Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



By the time Whitney and her group had vanished through the door of the tavern, Ludwik turned his gaze away. He tossed the small, transparent bag in his hand to Felix. Inside the bag, a few strands of Hugh's hair stared back at Felix, whose eyes briefly flickered with resentment as he watched Bryce holding Whitney close. "Mr. Lippert, aren't you going after her? She's the one you saved."

"Would that make any difference? Does she appreciate it?" She had slapped him in the private dining room. That was her response to his presence. A smirk played on Ludwik's lips, his eyes cold as ice, as he calmly made his way downstairs. "I'm off to visit Sammy."novelbin

"And Mr. Lippert, this bag of hair...?" Felix called out from behind.

But the big boss didn't respond. Felix realized, if Mr. Lippert didn't even ask him to drive to Ryan's place, then he must intend for Felix to deal with the bag of hair. It suddenly dawned on him. When it came to being stubborn with a soft heart, Mr. Lippert took first place! He had personally pulled out Hugh's hair for Whitney's sake, but did Whitney even know?

After leaving the tavern, Hugh managed to catch his breath only when he was back in the car, reaching for his head, a flicker of frustration in his eyes. He closed his eyes, his fist landing on his secretary in a burst of rage. "Get Ms. Sheldon on the phone immediately! Tell her to wait for me at the Sheldon Mansion."

The secretary, still haunted by the scene of Ludwik ruthlessly overpowering Hugh, immediately called Florence. Soon, the car ascended Brew Hill and stopped in front of the Sheldon Mansion. Accompanied by Holly, Florence sat in the living room, not bothering to greet Hugh as he wheeled in. Hugh's tone was caring and gentle. "Florence, how's the baby?"

"The baby is stable," Florence replied with a smile. But Hugh's gentle demeanor vanished in an instant. "Has Ludwik acknowledged your child? How has he been treating you lately?"

The question struck a nerve, and Florence's expression turned cold as if she were a cat stepped on. Seeing her daughter upset, Holly stood up, her voice laced with anger. "You finally speak with your daughter, and all you do is interrogate her. Regardless of whether Ludwik acknowledges Florence's child, she will marry into the Lippert family this year. Her marriage will boost our control over the Sheldon Group! By then, the Sheldon family will be under Florence's command!"

"Is that so? But Ludwik still protects Whitney! He hasn't shown the hatred for Whitney you'd expect, and he hasn't changed his ways because Florence is pregnant. Do you know what he did tonight?"

Hugh's tone was icy. Florence lifted her eyebrows, "What happened tonight?"

Hugh, growing increasingly agitated, his face turning red, "Whitney tried to get my hair tonight, planning something no doubt. I caught her, wanting to deal with her. But Ludwik intervened, taking me away. Not only did he save Whitney, but he also personally pulled out my hair for her!"

Holly's face turned pale. Florence bit her lip, disbelief and discomfort mingling on her face. "It's impossible... Ludwik wouldn't make an enemy of you for Whitney's sake, especially knowing you've taken over as vice president of the Sheldon Group. He's not yet secured his position in the Lippert family! Whitney is about to marry Bryce; he should hate her for the abortion. He couldn't know the baby is with me! Why would he help Whitney against you?"

Hugh looked at Florence, "Florence,

you need to understand, by targeting me, he's openly opposing you! That's why I ask, what exactly is Ludwik's attitude towards you? He took my hair, who do you think he'll give it to? Florence, you haven't won his favor. If you had, Ludwik wouldn't have been so rude to me tonight. He despises me, threatens me, warning that if I dare touch Whitney again, he'd destroy the Sheldon Group with my own hands! I could only watch as he took my hair!"

Hugh's chronic bitterness and frustration, finally seizing control over the Sheldon Group only to be thwarted by Ludwik, twisted his gaze into something dark and menacing. Holly, frightened by the sinister aura, froze. Hugh was not like Hudson, known for his broad-mindedness and responsibility. When his interests were attacked, his true, terrifying nature emerged.

Seeing her daughter's pale face, Holly stiffened, "Florence has already had a hard time. Without this baby, she couldn't survive in Ludwik's world. Hugh, you should be securing the best for your daughter, not blaming her for lacking Whitney's allure to Ludwik. So what if Ludwik has your hair? Without Florence's hair, Whitney's scheme for a paternity test won't succeed!"

Hugh pondered, his gaze softening, "Florence, I called you back to ask... Whitney didn't get your hair, did she?"

Florence understood Hugh's concern. She shook her head, confident, "How could I be so careless to let her get my hair? Uncle, don't worry. Even if Ludwik gives her your hair, she won't get close to me. I'll be extra careful!"

Holly added, "I'll arrange bodyguards for Florence. Try to relax." Whitney's scheme to secure a paternity test between her and the old man was thwarted; without both parties' hair samples, she couldn't expose the truth to the patriarch about her and Florence.

Hugh's demeanor remained tense, his gaze sharp as ice, "But if she gets her hands on my DNA, she'll have leverage over me. How can I then deal with Hudson in the hospital with such ease? You don't understand her true motive! What if she gets desperate?"

Hugh's concerns also gripped Holly and Florence by the throat. Holly instantly realized Whitney's actions were actually to protect Hudson. As long as Hudson lived, they would always be in a precarious situation. Holly wished nothing more than for Whitney to disappear.

"That little witch won't last long," Holly sneered. "Isn't Florence using Sammy to force her into marrying another man? Once she becomes someone else's wife, do you think Ludwik will still have a soft spot for her? If she dares to anger Ludwik, he'll take her out himself!"

Florence clenched her fists, her doe

eyes narrowing coldly, "That's exactly my plan. If Whitney marries someone else, given Ludwik's possessiveness, he'll either give up on her or... Whitney will haunt him as a ghost! Either outcome works perfectly for me. Right now, the only threat Whitney poses is that strand of hair. Uncle, she's not a concern. Once she's out of Ludwik's life, both the man and the Sheldon Group will be mine."

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Hugh pondered, pinpointing the crux of the matter. To prevent Ludwik from siding with Whitney against the Sheldon Group, and against him and Florence Ludwik must lose all hope in Whitney and let go. Hugh furrowed his brow, "Florence, you need to capture Ludwik's heart. The child you're carrying must make a difference to him! Jason's protection is only temporary; we cannot lose to Ludwik and the Sheldon Group."

Florence, seething with hatred, nodded, "I'm working on it!"

Hospital, late at night. Whitney had her stomach pumped. Cody arrived, his face bruised from a fight, carefully handing over a piece of paper, revealing two sparse strands of hair, his voice trembling, "Hugh's bodyguards beat us half to death, searched the shareholders inside and out, nearly didn't spare their hair. Luckily, Hugh overlooked my bodyguard!"

Whitney looked at the scant hairs in the paper, a shadow crossing her face, "Regardless, thank you, Cody, and the shareholders."

Tiana worried, "But these are just two strands of hair, do they even have roots? Was this all for nothing tonight?"