Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 281

Elaine's fury was palpable as she stared at Whitney, her rage boiling over. "You shameless harlot, how dare you seduce Ludwik! I'll make you regret this!" Her scream drew disapproving looks from passersby. But Elaine didn't care about appearances anymore. She lunged at Whitney, grabbing her hair, intent on dragging her down.

Out of control, she hissed, "Shameless! He's my man! You think you can win him back with that trashy body of yours? Dream on. He's all about me now; he wouldn't stand to see me slighted even a bit. Just a word from me, and he'd wipe you out, believe it or not!" "Oh, I believe you," Whitney said, recalling the cold, harsh words from the hotel room, and she laughed.

Elaine was taken aback.

In an instant, Whitney easily restrained her, clicking her tongue in disdain. "Elaine, you used to be so cunning. What happened, resorting to street-brawling tactics now?"

Then, with a knowing smile, she added, "You must be desperate. Three years and still pining for a man, loneliness and madness taking over. Especially since I can get him excited in a second while you're green with envy. Maybe you should be nicer to me, or else, with just a flick of my finger, I could really ruin your peace!"

Feeling a surge of vindictive pleasure, Whitney recalled Orion's advice: 'First make Ludwik fall for you again, then pay them back in spades.' Seeing Elaine so flustered only made her feel more triumphant.

Elaine nearly choked with rage. "You think Ludwik would still want you? In his eyes, you're nothing but trash compared to me. And about last night, don't flatter yourself. His 'condition' will soon be cured, and your seduction will be useless!"

Whitney, amused by Elaine's confidence, teased, "Oh, Elaine, did you not know that the 'miracle doctor' you're so hopeful about has stopped practicing?"

"How do you know?" Indeed, Elaine was frustrated about Ludwik's unresolved condition.

With a feigned gasp of surprise, Whitney chuckled, "You mean you don't know that the miracle doctor goes by the name... Whitney?"

Stunned, Elaine struggled to react, her face a mix of emotions. Sneering, she shot back, "What are you, exactly? A few acupuncture tricks and you think you're some kind of miracle worker? I couldn't cure Ludwik, what makes you think you can?" Whitney laughed, "Of course you couldn't. You just don't have the charm. He's simply not into you."

Feeling deeply insulted and slapped in the face with every word, Elaine fumed, "Wretch, I'll tear that mouth of yours!"

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Whitney smirked, and as Elaine charged again, she simply grabbed a nearby trash can and shoved it into her arms. "Here, go tear up some paper. Be careful though, hotel trash cans are quite dirty."

Disgusted and burning with jealousy over Whitney's time with Ludwik, Elaine hurled the trash can at Whitney's retreating figure. "You won't get away with this! Dream on about taking over Skye Gem Ltd."

With a scheme brewing in her eyes, Elaine stormed back to her car, tires screeching as she drove off.

Whitney paused, noticing the malice in Elaine's gaze. With a firm press of her lips, she too left the hotel.

On the road, Whitney messaged Kelvin, hinting that Ludwik had secured a visiting pass for him. This, they had to do quietly before Elaine caught wind.

-

Arriving exhausted at Tiana's to pick up Sammy, Whitney was greeted with concern. "Where were you last night? Sammy was worried."

Whitney, evading the question about her late night with Orion, went to fetch her son.

Inside, Sammy was playing tenderly with Cherry, his little sister, a stark contrast to his usual aloof demeanor. Tiana, bewildered by his sudden change, shared her shock with Whitney.

Whitney, puzzled but relieved, dismissed it as a possible spontaneous recovery from his condition. As they prepared to leave, Sammy's affectionate behavior continued, raising Whitney's spirits despite the previous night's turmoil. Sammy, noticing a mark on his mom's neck, worriedly asked if she was alright, hinting at his concern over her well-being. Whitney, touched by his sensitivity, reassured him as they headed home, reflecting on the unpredictable nature of his condition. "Nothing to worry about, I'm just concerned that Mom might get pushed around when she's back in the States, and I can't have that happening to her!"

Whitney couldn't help but smile at her little knight in shining armor, ruffling his hair gently, "Don't you worry, honey. Mom can take care of herself!"

And someday, he and Danny would be right there to stand up for her too.

Sammy was bursting to share the news, but did Mom even know she had another son?

Blabbing about it now could stir up a whole lot of trouble.

Better stick to the plan he and his little brother cooked up: keep mum and watch how things played out between Mom and Dad.

Biting his lip, Sammy pondered over how to broach another crucial topic, mulling it over for quite a while before he found a way to bring it up, "Mom, you know I've been dabbling in hacking, right?"

"Uh-huh?" Whitney turned, sensing her bright son had something on his mind.

With a bit of fibbing, Sammy pressed on, "So, I heard about how Dad's mom is in a coma, and that you're working on some miracle cure. Funny coincidence, I came across someone on the dark web willing to pay top dollar for a drug. The patient's name is Natalie. Apparently, she's been in a vegetative state for three years, but recently her hand started to move. Could that be my grandma?"

Whitney's grip on the steering wheel tightened as she turned to him in surprise, "Are you sure her name's Natalie?"

"I'm pretty good with names, so yeah, I'm sure."

Natalie's hand moving was a promising sign. It seemed Taryn had taken good care of her, and the drug Whitney left years ago must have started to clear the toxins.

A wave of relief washed over Whitney.

Now, she needed to figure out how to get the new drug to Everwood Villa Estate for Natalie to take in time.

But who could she trust to sneak into the Ludwik household and evade Elaine's watchful eye?

Whitney looked troubled, a detail Sammy caught with a sly grin. He was the perfect man for the job!

Next step: pilfer Mom's new drug and swap it with Danny.

-

Meanwhile, Elaine stormed out of the hotel, seething with anger, but she didn't head back to the estate.

Instead, she had Jaxon gather all the anxious senior shareholders of Skye Gem Ltd. for an emergency meeting.