Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 779

Ludwik had popped some pills, and Whitney was being accused of being too close for comfort.

"Whitney, it's not like you haven't lured Ludwik before. You must've helped him out somehow," Elodie sneered, implying something more sinister was at play.

"Helped him? And what's this about Ludwik taking pills?" Whitney shot back, her gaze icy as she turned to Elodie. "What exactly did he take, Elodie? Your friend here seems to know a lot." The room went silent, everyone's eyes wide open.

Elodie glared at Sienna, wishing she could just kick her out for spilling the beans. She had the upper hand, and now she was suddenly on the defensive.

"Whitney, don't twist my words. We're talking about your scandalous affair with Ludwik, not about throwing accusations my way," Elodie retorted, fury building in her voice.

Whitney chuckled, her calm demeanor unshaken even as Ronan's face turned a shade paler at the mention of drugs. "Ronan, seems like your daughter might have resorted to some tricks to snag the man she likes. Mr. Nelson mentioned Ms. Miller was desperately looking for Ludwik. A young lady, barely in her twenties, going to such lengths at a party? That's bold. One might think, Ronan, that you've been encouraging her, no?"

Ronan understood the gravity of the situation. He had given Elodie his blessing to pursue Ludwik, but not through such dubious means.

"Ms. Valentine, let's not jump to conclusions. There must be some misunderstanding. My Elodie is a girl of good moral fiber!" Ronan tried to maintain his composure, offering Whitney a strained smile. Elodie, frustrated, tugged at her father's arm. "Dad, why are you being so polite to her? I haven't done anything shameful. If she spreads rumors, I'll make sure everyone knows about her and Ludwik." Before she knew it, Ronan's hand came down hard across her face.

This foolish girl didn't realize she had just admitted to wrongdoing.

Ronan knew the importance of maintaining a good reputation for his daughter, especially if he wanted to use her as a pawn in his political ambitions.

"Dad! Why did you hit me?" Elodie was in shock, tears in her eyes as she pointed accusingly at Whitney. "She's the one having an affair with Ludwik, and the bathroom's all wet!"

Shane stepped forward, trying to calm the situation with a smile. "Elodie, let's not jump to conclusions. I was just using the restroom, and things got a bit messy."

"Shane, are you even on my side?" Elodie couldn't contain her anger any longer.

Ronan, seeing his daughter's relentless pursuit to stir trouble, wished he could silence her himself. Tonight's debacle clearly showed Elodie's handiwork, and it couldn't be made public.

Thus, Ronan turned to Whitney, begrudgingly apologizing on behalf of his daughter. "Mrs. Lutz, my daughter has been naive. Please accept my apologies."

Whitney's response was cool and measured. "There's no need for apologies, Ronan. But after tonight, I'd think twice before attending another one of Elodie's parties. Being wrongly accused and then having one of the Miller family's maids try to push me into the pool? That's rich. And now, Elodie accuses me of having an affair. My reputation is at stake here."

Ronan's patience was wearing thin. Despite his efforts to smooth things over, Whitney wasn't making it easy.

But with tonight's events hanging over them, Ronan had no choice but to press Elodie into apologizing, hoping to contain the scandal.

Elodie, understanding her father's intent, reluctantly apologized, her anger boiling over as she stormed off.

Ronan was left to face Whitney, hoping she was satisfied with the outcome. Whitney, for her part, merely hoped Elodie's reckless behavior wouldn't bring Ronan more trouble in the future.

And with that backhanded thank you, the tension in the room remained, unresolved and simmering beneath the surface.

Ronan let out a derisive laugh, his heart burning with the desire to tear Whitney apart. A brat, trying to tarnish his reputation. Shane stepped forward to smooth things over, "Mr. Miller, Elodie's been wronged too. Why don't you go comfort her? Let's chalk tonight up to a big misunderstanding. No hard feelings, right, Whitney?"

"Of course," Whitney nodded in agreement.

Ronan gave Shane a look, finally getting it. Whatever mess had been made, Whitney wouldn't be spreading rumors. Fine, he thought, we'll settle other scores later.

With that, he swept out of the room.

Whitney and her crew made their way to the foyer, just as Bryce hurried over, having received a message from Ronan.

He'd been schmoozing with some public officials over coffee, finally getting to the juicy bits about the city's upcoming development plans, dreaming of snagging a piece of prime real estate for himself, when Ronan's message had abruptly summoned him to whisk Whitney away. Ronan had casually mentioned it was getting late, but Bryce knew a dismissal when he heard one!

He couldn't fathom what Whitney might have done to tick Ronan off, but here he was, being 'politely' shown the door because of her.

With a storm brewing inside him, Bryce caught sight of Shane and barely managed to keep his cool.