Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 770

She fiddled nervously with her wine glass, her mind racing back to yesterday when that jerk was getting cozy with her in the hot tub, only to turn around and show up at Elodie's welcome party today. And he had the nerve to tell her he barely knew Elodie? Liar. Jerk.

She cursed him silently, maintaining a calm exterior. After all, everyone had recognized her as Ludwik's ex-wife.

With so many eyes watching her every move, she had no choice but to remain composed, pretending she didn't care about her ex-husband and even had to muster a smile to wish him well in his new pursuits.

"Whitney..." Once the crowd had thinned, Sandy finally mustered the courage to approach her. She was a bit socially awkward, sticking out her tongue in a comforting gesture, "Don't overthink it. These high-society parties are always full of gossip. How about we sit over there, keep you away from having to deal with everyone?"

"How did you end up coming with Mr. Nelson?" Whitney, as the older sister, had to ask.

Sandy squirmed uncomfortably, "Mr. Nelson tricked me into thinking it was a work thing, you know, a collaboration between the Sheldon Group and the Nelson Group. I only found out the truth after we got here. But enough about that, who are you looking at?" Standing in front of the hallway's glass pane, Whitney's eyes stealthily observed Bryce.

"Why are you staring at Mr. Lutz? Aren't you two married? Haven't you seen enough of him at home?" Sandy asked, puzzled. "Whitney, have you finally fallen for Mr. Lutz?"

"It's not what you think. He's up to something." Whitney shook her head, feeling a chill in her heart. After a moment, she decided to share her recent concerns with Sandy.

Sandy was shocked, barely able to process the information. "Audrey suddenly died? And you suspect Bryce had something to do with her..."

Whitney quickly signaled her to stay quiet, whispering urgently, "Don't look at Bryce and don't give anything away. We can't let him notice."

"But..." Sandy's shock turned into anger, "If Bryce really had an affair with his secretary, then all his declarations of love for you... Was Audrey's message trying to tell you something?"

"I'm not sure," Whitney replied, her expression turning cold. "I suspect it's related to 'murder', but I don't know who Audrey meant by 'Bryce killed'. I think Tiana's disappearance might be connected to him too since he was the one who reported her missing. Now that I think about it, it might have been his way to dispel my suspicions."

Sandy's mind was reeling with shock.

Suddenly, she remembered something, "Whitney, if you're suspecting this, I just remembered something. Before Tiana disappeared, she called me asking about Mr. Lutz's secretary. She even asked if I knew about an Audrey around Mr. Lutz.

Now that I think about it, maybe Tiana had already found something suspicious?"

Whitney froze. Could it be that Tiana had discovered something unusual about Audrey and Bryce?

Wait, Nyx found out Tiana had been to a club.

Maybe she wasn't investigating someone else but Bryce, and she had something to tell her. Could it have been about Bryce's supposed affair? Had she noticed it long ago?

Then Tiana's disappearance...

A chill ran down Whitney's spine.

Her gaze towards Bryce hardened, her grip on the wine glass tightening, "Maybe there are things I don't even know about. If Bryce has been hiding something deep, I suspect he might reveal his true self in such a gathering of the elite, perhaps trying to curry favor with these people to cover up something."

"Right." Sandy finally understood why they were secretly watching Bryce. "Sis, I'll help you keep an eye on Bryce tonight. He's too busy mingling to keep up his act in front of you. Also, I can ask Mr. Nelson to probe him a bit."

Whitney nodded, then paused, giving Sandy a meaningful look, "You've been quite close to Mr. Nelson lately, huh?"

"Ahem! Not really." Sandy's face turned red, but she felt compelled to vent, "Whitney, remember the little girl who suddenly called me 'mommy' and clung to me a month ago? Turns out she's Mr. Nelson's daughter...

I accidentally ran into her when I went to Mr. Nelson's house to pick up some documents. It was so awkward, and Mr. Nelson joked about making me her godmother. I didn't agree, of course, but the girl is pitiable without a mother, and she sort of looks like me.

It must be fate, so I've been helping Mr. Nelson pick her up from school now and then. That's how I got to know him better. Despite being a big boss, he's not as scary as he seems, rarely loses his temper."

Whitney was stunned.

That's your biological daughter, for crying out loud.

But Shane's approach, slowly encircling like a wolf around a lamb, was careful not to startle Sandy. He was playing the long game.

It was almost like something out of a soap opera.

"Go on, then. Ask Mr. Nelson for help." Whitney smiled, pushing her gently, but warned, "Just don't let anyone else know about what I just told you."

"Got it," Sandy stood up, her eyes catching the lively scene by the pool. Ludwik's towering figure was particularly noticeable, "Sis, what's the deal with Ludwik and Elodie? Did he really manage to get close to that high-profile heiress?

The pool party seemed exceptionally lively, with Elodie surrounded by a group of wealthy young friends, all in their early twenties. It seemed Elodie was introducing Ludwik to everyone.

Ludwik's mature and stern demeanor made Elodie appear even more youthful and charming.

"Hmph, whether he climbs up the social ladder or not is none of my business. I have no idea."

Whitney's voice was icy as she glanced over the pool with a dark expression, urging, "You better go handle your business."

"You're upset," Sandy observed, not daring to tease her further. "Alright, I'm off then."

Outside the corridor was the villa hotel's garden, illuminated and festive, filled with banquet tables for the buffet.

Whitney descended the steps, her gaze locked on Bryce. After a while, feeling thirsty, she was about to grab a glass of juice when a sneering voice suddenly came from beside her.

"Well, well, Whitney, long time no see."

Turning, Whitney was surprised to see Sienna Turner.

A flicker of astonishment passed through her eyes. It had been a long time since she had seen this person.

Ever since Florence was ousted from the Sheldon Group, Sienna, as Florence's lackey, had also faded into obscurity.

Especially since Whitney had supported Sandy's entry into the Sheldon Group, Sienna's status within the Turner family had undoubtedly declined. She was just a trophy, and Sandy's dad must have realized by now that Sandy was the capable daughter. Yet, despite her predicament, Sienna had somehow managed to attend Elodie's welcome party?