scene before her.

"Oh my god!"

The spare dress in her hands slipped to the floor as she spun around abruptly, her face burning crimson.

"Uh... don’t mind me, just pretend I wasn’t here!"

She then bolted back into her room, slamming the door shut before collapsing onto her bed with a long exhale.

That was way too intense!

Was President Lucas always like this at home?

The image flashed through her mind again, making her blood boil instantly.

She cursed under her breath, "Damn that woman!

I haven’t even been in love before, and now I have to witness something so intense—and with such a gorgeous couple, no less!"

Lucas released his grip and licked his lips slowly.

Beauty was utterly flustered by his kiss, especially since her best friend had witnessed the whole thing.

Her face burned crimson, as if it might drip blood at any moment.

With trembling fingers, she pulled up the zipper on the right side of her waist—the one *someone* had yanked down earlier.

Smoothing the wrinkles on her blouse, she pressed her lips together tightly, wishing she could vanish into the earth and cultivate into an immortal, never to emerge again.

The spacious living room was dead silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lucas glanced down and noticed her bare feet on the wooden floor, her knees scraped raw, the bruises already darkening into a purplish hue.

His brow furrowed involuntarily.

"Did I do that to your knees?"

All his earlier anger dissipated at the sight of her battered state, replaced only by concern and regret.

Beauty, however, bristled like a hen in a fight, every inch of her radiating defiance as she glared at the man who had broken her heart.

"Yes, you did this.

Happy now?

You came here just to check if I was miserable, didn’t you?

Well, let me tell you—I’m doing just fine.

I won’t starve.

In fact, I’m moving out of this villa, and I won’t be returning to the company either.

From now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine.

Sleep with as many women as you want—it’s none of my business.

And who I choose to be with is none of yours.

Our marriage is over."

Her eyes burned with unshed tears as she fought to keep her voice steady.