Love beyond the mask201-300

Novel Catalog

Chapter_279

Whitney took a moment to position herself and the unconscious man just right. She carefully propped up her phone and quickly snapped a few suggestive photos. The hot water from the bathroom floor had long turned cold, and her legs began to ache with the chill. Frowning, she pulled the suit jacket off the man, wrapping it tightly around herself as she stepped away.

Before leaving the room, she turned back for a final glance at him, shirtless and sprawled on the bed. The sight made her lips purse slightly, but she didn’t allow herself to linger long. With one last look, she dragged the man out and placed him on the bed, then grabbed her phone. A new message from Kelvin appeared on the screen: “Ms. Valentine, the court dismissed my appeal. It seems someone’s pulling strings behind the scenes! We need to see your uncle ASAP. Find a breakthrough in the case, and make sure he doesn’t lose his voice and suffer an unjust fate in prison.”

Elaine and the Bartels family were tightening their grip, with the prison making it nearly impossible to arrange visits. Whitney was convinced Elaine was using Ludwik’s influence to keep her uncle imprisoned. The only way to undo the damage was to go back to the root of it: Ludwik himself.

Her teeth clenched in anger as she thought of her uncle, wrongfully accused and suffering in prison. Ding-a-ling—her phone rang, snapping her back to reality. It was a call from Nyx.

Whitney smiled slightly, sensing that things were going well for Nyx tonight. She moved to the balcony to answer the call. “How did it go?”

Nyx’s jubilant voice responded, “Ms. Valentine, Mr. Rufus from the auction house wants a word with you.”

“Then put the director on the phone,” Whitney instructed, her voice calm and assured.

The night air caressed her flawless skin, casting a soft, cool glow around her. After a brief pause, Mr. Rufus’s voice came through the phone, angry yet tinged with helplessness. “Ms. Valentine, you’re young, but your methods are dark! You set me up tonight, took photos and videos. I see what you’re up to!”

Whitney moved back into the room, calling the hotel service desk for a set of women’s clothes to be sent up. She replied coolly, “Mr. Rufus, one mustn’t overstep. As an auction house, you took my upfront payment of fifty billion, yet you favored Mr. Lippert, giving Skye Gem Ltd. to his fiancée over me. How could I just accept that? It’s hard to explain over the phone. Wait for me at the hotel—I have a few things to clarify. Don’t leave, or I’ll release those videos.”

Mr. Rufus hung up in frustration, seething but powerless.

At that moment, Ludwik’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Whitney glanced at the screen, seeing Mr. Rufus’s number, and smirked. She let it go to voicemail, waiting for the next call to come through. Elaine’s name flashed on the screen.

It’s past eleven, and she’s anxious, isn’t she? Whitney thought, her eyes gleaming with cold amusement. She declined the call and then tossed the phone into the corner.

As the service arrived with her clothes, Whitney changed quickly, then stepped into the night with a stack of incriminating photos of Mr. Rufus in hand. She didn’t waste time on negotiations.

“Mr. Rufus,” she began calmly, “by tomorrow morning, I want an announcement that Skye Gem Ltd. has nothing to do with Elaine or Mr. Lippert. They didn’t buy the company. Also, I want news released that Skye Gem Ltd.’s assets will remain frozen. Do these two things, and the video will be returned to you.”

The mention of the ex-wife of Mr. Lippert seemed to shake Mr. Rufus to the core. He shuddered involuntarily, his face paling. The young woman before him, with her beauty and ruthlessness, made him feel cornered.

He had no choice but to agree.

Whitney left the hotel, her purse tightly clutched in hand.

Bryce’s call came through just as she stepped outside. “All set?”

“Done and dusted, Bryce. Thanks for having Nyx’s back,” she said smoothly.

“I didn’t do much—just leaked Mr. Rufus’s address,” Bryce responded, but there was a pause in his voice. “Whitney, you’re not coming back to the apartment tonight?”

Whitney hesitated. “You went to my place?”

Bryce quickly denied it. “No, I just drove past after work, saw your lights off. Thought I’d check on Sammy.”

Recalling the evening’s charade with Ludwik, Whitney felt a pang of guilt, even if it was all part of the act. She let out a small laugh, masking the twinge in her chest. “I’m staying over at Tiana’s with Sammy.”

Bryce, who had been looking at the photos on his desk of Whitney and Ludwik’s encounter, had a shadow cross his face. His tone softened as he spoke again. “Whitney, I know you’re handling Orion’s matters, but if you ever get drunk or into trouble, I want you to call me first.”

Whitney was taken aback. It seemed like he was hinting at something. Her voice tightened, “Bryce…”

He quickly interrupted, “It’s okay, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just want you to rely on me more,” he added with a small laugh, probably knowing she would resist. “Just take care of your things, I’ll always be here.”

After hanging up, Whitney stared at her phone, letting out a light sigh. Since her return, the connections between her and Ludwik had only grown, and she felt increasingly unworthy of Bryce’s attention. Besides, her heart wasn’t in pursuing romance anymore.

Sitting in her car, her hands gripped the steering wheel as she lost herself in thought. After a moment, she drove back to the hotel.

Dawn was breaking by the time she returned. The sunlight streamed through the heavy curtains and onto the European-style bed, casting a soft glow across the room. Ludwik, groggy and with a slight headache, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze wandered over the room, and when he noticed his shirtless state, his eyes widened.

He lifted the blanket and found it was empty beneath him. A slender figure sat at the bedside, covered with a blanket, her eyes not on the book in her hands, but fixed directly on him. The backlight from the window gave her an ethereal glow, and her gaze was cold—no false smiles, no pretenses.

Ludwik froze, staring at her. It was as if the veil had been lifted and he could see her for who she truly was: no longer the woman who played games, but someone he couldn’t fully understand—someone carrying both pain and pity.

As he stared, Whitney noticed he had woken up. She quickly hid her emotions, forcing a smile and snapping a couple of selfies. “Got both morning and evening shots now, Mr. Lippert.”

Ludwik’s memory slowly returned, the drunken haze clearing. He realized what had happened the night before. She knocked me out.

In a flash, he was on top of her, pinning her beneath him. His fury flared as he snatched her phone away. “You wretched woman, how dare you play me!”

Whitney smirked, unrepentant. “Play you? Weren’t you the one trying to get handsy with me after getting drunk? And then you turned on me, Mr. Lippert. You’re the one who should be ashamed. We’re in the process of getting a divorce, and I have every right to take photos as evidence of your harassment.”

“Utter nonsense,” Ludwik growled. “You’re just asking for it.”

Her struggle only made him lose control more. His mind raced, the soft trembling of her voice driving him mad. Whitney, her face flushed, glanced at the blanket. “Don’t move!”

In a rage, Ludwik leaned in close, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you can drug me and set me up? Whitney, you’re playing with fire!”

Realizing that he remembered everything and saw through her scheme, Whitney no longer bothered with the act. She wriggled free from beneath him and jumped off the bed.

Quickly pulling on her jacket, she put some distance between them. Her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and defiance, she pulled out her phone. “Sorry, Mr. Lippert, but you’ve been played. Let’s call this a business transaction, shall we?”

Next Chapter