Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 351

Whitney's gut was screaming that this man had something to do with Danny's kidnapping.

"Mr. Jarvis?" Whitney paused mid-step.

Jarvis squinted with a smile, "Ms. Valentine, up for a chat?"

In the secluded booth of the café next to Skye Gem Ltd., Jarvis was sizing up Whitney unabashedly. Not beating around the bush, he asked with a playful smile, "Ms. Valentine, you got a grudge against Ludwik, don't you?"

Where did that come from?

Whitney felt like he knew way too much.

She pursed her lips, scrutinizing him calmly.

"Not too trusting, are we, Ms. Valentine?" Jarvis smirked, leaning in. "Yeah, I've been following the beef between you and Ludwik for a while now. You've made some bold moves, like snatching Skye Gem Ltd. from his grasp, hitting back at the Bartels Group, and sticking around Orion Corp. Got plans for your ex-husband?"

"Sounds like you've got a proposal?" Whitney shifted in her seat.

Jarvis squinted, bursting into laughter before lowering his voice, "Talking to a smart woman is so effortless."

"I'm all ears."

"There's a shortcut to getting back at Ludwik and Elaine, the kind that hits them where it hurts," Jarvis hinted mysteriously, pointing at himself.

Whitney's expression remained unchanged.

Jarvis continued, "I'm planning to take him down. You're launching a project in his company, right? Perfect timing. An alliance between us, and I'll show you a few simple steps to get your revenge! Think about what he did to you, treating you worse than dirt. And to watch him marry Elaine, handing over fortunes to her?"

"Why do you want to bring down Ludwik?"

"You don't need to know that," Jarvis smirked slyly. "Just tell me, are you in?"

Whitney pondered for a few seconds, then looked up, "Give me some time to think."

Seeing her interest?

Jarvis raised an eyebrow, smiling deeply, "I'm sincere about getting to know you, Ms. Valentine. Just offering a helping hand."

Why he wanted to get to know her, Whitney couldn't figure out.

For now, she had her own plans.

Standing up without lingering, Whitney managed a lukewarm smile, "We'll be in touch, Jarvis."

"See you around, beautiful," Jarvis blew a kiss her way.

Suppressing a shiver, Whitney watched the enigmatic man. He was definitely trouble.

After she left, Jarvis's associate entered the booth. Jarvis gave him a look and scoffed, "Don't understand why I'm bringing her in?"

The associate nodded, "Elaine alone should be enough."

"True. But what if Whitney is indeed the illegitimate daughter of the Sheldon family? Estranged and all, wouldn't it be good to get acquainted early?"

So that was it. With the Sheldon Group's vast empire, Jarvis had bigger schemes in mind.

Jarvis chuckled darkly, "Besides, if Whitney falls for it, using her to get back at Ludwik would be our sharpest blade. Imagine Ludwik's face when he replaces out his ex-wife has been plotting against him all along. Shocking, right?"

A deviously perfect plan.

----

Meanwhile, Whitney, back in her car, dialed Tiana.

Tiana, with her computer open and fingers flying, looked puzzled, "This Jarvis guy, why's he forming an alliance with you? All I found is Jar Rail Corporation belongs to the Lippert family, top dogs in Harmonia Country. He's got deep connections. This guy's no simpleton! With a mysterious background, did you actually agree?"

Whitney had other ideas, "I'm convinced Elaine orchestrated the kidnapping. Now Jarvis pops up, linked to the case. What do you think, any connection between Jarvis and Elaine?"

"You mean to follow Jarvis's lead?" Tiana caught on.

"Right, if we can't get to Elaine directly, maybe this way we'll replace something. To uncover kidnapping evidence, Jarvis is a clue I can't ignore. Tiana, look into his recent activities in Banyan City, but be careful..."

---

In the Skyfaith Group's boardroom, stakeholders and executives sat in a tense atmosphere as the transatlantic conference screen lit up.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the solemn, commanding figure at the head of the table.

