Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Florence stared at his unforgiving profile, nearly dropping her chopsticks. Her lips started to quiver uncontrollably. Holly also remained silent, too afraid to speak.

Jason looked stunned and vehemently objected, "You can't touch her... at least wait until the baby is three months old, so we can get a paternity test!" "A paternity test won't change my mind. I won't marry her, nor do I want the child. Dad, it's best if you don't get too attached."

Ludwik's tone was cold, chilling to the bone. He stood up, nodded at his grandmother, and left the table. The elderly woman, noticing he hadn't touched his food, couldn't help but glance at Florence. The atmosphere at dinner was tense and uncomfortable.

Florence, enduring the grandmother's stern look and recalling Ludwik's harsh words, lost her appetite completely. Her face turned pale, feeling extremely awkward, even though she had Jason as her lifeline.

Jason hardly touched his meal before setting his chopsticks down, hearing the sound of a car driving away.

The old man remained calm, wiping his mouth before standing up, "Don't worry about him. Florence, you stay here with peace of mind. As long as the child in your womb is of Ludwik's blood, the Lippert family will take care of you."

Despite the dinner ending on a sour note, Holly got the reassurance she sought. She was overjoyed. Florence, on the other hand, was deep in thought, returning to her room. She felt Ludwik's coldness stemmed from his unresolved feelings for Whitney. If he still harbored hopes, she needed to find a way to make him see the light, to turn his longing for Whitney into disdain.

Her eyes narrowed in contemplation...

The next day.

Danny invited Whitney to visit Natalie in the hospital, saying, "Grandma will be discharged in just over a week!"

Whitney felt indifferent but smiled, "Sweetheart, please give her my congratulations."

Danny frowned, "Won't you visit? Mom, grandma really wants to see you. She says her heart flutters not seeing Whitney." Whitney didn't elaborate, simply refusing her son, "Mommy's company is swamped. Just tell grandma, she'll understand."

Not only did grandma understand, he did too! Grandma was bound to be upset. Danny sulkily got into Tiana's car, bidding her goodbye. Whitney also got into her car; her excuse was genuine. Skye Gem Ltd. was indeed busy. Having recently moved to Emperor City, she needed to prate the local market. There were trade shows to attend, advertising campaigns to plan, and celebrities to endorse the brand.

Bryce called, "Whitney, have you arrived at Pearl Plaza? Nyx is rushing you. The jewelry display is ready, the mall opens at ten, and customers will start coming in. You, the stunningly beautiful jewelry store owner, should be there to represent your brand!"

"Okay, I'm caught in a bit of traffic..." Whitney brushed off his tease, "I'll hurry."

She still arrived late. Fortunately, Bryce managed the opening ceremony smoothly with Nyx.

The Skye Gem Ltd. booth in the mall was grand, adorned with luxurious decorations and dazzling jewelry, captivating many female customers. Whitney dropped her bag and paperwork, noticing a well-to-do lady unattended. She immediately approached, donning black gloves, “Here, madam, your hands are slender and beautiful, perfect for this three-carat diamond ring. It's crafted from a stone imported from Dubai, intricately cut. I designed it into a heart shape because I thought it matched its unique form perfectly. It will complement your elegance."

The lady, flattered by her words, tried on the ring, "Really? My hands aren't that special. It must be the ring making them look good. How much is this?"

"This is one of our premium selections. I wouldn't dare suggest anything less, fearing it might not match your grace. It's around thirty thousand dollars."

"Oh, your judgment is commendable. My collection doesn't have a ring priced below thirty thousand. You really know how to pick your customers. What's the brand of this jewelry again?"

Whitney's eyes sparkled, "Skye Gem Ltd., previously quite renowned in Banyan City."

"Oh. A smaller brand but with decent designs. Wrap it up for me! Are you a salesperson or the manager? You sure have a way with words." "Apologies, madam, but she's actually the owner of Skye Gem Ltd. She does look sweet and is very approachable," Bryce intervened, playfully ribbing Whitney with a smile and warmth in his eyes.

The lady blushed upon seeing Bryce's handsome features, "Oh, the owner! You're well-maintained! How old are you? Is this gentleman your boyfriend? Do you co-own the company?"

Whitney was embarrassed by the barrage of questions. Bryce subtly moved closer, whispering as she turned to package the ring, "Madam, with so many questions, which should I answer first? You're so beautiful; I bet you've never needed any maintenance."

"Oh, you two really match, such smooth talkers."

"I haven't finished. How can I tell? Because my girlfriend is naturally breathtaking. Don't believe me? Look at her face. Does it look like she's had any work done?"

As Bryce spoke, he affectionately leaned in closer, gently brushing Whitney's ear with his hand. The soft touch of his fingers made Whitney freeze. She lifted her gaze, finding herself partially embraced by Bryce. She wanted to pull away but reminded herself. Indeed, they were dating! This gentle contact, she had to get used to it, for Bryce insisted on not pretending.

Whitney remained still, stiffly. Bryce lightly touched her jade earrings. The lady's attention was immediately captured, "Your girlfriend's earrings are nice, making her look even more radiant. What kind of jade is this? It's so luminous."

Bryce whispered to Whitney with a mischievous grin, "You know, those earrings of yours could easily fetch a cool million at auction."

Whitney blinked, finally catching onto his playful jab. Her initial restraint melted away as she lifted her gaze and smiled, "Well, aren't you quite the salesman, expertly snagging a lady's attention."

"Is that a compliment, or are you taking a dig at me? You know well enough whose heart I'm aiming to capture."

With that, Bryce walked away, his laughter trailing behind him. Once Bryce's presence faded, Whitney found her ease again, diving into a conversation about the earrings with the high society ladies around her.

In the bustling department store, no one noticed the moment Bryce had embraced Whitney, captured by a lurking camera.

Two hours later, Whitney, the Sheldon family's heiress, was all

was out in the open, sparking discussions among the elite of Emperor City: "Isn't Whitney the very woman Ludwik declared he'd marry just a few days ago in front of the press?"

over the trending news.ing

"Whitney, as in Ludwik's fiancée Florence's sister?"

"Complexities aside, this is quite the slap in Ludwik's face. He's set to marry her, yet here she is, openly embracing another man. Either she's being careless, or she's deliberately making Ludwik look foolish. Is that her boyfriend?"

Soon, headlines like 'Ludwik's

bride-to-be Whitney spotted on anovelbin

date, sweetly embracing another man', 'Ludwik's love unreciprocated, as his lady appears to have another', 'Whitney caught cheating,

jeopardizing Ludwik's romance' began to stir up the public's interest.

Parker rushed over, intending to instruct Felix to hide Ludwik's personal and work phones to spare him the scandal.

But then, a loud bang echoed from the CEO's office...