Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 672

This time, Whitney caught a definitive glimpse of Shane's peripheral vision, locked onto Sandy's face throughout the encounter.

The slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, the faint furrow between his brows, and the intensity of his gaze fixed on the necktie Sandy was holding gave him away.

Instantly, Whitney connected the dots, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly. It dawned on her that this man must have overheard their casual conversation.

Sandy was planning to give a necktie to a guy, but who could this mystery man be?

Shane's demeanor turned subtly tense, sending a shiver down Sandy's spine. She hurriedly retreated to Whitney's side, lowering her head in a respectful greeting, "Mr. Nelson, good to see you!"

"Mr. Turner, still working with Ms. Valentine at the Sheldon Group, I see?"

"Yes, Mr. Nelson, Whitney is my cousin. We're quite close."

"Are you running errands for her or wooing clients that you need to buy a necktie for a male client?"

Shane's casual interrogation did not miss a beat.

Whitney squinted her eyes, amused internally. Turns out Shane was the manipulative type, probing Sandy about his potential rival.

Caught off guard by his questioning, Sandy, aware of the Nelson Group's significant dealings with the Sheldon Group, treated Shane with unfamiliar respect. She felt compelled to answer truthfully, "Mr. Nelson, the necktie isn't for a client... It's a personal matter, so I'd rather not discuss it further."

Shane's eyes narrowed, his handsome features darkening visibly.

Clearly, the necktie wasn't meant for him. In Sandy's eyes, he was nothing more than a stranger, aloof and unattainable.

This realization left Shane feeling a surge of irritation. Damn it, he thought, having raised their daughter alone for four years, and this woman remained blissfully unaware, still playing the part of the innocent. Choosing to ignore her, he turned to Whitney.

"Anything else, Mr. Nelson?" Whitney raised an eyebrow, her tone implying it was time for him to leave after making such a fool of himself.

Shane shot her a glare, then, as if recalling something, beckoned her over, "Ms. Valentine, I've got a piece of news. Interested?"

Assuming it was business-related, Whitney approached, "What is it, Mr. Nelson?"

Shane leaned in, whispering as if sharing gossip, "I heard Ludwik got into trouble at the detention center. Had to be rushed to the hospital last night."

Whitney paused, surprised. With the detention center's strict protocols, how could Ludwik have encountered trouble...

She zoned out for a moment, then, trying to detach herself, responded lightly, "That's hard to believe. Knowing Ludwik's skills, it would take more than a dozen men to overpower him."

Shane shrugged, "I don't know the details. Just heard he's badly hurt. Had my assistant check with the police; the hospital's situation is unclear."

Whitney fell silent, trying not to dwell on Ludwik.

Her heartbeat erratic, she retorted, "Shane, have you turned into a gossip? Why come to me with this nonsense?"

"It's not nonsense. We're talking about Ludwik here. What, are you immune to him now? I thought you might still have a shred of sympathy for the man. Seems like your heart's turned to steel. Guess I can't count on you to help me with Sandy then. Maybe I should approach Ludwik directly, get him to spill Florence's secrets."

Shane's gaze drifted to Sandy, still as graceful as ever.

Whitney internally debated, recalling Shane's words about forcing her hand if she refused to help.

Her expression hardened, "Mr. Nelson, if you dare approach Florence, then forget about letting your daughter be around Sandy."

"Is that a threat?"

"Aren't you using Florence to threaten me?" Whitney scoffed.

"Let's not fight," Shane said with a teasing smile. "Now that the Patrick family has risen to the top in Harmonia Country, with Wade's twisted ambitions, he's likely to shake up the Emperor City elite. In such times, our families should stick together as friends, don't you think?"

"As long as Mr. Nelson doesn't harbor any devious plans, I'm open to friendship."

"Then, as friends, come with me somewhere."

"Where to?"

Shane played coy, glancing at Sandy, who had been waiting quietly, "Ms. Valentine, bring your sales manager along."

Whitney couldn't hide her disdain, "Mr. Nelson, you're crossing a line, mixing business with personal agendas."

"Not personal, how else would I chase after a wife?"

His wife? Sandy was still as clueless as a rabbit in the headlights!

Speechless, Whitney followed Shane out of Pearl Plaza.

Just when she thought Shane would take her to some business dinner-

To her surprise, they arrived at a grand charity auction, luxury cars filling the parking lot, with security guards stationed at the entrance. A glance confirmed that the elite of Emperor City were all gathered here. Realization hit her, and her face darkened.

"Mr. Nelson, how bored must you be to drag me here?"

Shane was visibly excited, "Come on, the Everwood Villa Estate is up for auction tonight!"

That was exactly why Whitney was frustrated, "You think I can afford it?"

"I know you can't, but I might. Still, I won't buy it. I brought you here as a friend, to enjoy the spectacle."

Whitney wished she could blow a gust of cold air in his face.

Shane, the gossipmonger, seemed to revel in stirring trouble, determined to bind her to the Lippert family drama.

"Whitney, don't you just hate the thought of seeing the Lipperts go under?" Sandy asked, standing beside her with a piercing directness.

Whitney's lips were a tight line.

Yes, she didn't want to see the Lipperts fall apart, for reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint.

Despite her animosity towards Ludwik, she somehow couldn't bring herself to feel indifferent towards his family's misfortune.

The memory of Camilla's kindness towards her made Whitney want to escape it all.

"Whitney, let's just leave," Sandy urged, pulling on her arm.

Shane's deep gaze locked on Sandy in the dim light. He found himself drawn to Sandy, attempting to connect with her using the same approach he had with Whitney.

Breaking the silence, he said, "Whitney, tonight might just turn into a distasteful spectacle. Wade and his crew have arrived.

Do you know what they're likely to do to Everwood Villa Estate?"

According to Cody, Wade was probably planning to orchestrate a bidding war to drive the price down.

Whitney hesitated, masochistically thinking she might as well sit through it and witness the final fate of Everwood Villa Estate.

Shane instructed his assistant, "Take Ms. Valentine and Ms. Turner to the VIP box on the second floor."

Sandy and Whitney discreetly made their way to a second-floor box, which featured a floor-to-ceiling window and a microphone for placing bids.

Tonight's auction had many items on the block, but Everwood Villa Estate was the showstopper, slated for the grand finale.

The box felt stuffy, prompting Whitney to head to the restroom.

Upon returning, she was texting her office on her phone when she unexpectedly bumped into Jason and Thea.