Whitney’s hands clenched into fists under the table as Ludwik’s words cut through the silence. His tone, colder than she had ever heard it before, felt like ice spreading through her veins. The weight of the room’s collective attention was a suffocating pressure that only made everything worse. Her breath caught in her throat as his command echoed in her mind: You will take over the bid.
Her mind struggled to catch up with the reality of the situation. The five-star hotel bid—that bid. The one that could make or break careers, that could cement futures, and here she was, unexpectedly thrust into it after everything that had happened. After everything she had tried to distance herself from. How could he ask this of her now?
“Whitney,” Felix’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. He looked at her, trying to soften the blow. His gaze was almost sympathetic, though she didn’t know if that was better or worse. “The project is crucial. Mr. Lippert values your expertise.”
Expertise. The words felt like daggers, reminding her of the fine line she had to walk. She could feel her uncle’s shadow creeping behind every decision, every move she made. And now, Ludwik, the man she had once trusted, had thrust her right back into the middle of the chaos. He had never really let her go, even when she had tried so hard to pull away.
She blinked, trying to clear the haze from her mind. The tension in the air was unbearable, but she couldn’t afford to show weakness. Not here. Not now.
“I understand,” she whispered, forcing herself to meet Ludwik’s icy gaze. Her voice wavered only slightly, betraying the storm inside her. I’ll take over the bid. The words felt hollow, as though she were signing her own sentence. There was no turning back now.
Ludwik’s lips curled into a slight, almost imperceptible smirk. The satisfaction in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. “Good,” he said, the word carrying with it the weight of unspoken expectations. “Let’s get to work, then.”
As the meeting continued around her, Whitney’s mind was elsewhere. It was as though she were watching the proceedings through a fog, her thoughts consumed with everything that was at stake. Her uncle’s plan, her obligations, Ludwik’s cold detachment—it all tangled together in a mess she wasn’t sure she could navigate. Her uncle’s voice still echoed in her mind, pushing her toward the path she hadn’t chosen, while Ludwik’s silent gaze held her captive in a place she couldn’t escape.
She had to survive this. She had to.
The plan was simple—keep her distance, keep her head down, and avoid being consumed by the chaos that was already threatening to pull her under. She couldn’t afford to let either of them control her anymore. Not her uncle. Not Ludwik.
But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she might already be too deep into this web to ever break free. The storm was coming, and there was nowhere left to hide.