Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 356

"That bitch is going down, now that Ludwik and I are tying the knot," Elaine spat venomously.

Jarvis, cigarette dangling from his lips, swung his legs off the bed and strolled over to the window of the hotel room. The curtains were slightly ajar, partially concealing his face, but his dark, penetrating gaze was fixed on a building not too far off. His eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Uh, Mr. Doonan, I think our target might be watching us," one of his men quickly reported, nodding towards the high-definition camera discreetly positioned in the opposite building.

Tiana had already saved the incriminating footage of Elaine onto her laptop. Turning to Parker, she nodded slightly, her expression uneasy.

"Time to bail. Make sure we cover our tracks," Parker instructed. His man packed up the camera and severed the hacked connection to the hotel's network.

Tiana got up, eager to leave, avoiding Parker's gaze.

"Not even a 'thank you'?" Parker blocked her path, raising an eyebrow coldly.

Tiana stiffened. Whitney had asked her to gather evidence of Elaine's indiscretions. Jarvis was a tough nut to crack, and she feared being exposed going it alone. Reluctantly, she had reached out to Parker for help, knowing he had the resources and influence, as Banyan City was practically his turf.

Lips pursed, Tiana was worried about one thing, "Mr. Doonan, I hope you don't blab about this to Ludwik."

Whitney considered Mr. Doonan one of the few sensible ones among their bunch, not blinded by loyalty to Elaine. "So, let's keep this between us," she added.

Parker paused, seemingly amused, then stepped closer, "So, whose favor am I doing this for?"

Tiana was at a loss for words.

He eyed her with a mix of irritation and intrigue. "Is it Whitney who thinks I'm sensible, or do you?"

She hurried away from his imposing figure, heart racing. Tiana admitted to herself she had stooped low asking for his help, wary and resentful of further interaction.

As she turned to leave, Parker caught her wrist. His encounters in South City with Cherry had unsettled him. "How come a girl so much like myself ends up rumored to be my brother Barclay's child?" he mused.

"Tiana, I've stayed out of your daughter's business, but "

"What right do you have?" Tiana snapped back defensively. "Cherry has nothing to do with you. Don't go spreading rumors to the Doonan family, or else if Cherry gets taken away, I'll never forgive you!"

With that, she dashed off, leaving Parker without the chance to clarify. Parker, frustrated, led his men away.

---

Back at the Crystaline Hotel, Jarvis's sinister gaze shifted back from the opposing building, suspecting they might have been filmed. "Who could it be?" he pondered, glancing at Elaine and smirking at the thought of Whitney and Elaine turning on each other. Using Elaine and discarding her had always been his plan.

With a cryptic smile, he texted Whitney, encrypted: "Now that we're allies, it's your move, Ms. Valentine."

---

Nighttime at the Skyfaith Group CEO's office. Ludwik, back from a business trip, was going through some documents when Felix entered.

"Find out what Jarvis has been up to?"

Felix nodded. "After your meetings with the CEOs of Tyche Inc. and PotenTech, Jarvis also had secret meetings with them." Ludwik exhaled smoke, leaning back in his chair with a calculating look. "Seems like the chip launch might run into some trouble?"

He smirked at Felix. "Let him play his hand for now. Make arrangements in the background."

That smirk was icy, clearly targeting Jarvis. Felix got the message.

As Ludwik finished his cigarette, Felix presented a document. "Mr. Lippert, your wedding is coming up. Elaine mentioned she needs your approval on the guest list. Your father won't attend, but your uncle Jason from Emperor City will come with some directors from the Lippert Group to see Skyfaith Group. They might even offer to let you manage some of the family's companies..."

Ludwik's gaze narrowed. His uncle's grand gestures hinted at underlying motives. The unspoken truths about his heritage and why Jarvis targeted him were becoming clearer. Sighing, he rubbed his temple. "Handle the wedding arrangements; I don't want to be bothered with it."

Felix sensed Ludwik's growing disinterest in the wedding, his mood turning increasingly sour as the day approached. He glanced at his phone, noting the repeated calls from Elaine inquiring about Mr. Lippert's return from his business trip. Felix now hesitated to mention it. Stepping out of the office, Felix let out a soft sigh.

---

The wedding day was fast approaching, and it was down to the very last day. Ludwik had stopped returning to his mansion recently, diving headfirst into a frenzy of work, practically living at the office.

In the morning, unable to hold back, Elaine called him, her voice tender and cautious. "Ludwik, our wedding is tomorrow. When are you coming back? You've been pulling all-nighters for days. I'm worried about you not eating properly, and... your tuxedo needs a fitting..." Ludwik was at a dinner in Banyan City, momentarily taken aback by how quickly time had passed. Feeling somewhat troubled, he replied noncommittally, "Work's packed today, we'll see about tonight."

"Ludwik..." Elaine's voice trailed off, laced with a sob. "Why do I feel you're not happy? Aren't you excited to marry me? If you really don't want to marry me, then what am I supposed to do..."

"Stop overthinking; it's just really busy," Ludwik cut in, frowning. "I'll definitely come back tonight."

Elaine managed to hide her disappointment, cheerily saying, "My parents are here, I'll wait for you, Ludwik. Let's have dinner together tonight!"

"Alright."

After hanging up, Ludwik lost interest in the gathering, standing up with his tall frame and stepping out to the corridor, absentmindedly lighting a cigarette.

Upon his return, Felix saw Mr. Lippert start drinking. He hardly refused the drinks pushed his way by business partners, seemingly burdened with thoughts. Nearly drunk, he even asked Felix, "Has Whitney... contacted you recently?" Felix was taken aback; why would Ms. Valentine contact him?

Ludwik's gaze fell. "I mean, regarding the Gemstone Exhibit Project."

Felix shook his head. "Ms. Valentine hasn't been around the company for the Gemstone Exhibit Project lately."

Ludwik scoffed, his wedding impending, and a certain woman avoiding him like the plague, heartlessly cutting off all business dealings!

---

Meanwhile, Whitney had just entered the Skyfaith Group building. Holding a document folder thick with project proposals, one of which had been secretly handed to her by Jarvis. The text message read: It's your move. Jarvis had instructed her to sneak 'this problematic document' into Ludwik's office by any means necessary.