Love beyond the mask201-300

Novel Catalog

Chapter_229

Whitney’s fury ignited, her words sharp and venomous as she fought against the grip of the burly bodyguards. Her heart raced, pumping pure defiance through her veins. Each step they took toward the stairs felt like an eternity, the room growing colder, suffocating her with the weight of Ludwik’s control.

“Don’t fool yourself!” she spat, her voice full of bitter anger. “I’m not going to be your pawn—nor some prize to show off to Elaine!”

Ludwik stood there, his face a mask of cold indifference, his eyes barely flicking toward her. He didn’t react to the blood that still stained his shirt, a reminder of the fruit knife she had driven into him earlier. No. He was beyond caring about that now. His gaze was cold, calculating, almost amused—as though her rage was nothing more than a distraction to be dismissed.

“You should have thought about that before making your choices,” he said, his voice like a snake’s hiss, cold and venomous. “Now, you’re trapped in my world, and there’s no way out. Not for you, and not for the child.”

The words struck her hard. They stung with a raw truth that sent a chill deep into her bones. He had already made up his mind. She was a prisoner. But not for long. Her heart twisted with fury and sorrow, but she wouldn’t let him see her break. She couldn’t. Not for him. Not for anyone.

“I will never be your slave!” Whitney shouted, struggling harder, her body wracked with frustration. “No matter what you do, no matter what you try to take from me, I will never submit to you. I won’t let you break me. I won’t.”

The bodyguards continued to drag her forward, ignoring her desperate pleas, her struggles—nothing but mindless muscle in Ludwik’s army. Her strength was waning, each step feeling heavier than the last. The walls around her seemed to close in, suffocating her, pressing down with the weight of her own helplessness.

But she didn’t have time for that. She couldn’t afford to be consumed by it. Her son—the child growing inside her—was the only thing that mattered. He was the one who had to survive this. He was her anchor. The only thing that kept her grounded.

“Let me go!” Whitney cried again, fighting with every last bit of strength she had, but it was futile. They shoved her into a dark room, and the door slammed shut with a resounding finality. The sound echoed in her chest like a verdict, a reminder that for now, she was trapped.

She sank to the cold floor, her muscles aching from the fight, the overwhelming exhaustion crashing over her in waves. She wanted to cry. She wanted to give up. Her heart felt heavy with the weight of everything she had lost, everything she had fought for, and now—everything Ludwik had stolen from her.

But deep down, a fire still burned. It was small, but it was enough. She couldn’t let this be the end. Ludwik might have control for now, but she still had her strength. She still had her will to fight.

With a shuddering breath, Whitney wiped the tears that threatened to spill. She wasn’t going to let him see her broken. She would never let him break her.

She pulled herself up from the floor, every muscle protesting, but she didn’t care. She clenched her fists, steadying her breath, finding the resolve within herself once more. She wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. This wasn’t over.

Her mind raced, already plotting her escape. She would find a way out of this. She would find a way to escape Ludwik’s hold. For her child. For Bryce. And for herself.

She could feel the weight of Ludwik’s empire on her shoulders, the pressure to break, but she would not bend. Whitney’s resolve hardened. She would tear it all down, brick by brick, until nothing of his power remained.

She wasn’t just fighting for her life anymore. She was fighting for the future she had been denied.

And she would not stop until she got it back.

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