Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 856

Whitney sighed, her tone laced with exasperation, "Do you think I'd let him install cameras in the bedroom?" Ludwik's gaze darkened, "What about the bathroom?"

"Absolutely not!"

Whitney's face flushed with indignation, "If he did, do you think I could ever feel comfortable living there?"

"You didn't tell me about this at all."

Ludwik suddenly swerved the steering wheel, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Whitney was jolted by his abrupt movement, her soft hair brushing against her fair cheeks. She peeked at him through her locks, noticing the storm brewing in his expression, "What's got you so mad, Ludwik?" "What do you think I'm mad about?"

His question was gentle yet loaded with restraint.

"If I had known you were living under his watch, I never would've agreed to let you stay in that mansion! Whitney, if he ever spied on you in the shower, I'd gouge his eyes out!"

Whitney fell silent for a moment, her heart racing.

From the turmoil in his deep eyes, she knew he wasn't speaking lightly.

Her fingers twitched as she hurriedly explained, "Are you out of your mind? He didn't. I know how to protect myself."

Ludwik scoffed, "If you knew how to protect yourself, how did you almost end up choked or poisoned that night? I never want to experience that fear again. I hate that I didn't know the danger you were in by staying with Bryce. You kept it from me. If it weren't for Tiana and Parker arriving in time, and Sammy spilling the beans, do you have any idea what Bryce could've done to you? My woman, I won't let him lay a finger on you, not even a glance, without making him pay tenfold!"

Whitney stared at his determined features, feeling her heart tremble with a mix of emotions, eventually settling into a warm flutter.

She clenched her fists, reminding herself not to be swayed by his words.

Whitney pursed her lips, observing his brooding appearance and muttered, "Anyway, I got out of the situation safely, and I appreciate your help during this time."

"What do you mean by that?" Ludwik turned to her again, his tone colder.

She weighed her words, aiming to set boundaries-

But before she could speak, Ludwik abruptly pulled the Rolls-Royce to the side of the road and leaned in close, trapping her.

With no place to hide, Whitney's face was overshadowed as she tried to push him away, "Ludwik, what are you doing?"

"I'm about to teach someone a lesson about burning bridges," he said with a sinister smile, though his eyes were cold and fierce.

"You're teaching me a lesson? Stay back!" Whitney protested, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"So, you think you deserve a lesson, huh? Whitney." His hand brushed her cheek, leaving her shivering with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Helping me was your choice. If you didn't want to, whatever happened to the Sheldon Group would not be your concern. What gives you the right to lecture me now?"

"Don't you get it." Ludwik's forehead touched hers gently, his voice filled with resignation, "I cherish you too much. I would never let you suffer for the sake of business or profit, not even the slightest. I would never make you wait in distress, hoping for a turnaround. Even if I, Ludwik, were down and out, I'd fight tooth and nail for you, Whitney. A man's instinct is to love his woman. I don't want your thanks. If possible, Whitney... I wish to be with you, and our kids..."

What next?

He surely meant to propose they get back together.

Whitney's heart raced, her eyes wide and glistening as she stared at his handsome face.

She couldn't let him continue, not now.

In a moment of impulse, she pushed away his approaching lips, blocking his next words with her hand against his mouth while he kissed her palm softly.

"Damn." Ludwik cursed silently.

"Keep your distance and don't overstep," Whitney warned, her face flushed.

"Hmm..." Ludwik looked at her, his deep eyes seemingly drowning her, before he kissed her hand again and finally backed off slightly.

Whitney's blush spread from her cheeks to her neck as she leaned back, trying to calm her racing heart. "Bryce has already met his downfall. Let's just watch him unravel. Don't do anything rash that could tarnish our reputation. The Lippert family's products are just hitting the market; we need steady sales."

"Are you concerned about me? Worried about our Lippert family?"

"Not at all!" Whitney denied instantly, feeling trapped by his phrasing, "What 'our Lippert family'? Don't flatter yourself. I want no part of it." "Whitney," he said, echoing Tiana, "even if you're not ready, I'll wait for you. Besides, we're allies in this fight. Don't draw lines between us."

"Of course, I'll draw lines. You haven't made it yet. If you fall again, I don't want people thinking I'm close to you. I need to stay wise."

"Little rascal, who saved the Sheldon Group?" Ludwik pinched her, though he knew she was just spouting angry words.

He understood how tender-hearted she could be, especially towards him.

The man's thin lips curved slightly, his cold features warming as if touched by the thaw of frost, "How about we head over to Grandma's place? Danny and Sammy have been missing you, but they just can't bear to leave Great-Grandma after a couple of days. Don't make it hard for them."

Whitney was torn.

What did going to his place imply? It was all so ambiguous.

She couldn't very well agree out loud, but right now, with the kids as an excuse, she found no reason to refuse.

So, by her silence, she consented.

Ludwik, in high spirits, immediately started the car.

Out of the blue, Whitney asked him, "Did you hear about Bryce getting mobbed at the Sky-Surprise Inn construction site?"

"Really? Maybe the workers didn't like the look of him, considered him a street rat. Serves him right, I guess."

Whitney turned to look at him, her gaze fixed, "But Zayne said, suddenly there were loads of reporters swarming him for interviews. I wonder, how did they know he was at the construction site?"

"I have no idea." His denial was evident.

But Whitney didn't let it go, pointing at his sculpted nose, "Was it you?"

He fell silent.

Whitney glanced again at the dreadful photo of Bryce, feeling a chill, then looked at the man beside her, clicking her tongue, "You're utterly ruthless!"

Ludwik pressed his lips together lightly, "You forgot how he nearly wrecked me? What I did to him was just a flea bite. If it weren't for him, you and I would have been inseparable by now, having wrapped you around my finger countless times." That was harsh.

Whitney shivered inwardly, the entire scheme to ruin someone referred to as merely a flea bite.

But then, her cheeks flushed a deep red at his indecent words.

"Ludwik, just shut it," she snapped at him, clearly annoyed.