Ludwik smoothly navigated through holographic images, his gaze intense, "The new 'Sharp-F Chip' will hit the market next month. Simultaneously, we've been planning a major acquisition for six months, targeting Tyche Inc. and PotenTech, two tech giants. I plan to leverage the 'Sharp-F Chip' in negotiations with these companies, convincing their CEOs to agree to the merger."

The room held its breath, a mix of excitement and anxiety palpable.

Tyche Inc. specialized in aerospace, and PotenTech in renewable energy. If Mr. Lippert secured these acquisitions, a merger would propel Skyfaith to global dominance.

Even now, Skyfaith was a close second to the wealth of the Lippert and Sheldon families in Harmonia Country.

"But Mr. Lippert," a cautious shareholder interjected, "the 'Sharp-F Chip' is in its final, critical development phase. Premature agreements with these companies, if production delays occur, could antagonize the CEOs and lead to unforeseeable breaches and losses!" Ludwik closed the project file, his face unreadable, "Such concerns won't be an issue on my watch."

His knack for turning businesses around was nothing short of legendary. Three years ago, it was Imperial Gem Corporation. Now, it was Skyfaith Group.

No one dared question his actions.

"Meeting adjourned." Ludwik stood up, loosened his tie, and exited the boardroom.

Upon returning to his office, he found Danny sitting coolly on the sofa, clearly back from preschool, with a homework book untouched in front of him.

Ludwik, unbuttoning the top three buttons of his shirt with an air of elegance, glanced over and teased, "Not a single word written? What are you, failing school?"

Danny rolled his eyes and pouted, "Please, I was waiting for Mommy to help me with it. I didn't want to start without her!"

The mere thought of her, and then remembering Elaine coming to the office to pick a fight today.

Ludwik frowned, forced to confront the reality that he was on the verge of remarrying.

He sat down, pursing his lips, "Danny, Daddy's about to get married. It's not right to keep dragging you to see her."

It was as much a reminder to his son as it was to himself about his waning self-control.

"Do you really want to get married?" Daniel asked, clearly upset.

Ludwik turned to look out the large floor-to-ceiling window, where the evening sky blazed like fire, magnificent and sprawling. The orange clouds seemed to morph into Whitney's lips, painted in her signature orange lipstick, causing him to lose focus for a moment, his heart cooling and then aching, "Danny, she killed your brother. You were twins. Daddy never told you because it was too painful to speak of, and I didn't want you to hate the very word 'mother.' But the resentment between her and me is unforgivable. Your grandmother was saved by Ms. Bartels, and she devoted her youth to me. This wedding is something I owe to her."

But Sammy wasn't dead! Yet Danny remembered his promise to his mom, unable to speak the truth.

He had been kidnapped by Elaine, not saved by her!

But without evidence, confronting his dad about it, who still believed Elaine was a good woman, was futile.

Frustrated, Daniel grabbed his backpack and stormed off, "I can't deal with your issues, but I'm definitely not blessing you and her!"

Ludwik frowned, reluctantly getting up to follow, when his phone rang.

It was Nolan's voice on the other end, "Ludwik, where are you? Still slogging away at the office? Guess who I saw at the bar? Looks like Whitney, she's here with Orion, living it up single style, unlike you, the soon-to-be ex-husband." There was a brief silence over the line, then Ludwik pressed, "Send me the address."

Nolan clicked his tongue, "Your ex-wife, huh? Jealous much? She's not even jealous about you and Elaine."

It was precisely her lack of jealousy that irked Ludwik.

"Jealous? Me? She doesn't even know how to help Danny with his homework, yet she has the nerve to flirt around in bars. I'll show her how to be a responsible mother."

"... Sure, keep telling yourself that. Sending it now."

---

Whitney and Orion were in town for a jewelry exhibit and had just stopped by this bar by chance.

She hadn't planned on staying, but then Tiana sent her a message: "Jarvis's usual hotel is nearby, and he seems to bring a woman there often. You might want to keep an eye out?" Investigating Jarvis, Whitney's interest piqued at the mention of 'another woman,' narrowing her eyes.

She signaled Orion to join her for a drink in the lounge, her gaze fixed on the hotel across the street-