Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 710

She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Seriously, Jarvis, can't you just chill for once? We all run into each other in this town sooner or later. Let's just be civil, okay?" Jarvis, as bold as ever, had just barged in.

It was like a bad joke, all the people she least wanted to see kept showing up.

Whitney's expression darkened, "Friends?"

"Sandy, do you know this guy?" she asked.

"Not in a million years!" Sandy glared at Jarvis, the memory of his antics at the auction still fresh in her mind.

She found Jarvis's opportunism even more repulsive than Ludwik's straightforward villainy.

But Jarvis, oblivious to Sandy's hostility, eagerly approached the bedside, squinting as he set down a bouquet of carnations. "Ms. Turner, don't be scared. It's alright if you don't know me. I'm not a villain. Just mention the Patrick Group's young executive to your folks, I bet they know of me. You seem to get along with Ms. Valentine and Shane just fine. Shane's a buddy of mine, too. So, in a way, we're all friends here, right?"

Whitney quickly pieced things together; Jarvis was clearly here for Shane. After witnessing Shane's concern for Sandy at the auction, Jarvis must have seen an opportunity. It was both transparent and pathetic.

Jarvis, undeterred, continued with a grin that could fool an innocent. "Ms. Turner, I didn't notice before, but you're quite the beauty, a real gem. No wonder Shane..."

"Are you ever going to stop, Jarvis?" Whitney cut him off sharply.

Ludwik, who had been silently observing, let out a disdainful scoff. His voice, cold and biting, somehow made Jarvis's skin crawl.

Jarvis shot a glare at Ludwik, "What are you even doing here? After your fall from grace, you've resorted to lurking around like a lost puppy? Ha, as if you have any right to be here. Why don't you just leave?"

"I haven't been asked to leave. And as far as I know, your threats and bribes haven't worked on Shane. Maybe you're here 'playing nice' because you saw me with Mr. Nelson at lunch? It must be hard, crawling out from the shadows, always resorting to dirty tricks," Ludwik retorted without even glancing up, his once noble bearing making Jarvis's tactics seem even more underhanded by comparison. Sandy was confused. What did Mr. Nelson have to do with her?

But Whitney understood. Ludwik had met with Shane, and Jarvis, envious, was here trying to manipulate Sandy, treating her like a pawn in his game.

She couldn't help but mock Jarvis, "Heard Nolan found himself a new girlfriend, Florence, right? She's Sandy's cousin. You're here in the middle of the night, calling her a beauty, isn't that a bit low, even for you?"

Sandy remembered then, Jarvis's involvement with Florence sent shivers down her spine. "Nolan, what do you really want?"

Jarvis, caught off guard by Whitney's accusation, tried to recover.

But Ludwik beat him to it, speaking directly to Sandy, "Ms. Turner, Nolan here is only ever early for something if there's a profit in it. If he's getting close to someone, it's because he wants to use them. Just look at the fate of the Lippert family. I'd steer clear if I were you." Sandy felt a chill.

"Shut it, Ludwik!" Jarvis snapped back, furious at being exposed.

Ludwik's lips twisted into a smirk, "At least I haven't resorted to calling Ms. Turner a 'beauty' or 'sweetheart'. My visit was plain and simple."

Jarvis's face turned several shades darker, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Ludwik.

"You better watch your mouth. Do you need reminding of your place?"

"And how do you intend to 'remind' me?" Ludwik asked, barely concealing his amusement.

Jarvis seethed, unable to voice his true intentions in such a public setting. He thrived in the shadows, his true nature concealed.

Turning to Whitney, he tried a different tactic, "Ms. Valentine, do you want me to get rid of this guy for you? He's clearly not wanted here." Whitney hesitated, aware of all eyes on her, weighing her decision.

With a sigh, she had enough. "Can both of you just leave? The patient needs rest. We've had enough of your 'kindness' and 'concern'. Please, just go."

In her firm dismissal, Whitney didn't spare either man's feelings, making it clear she wouldn't tolerate Jarvis's manipulations or the unwanted drama any longer. Ludwik's lips curled into a slight smirk, undeterred by Jarvis's attempt to intimidate her.

Jarvis, on the other hand, felt his pride wounded. As the most eligible bachelor in Harmonia Country, he couldn't believe Whitney dared to compare him with Ludwik.

But the irony was, he needed Sandy now more than ever. He had learned that Sandy was injured today, and in his absence, Shane had scrambled to arrange for the best doctors from the Nelson Group Hospital. Rumors were swirling that Shane had an illegitimate daughter.

With a little digging, Jarvis quickly connected the dots, suspecting Sandy's involvement.

Ludwik, that cunning fox, was using Sandy as a stepping stone.

Jarvis couldn't show weakness now. If Ludwik managed to win Shane over, the Lippert family might rise in power.

But what mattered most was securing the president's endorsement--a partnership with the Inko Group. He couldn't afford to let Ludwik get an inch of advantage.

Shane had to swallow his pride, feigning nonchalance, "Ms. Valentine, let's not spoil the mood. We'll leave you be."

As he left, he shot Ludwik a dark glare.

Ludwik, with one hand casually in his pocket, locked his captivating gaze on Whitney, "The lobster's getting cold." Whitney merely gave him a cold look before turning to leave as well.