Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 686

"Whitney!"

Sandy grabbed her arm, trying to hold her back, "Don't do it. Just call the cops. Looks like there's someone with a knife over there."

"Just call the cops, get Cody to send some security over!"

With those words, Whitney frowned and ran towards the trouble.

But when she reached the alley, in front of a muddy puddle, she was shocked to find Ludwik on the ground, beaten and battered. His once impeccable features were marred with bruises, his clothes stained with dirt and blood. The darkness seemed to swallow him whole, making him appear broken and defeated.

How could Ludwik, known for his strength and fighting skills, be reduced to this? To Whitney, the men attacking him should have been no match for Ludwik's prowess.

Yet there he was, unconscious, his silhouette a shadow of despair.

"Come on, wake up..." Whitney muttered, but before she could finish, one of the thugs, bottle in hand, lunged at Ludwik's leg. Whitney reacted instantly, kicking the man away, "Stop it, I've called the cops!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

From behind, Lane approached with a swagger, attempting to grab Whitney by her hair but stopping short when he saw her face. Recognizing her, he sneered, "So it's the new head of the Sheldon Group, Ms. Valentine herself. Heard you got hitched. Running to Ludwik's rescue now, are we? Got something on the side with him?"

"Who are you?" Whitney's frown deepened, recognizing the man but unable to place him immediately.

"Me? I'm the CEO of the Lane Group!" Lane boasted, clearly underestimating Whitney given the current uncertainties surrounding the Sheldon Group's future leadership.

Whitney then remembered. Lane was the one who had caused a scene at Ludwik's company, threatening to take over the Lippert family business.

Seeing the contract in Lane's hand and Ludwik battered on the ground, she pieced everything together. Lane was exploiting Ludwik's vulnerable state for a second time.

Her anger turned to laughter, "Funny, I stumbled upon you beating someone to a pulp. Shouldn't you be the one running off? But since you're here, maybe I should reconsider my mercy."

"So, you're protecting Ludwik?" Lane gritted his teeth.

"Not protecting him, just a good citizen stopping a crime."

"Fine, have it your way," Lane bellowed, signaling his bodyguards to attack. But Whitney was unfazed, knowing her backup had arrived. With a simple gesture, she commanded, "They're brawling. Stop them."

The scene turned chaotic as Lane's men, already exhausted from their fight with Ludwik, quickly lost ground to the fresh and formidable security team Whitney had called in.

Cornered, Lane was forced to negotiate, "Look, I got it wrong, okay? Let's pretend this never happened."

Whitney wasn't having any of it, pressing him for answers until Lane confessed his intentions to take over the Lippert Group, admitting he'd been tipped off about Ludwik's drunken state as an opportunity to strike. Accusing the Patrick family of setting him up, Lane tried to deflect blame. Whitney, skeptical but aware she wouldn't get more from him, warned him of the consequences of his actions before letting him go. In the end, Whitney's swift intervention had prevented a bad situation from turning worse, showcasing her resolve and influence in the face of adversity.

"I'm warning you, next time you see him, take a detour, and don't even think about making a move on the Lippert estate!" "Otherwise, I swear I'll have seen you with a knife, and you wouldn't want Lane to be a witness on the stand, would you?" Lane shivered involuntarily, realizing the woman before him was no pushover.

After all, she was the heir to the Sheldon Group, and Lane had no interest in making an enemy out of her.

With a mocking tone, he retorted, "Ms. Valentine, seems like you still have a soft spot for the guy, huh?

Alright, you win. I'll let him off tonight... We'll keep to our own paths from now on.

Can I go now?" Lane was eager to get away.

"Which Patrick scion tipped you off?" Whitney glanced at him, suspecting he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Carson!"

"Get lost."

Lane immediately took his crew and bolted. Although they had roughed up Ludwik tonight, they didn't achieve their goal and instead ended up with a setback, all thanks to this woman's bad omen.

-

Meanwhile, Whitney dismissed her bodyguards.

She frowned, then made her way back to Ludwik's side-