Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 776

But the moment Sandy looked up, she caught Shane's dark gaze fixed on her, a shadow lurking in his eyes as they met hers.

Flustered, her cheeks flushed a deep red. What was that look from Mr. Nelson all about?

In her panic, she grabbed her glass of water, only to choke on it, coughing violently.

"Elodie, why are you scaring the lady like that!" Shane chided, striding over to help Sandy by patting her back.

His display of affection was so natural, it left Elodie speechless, her voice tinged with sarcasm, "Has she caught your fancy, Shane? Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Sandy's face turned pale with anger.

Seizing the moment, Shane frowned, "Yeah, you are interrupting. Why don't you leave us alone? Besides, shouldn't you be entertaining yourself at the party rather than coming up here looking for Ludwik? What's that about?" "Just... I missed him, that's all."

Elodie stepped closer, towering over Sandy to interrogate her, "Have you seen Ludwik anywhere?"

Unable to hold back, Sandy retorted sarcastically, "Ms. Miller. Wasn't Ludwik under your watchful eye the entire time? How would I have seen him?"

"You can't even keep track of one person, and you're here questioning us," Shane grimaced.

"I blinked, and he was gone," Elodie said defensively, pouting.

Shane didn't expose what she might have done to Ludwik but remarked coolly, "Maybe Ludwik is avoiding you, Elodie. You can't force love, and it's not like he's into you. There's plenty of eligible bachelors after you. Any of them would be a better choice than Ludwik. He's much older than you."

"How much older? Just a dozen years, that's the sweet spot, don't you know?"

Elodie shrugged off the concern, her grip tightening, "Regardless, Ludwik is the one I want."

"Suit yourself, I'm not getting involved. We haven't seen him anyway," Shane said, dismissing her with a sharp look.

With Ludwik already having taken the spiked drink...

Elodie didn't have time to argue with Shane; she hurried out to continue her search elsewhere.

Once the door to the guest room closed, Sandy let out a huge sigh of relief.

Thankfully, Elodie didn't suspect a thing, not bothering to check the bathroom. If she had opened the door and found Whitney and Ludwik... that would've been disastrous.

But... why was there no sound coming from those two in there?

Worried about Whitney, Sandy got up to sneak closer to the bathroom, trying to eavesdrop.

But Shane caught her with a firm tug, pulling her back, "Ahem, let's not disturb them, shall we?"

"It's not that, Mr. Nelson. Elodie's gone, I was just going to call my sister out."

Sandy naively explained.

Raising an eyebrow, Shane gave her a look that was both amused and knowing, "And interrupt Ludwik in the middle of... something? Let's just say, if Whitney wants to come out, she'll come out." He threw her a seductive glance, "If Whitney's not coming out now, let's just kindly cover for them, shall we?"

"Cover for what?" Sandy was still clueless, her lips parted in question.

Her innocent look made Shane's heart race, wishing he could just pull her close and kiss her deeply.

If only she remembered their love and the child they had together four years ago.

He restrained himself, loosening his tie with a husky chuckle, "It's like firewood meeting fire, Ms. Turner. If they can't contain themselves... shouldn't we stand guard, in case someone else comes along?" At his words, Sandy's face turned beet red.

So that's what Mr. Nelson meant!

The thought of Whitney possibly being devoured by Ludwik, while she and Shane, two unattached individuals, were forced to listen to innuendos outside, made her entire neck flush.

Her cool, pale complexion turned adorably red under his gaze, making Shane even more eager.

She was just as she had been four years ago, yet now with a mix of innocence and maturity that was utterly captivating.

"Would you like me to cover your ears?" Shane offered, half-joking, moving closer with his large hands ready.

The moment his masculine scent neared her, Sandy instinctively stepped back, her eyes dodging his, "No, no need... I'm not a little girl. Besides, given Whitney's situation, I can handle it." "You can handle it? What about me, then?" Shane looked at her with deep, meaningful eyes, letting out a long sigh.

Sandy didn't catch on.

-

Inside the bathroom.

Whitney was like a cushion, fiercely held by a heated, drenched form, the man's strong arms trapping her, leaving her no room to move.

Elodie's entrance and her voice had terrified Whitney into silence, fearing the door would burst open to reveal their indiscretion.

"Whitney... Whitney, it hurts so bad, help me," Ludwik's pleads were thick with desire, his voice seductively hoarse.

His voice was magnetically attractive, sending shivers down her spine, nearly making her ears melt with its sultry tones.

Initially resistant, Whitney's resolve was quickly breaking, sensing his genuine pain.

She knew that kind of discomfort all too well.

Suddenly, Ludwik's kisses trailed down her neck ferociously, his long fingers turning her face towards his.

"Mm..." Before Whitney could react, Elodie's questioning voice from outside made her heart skip a beat in fear!

Desperate to keep him quiet, she found herself enduring his kisses, even reaching out to softly stroke his tense back to soothe him.

Ludwik, much like a large wolfhound, calmed under her touch but grew more fervent in his pursuits, not pausing for a moment.

His kiss deepened, leaving Whitney breathless, oblivious to when Elodie had left.

Time seemed to stand still, and it wasn't until Whitney's lips began to throb with a mixture of pain and swelling that Ludwik reluctantly let go. He gently lifted her chin with one finger, then cradled her face with both hands as if it were the most precious thing in the world. His eyes, red and intense, were pools of emotion. "I never had any feelings for Elodie, Whitney. If it weren't for her using Phineas as leverage against me, I wouldn't have given her the time of day. Please, don't get the wrong idea about me."

His gaze was so dark and unfathomable.

Whitney paused, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. "She pressured you?"

"Yeah." Ludwik's expression turned icy, his disdain undisguised. "She knew how much I wanted Phineas's partnership. Threatened to ruin it if I didn't show up at her party, even had her father cause trouble for the Lippert family." Whitney was speechless.

Yet, she couldn't help but tease him, a smirk playing on her lips despite the situation. "Isn't it something, seeing you cornered for once?"