Love beyond the mask101-200

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Chapter_148

Whitney’s hands were still trembling as she held her phone, the words from Braxton Tarrington echoing in her mind. “We will see if your absence is noted.” His parting remark felt like a silent threat, and the weight of it gnawed at her as she stared at the screen. She had tried to step away, to distance herself from everything, but the universe seemed intent on pulling her back in. The project. Ludwik. The consequences. All of it was too tangled, too far-reaching to escape.

Felix’s presence in the taxi felt like a grounding force, but even he couldn’t mask the unease in the air. His usual assured smile was gone, replaced by an almost imperceptible sadness that made Whitney’s chest tighten. The mention of Ludwik’s foul mood only fueled the fire of frustration inside her. Ludwik is planning something. That alone was enough to make her stomach churn. He had always been strategic, always playing the long game—but what was he plotting now?

As the car sped through the city streets, Whitney gazed out the window, trying to clear her mind, but every thought seemed to circle back to the same thing: the hotel bid, Braxton’s call, Ludwik’s expectations, and her uncle’s manipulation. She couldn’t escape it. She wasn’t just a pawn in their game anymore; she was being pulled in all directions, and the more she resisted, the tighter the web became.

She tried to convince herself that turning down the project was the right decision—that stepping away would give her the space to reclaim some semblance of control over her life. But what if the consequences of that decision were more than she could handle? She had already seen how far her uncle would go to get what he wanted, and how little he cared for the emotional toll it took on her. Would rejecting Ludwik’s request be any different?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Felix, who spoke again, his voice quieter now, as if he knew she needed the space to think but couldn’t resist adding his own cautionary words.

“I know you’re determined to walk away, Madam,” he said, his tone almost too calm, “but I do not believe Ludwik will allow it. He has… a way of making things impossible to leave behind.”

Whitney closed her eyes, the weight of his words sinking in. Felix was right. Ludwik wouldn’t let her go. She had tried to get out, but he was always there, waiting, pulling her back into the fray. And now, with Braxton’s call and the pressure mounting, she wasn’t sure what kind of choice she had left. The past few weeks had been a battle between her heart and her mind, between wanting to protect herself and the lingering pull of the man she had once thought she could trust.

As the car rounded a corner and the city skyline came into view, Whitney felt a pang of realization. No matter how hard she fought to get out of this mess, no matter how much she wanted to distance herself, she couldn’t escape the reality that Ludwik had always been a part of her life, a part of her world. And he wasn’t going to let her walk away that easily.

What now? she wondered, staring out at the city lights. Her future seemed as uncertain as the road ahead, and she was trapped at a crossroads, with no way of knowing which path would lead her to safety—or into deeper trouble.

Felix must have sensed her inner turmoil, for he spoke again, more quietly this time, as if trying to offer some measure of comfort. “Whatever you decide, Madam… I will be here. But I must warn you. Ludwik doesn’t take rejection well. And he has a way of getting what he wants.”

Her mind raced, the decision now feeling even more weighty than before. She could fight, but how much more of herself would she lose in the process? Or was surrendering to this inevitable chain of events the only way to find peace in the end?

The city lights blurred as the taxi moved forward, and Whitney felt the weight of her choices press down on her even more. The game was far from over—and the stakes were higher than she could have ever imagined.

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