Chapter 292

Chapter 292
Lucy's POV

His smile vanished instantly, his brow furrowing. "What did she do now?"

"Nothing major," I feigned nonchalance, "She just thinks you need an heir and suggested your dear cousin Natalie bear your children, since I can't."

"WHAT?!" Ethan's face turned ashen, his hands clenching into fists, "That's absurd! Natalie is just my cousin who's worked for me since graduating from Harvard. She's friends with Mike, but with me? Absolutely nothing beyond professional boundaries."

"Really? Then why didn't you tell me about her identity sooner?" I asked sharply, that sense of unease rising again. "And that day she was at our home..."

"Lucy," Ethan interrupted me, sighing as he cupped my face in his hands. "Lucy, I just didn't think her identity was important enough to mention. And that day was exactly as I told you—she came to deliver documents and accidentally spilled coffee on herself. I simply let her take a shower and change clothes. Nothing more."

He leaned closer, his gray eyes focused intently on me, reflecting only my image. "Lucy, I swear to God, there's only one woman in this world who drives me crazy, and that's you."

My heart pounded wildly, and then his lips were on mine, forceful and passionate. I felt his arms encircle my waist, pulling me toward him, my body pressed tightly against his chest. His tongue explored my mouth, leaving me breathless. I could feel his desire pressed hard against my abdomen through his dress pants, firm and hot.

His hands had already slipped under my blouse, warm palms against my back, making me unconsciously moan. Hearing this, he became bolder, his lips moving from my mouth to my neck, gently biting my earlobe.

"Ethan..." I pushed him away unsteadily, feeling my face burning, "Not here... someone might come in."

His eyes had darkened, his breathing rapid, his forehead pressed against mine. "When we get home, you won't escape."

I swallowed hard, suddenly struck by an idea. "Wait," I said, trying to steady my voice, "I have a better suggestion. Let's accept Natalie's invitation tonight."

"What?" Ethan clearly hadn't followed my train of thought, his hands still on my waist.

"I want to see what she's up to," my eyes gleamed mischievously, "And I want her to see exactly whose husband you are."

Ethan laughed, shaking his head, his finger lightly tapping my nose. "Lucy Owen, are you jealous?"

"Of course not," I swatted his hand away, but couldn't help my lips curving upward, "I just want to figure out if your mother and she are conspiring to set me up."

---

The restaurant was even more luxurious than I'd imagined—three floor-to-ceiling glass walls, the entire Manhattan skyline twinkling below, the Statue of Liberty visible in the distance through the night haze. When Ethan and I arrived, Mike and Natalie were already seated, champagne glasses reflecting soft light.

"Lucy!" Natalie's surprise was barely concealed, her blue eyes first widening, then quickly narrowing. I swear I saw a flash of irritation in them. "Waiter," she raised her voice, "we have an extra person, please add another place setting."

She deliberately emphasized "extra person," as if I were an unwelcome intruder. How rude.

"Let Lucy order for everyone," Ethan said naturally, his hand protectively resting on my lower back, that easy intimacy sending a warm wave through me. He added to the waiter: "And my wife's steak should be medium-well."

Natalie almost immediately let out a contemptuous snicker, that fabricated sense of superiority truly infuriating. "People with real taste never order medium-well steak."

I suppressed my annoyance, instead putting on an indifferent face. "I'm just a country girl, never learned all these fancy tastes."

"Natalie," Ethan's voice suddenly turned dangerous, "are you implying my wife has poor taste?"

The air at the table instantly froze. I could see Natalie's face changing colors before she finally forced an awkward smile. "Of course not, I was just joking."

Mike intervened at the perfect moment, turning to me with genuine interest in his eyes. "Lucy, I heard you're expanding Owen Pharmaceuticals' research department? That's impressive."

Thank you, Mike, for the save. As I chatted with him about business, I noticed Natalie's expression growing increasingly sour. She kept drumming her fingers on the table, her eyes occasionally darting toward Ethan, seeking his attention.

When I excused myself to use the restroom, I knew Natalie would follow. Sure enough, I had barely pushed open the door when she came in right behind me.

"Do you always need to be the center of attention?" her voice was filled with malice, "Not content with clinging to Ethan, you have to ensnare Mike too? Having fun playing all sides, aren't you?"

I washed my hands leisurely, fixing my hair in the mirror, pretending not to hear her sarcasm. "It's just dinner, Natalie. Don't be so tense."

She stepped forward, anger flashing in her eyes. "Did you know Katherine originally planned for me to marry Ethan? Everything changed the moment you showed up out of nowhere!"

I raised an eyebrow, inwardly shaking my head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but none of this matters to me."

Her face twisted with rage, a dangerous light gleaming in her eyes. "Who do you think you are? Nothing but a gold-digger who clawed her way into the Storm family!"

Before I could respond, her hand had already risen, slapping me hard on the left cheek. SMACK! The sound echoed deafeningly in the marble bathroom. My face stung fiercely, my ears ringing.

Shit! This woman actually dared to hit me!

My reaction was faster than even I expected. My right hand delivered a backhand slap with such force that she staggered. Before she could regain her balance, my left hand struck again, making her head snap to the side. Finally, I kicked her knee.

"AHH!" Natalie screamed, dropping to the floor. Her right cheek was visibly swelling, her eyeliner smudged into raccoon eyes, lipstick smeared to her chin. She tried to stand but could only writhe on the ground like a worm, emitting whimpering cries, snot and tears mixing together, all her elegance completely gone.

"You dare to hit me?" I looked down at her, "Next time you try, the consequences will be worse."

When I returned to the table, Ethan immediately noticed my red, swollen cheek: "Lucy, what happened?"

Before I could answer, Natalie stumbled back, her right cheek badly swollen, eyes tearful, looking like a child whose candy had been stolen.

"Ethan!" she shrieked, lunging forward, her voice piercing, "Your wife is crazy! She attacked me in the bathroom for no reason!"

I couldn't help but shake my head at her shamelessness. "Who slapped me first?"

Ethan's gaze moved between me and Natalie, finally settling on my reddened cheek. His expression hardened, his eyes turning to steel. "You hit Lucy?"

"But she—"

"Shut up," Ethan cut her off, standing up, "I know my wife. She never causes trouble without reason. If she hit you, you must have provoked her first."

He moved around the table, one hand protectively on my shoulder, the other pointing at Natalie. "If you ever touch Lucy again, even a single hair, you can forget about working for my company. Understood?"

Natalie's expression changed from pitiful to terrified, clearly not expecting Ethan to take my side so unhesitatingly.

"Dinner's over," Ethan announced, then gently took my hand, "Let's go home, darling."