Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 854

The reporters eyed him warily, their disdain palpable amid the throng of construction workers surrounding them. They pressed forward, relentless. "Mr. Lutz, why the evasion? When did your vendetta against Whitney begin? When did you start plotting your moves?

Whitney has already announced through the media that she's filing for divorce immediately.

Considering you're the one who cheated in this marriage, not to mention the domestic abuse, and with your Lutz Group facing difficulties from all sides, it looks like you don't stand a chance in this divorce battle. Will you respond to Whitney's lawsuit?" "Back off! Shut up, all of you!

My Lutz Group won't go under, and Whitney can dream on about the divorce. That witch and Ludwik conspired behind my back, now they're after my money, and you lot are targeting me instead of them? You're all blind to the truth!"

Bryce's rage was palpable, his eyes, once gentle, now bloodshot with fury. His tirade was captured on camera, making him appear demonic to the onlookers.

The reporter retorted with a sneer, "Mr. Lutz, the evidence of your affair is overwhelming, and you still deny it? The video Whitney released has been verified by experts. It's real, not fabricated.

And we tend to believe the chairman of Hudson, Mr. Lutz. You seem quite obstinate."

Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the crowd of workers.

Bryce, frantic and cornered, glared at the reporter, yelling, "You're just a spy sent by Whitney, trying to smear my name! Stay away from me!"

"Oh my God, Bryce has no shame."

"Really, he's quite the actor. He was blasting Whitney online this morning, trying to rally his unsuspecting followers against Ludwik."

"He hasn't shown a hint of remorse, has he?"

From a distance, Zayne shook his head, "Mr. Lutz, you see! Thousands of workers here are waiting for their holiday pay. You were eager to launch the Sky-Surprise Inn project, aiming for big profits. You can't just pull your investment now; that's their hard-earned money!" "I'm pulling my investment now! This is a Sheldon Group hotel project, go ask Whitney for the money to pay these workers, and give me back my investment!"

Bryce, losing all reason, attempted to storm off.

The workers were enraged.

Facing the prospect of losing their holiday pay, someone shouted, "Let's stop this greedy capitalist!"

"We won't let you take our money and run!"

"Domestic abuser, beat it!"

"Let's give Ms. Valentine some justice, throw eggs at him!"

The workers, fueled by anger, rushed forward, some throwing vegetables, others actually hurling eggs.

The reporters stepped aside, almost caught in the crossfire, watching in stunned silence.

"Bodyguards? Protect me, are you all dead?" Bryce was hit squarely by an egg, its yolk sliding down his face, blurring his vision.

The workers closed in, overwhelming the few bodyguards present.

The secretary, pale and shaken, thought, Why here, of all places? Now escaping this mob would be nearly impossible.

He quickly turned, shielding Bryce, whispering urgently, "Mr. Lutz, be rational. If you mess with their wages, these folks will go for your throat. They're throwing stuff and the press is filming everything. Your image is already tarnished, and this will ruin the Lutz Group's reputation completely. We need to leave, now. Staying here will only make things worse."

Bryce, realizing the gravity of the situation, suspected Ludwik's hand in this ambush.

As his heart raced with fury, he knew he couldn't afford to lose more than he already had - not just money, but his dignity.

"Mr. Lutz, we need to leave, for the sake of survival," the secretary implored, blocking blows meant for Bryce.

Bryce, using his bodyguards as human shields, made a hasty retreat through the crowd.

Once in his car, he caught sight of his reflection - a far cry from the polished business icon he was known to be. His mouth, when he opened it, was all blood.

The secretary, turning to help clean the egg off, accidentally touched his wound, eliciting a vicious slap from Bryce. "Blind, are you? That hurts!"

The secretary, struck and shocked, clenched his fist in silent fury, wishing he could escape Bryce's tyrannical presence.

"Mr. Lutz, we've received countless calls about compensations, and even the Fortu-Nova Bank's CEO has reached out. We only have about 600 million left in accessible funds..."

Bryce, slumped in defeat yet defiant, ordered, "Move 600 million into my personal account immediately. Don't touch it under any circumstances!"

"But if the shareholders find out..."

"It's my money! Keep your mouth shut," Bryce snapped, a warning chill in his voice.

The secretary fell silent once more.

In the dark, Bryce's face was a picture of malevolence. Wiping away the blood, he dialed a number. The first call went unanswered.

And the second, just the same.

He let out a scoff, pressing redial. This time, Wade Patrick picked up, his voice crackling with frustration, "Bryce, why on earth are you calling at this hour?"

Slumped against his car window, the man replied with a weary, shadowed grin, "Mr. Patrick, you sound so distant. I'm your most loyal ally, remember? Right now, the Lutz Group is in a bit of a bind, caught in a vice by Ludwik. I bet you're itching to tear Ludwik apart, aren't you?

Could you possibly lend me some cash? I need to pay off a loan at Fortu-Nova Bank. Don't you worry; you won't miss out on any interest.

Once I'm back on my feet, I'll repay you one and a half times over."

"Lend you money?" Wade chuckled, his tone laden with a deeper meaning, "Bryce, you know as well as I do the impact of Ludwik's new product launch on the Patrick Group. We're no more optimistic than the Lutz Group! Where am I supposed to find such a colossal sum?" "Mr. Patrick, to someone of your magnitude, this is but a trifle.

The fortune you've quietly amassed from the Lippert Group over the decades is surely more than this amount.

I swear, I'll serve you loyally for the rest of my days.

Now more than ever, we need to stand united against Ludwik!"