Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 373

"I'll help you out."

Whitney wished she could just throw the food away.

She glared at him, "What on earth do you want, Ludwik? I've told you, you're not welcome here."

"Aren't you hungry?" Ludwik spoke as if he had made up his mind to be shameless.

He walked into the kitchen with two bags of ribs, extending his clean wrist toward her, "Help me take off my watch, will you?"

Whitney ignored him, coldly seating herself on the sofa to review some work documents.

Danny hesitantly glanced at his mom's indifferent profile before stealthily helping his dad with the watch.

Ludwik started bustling about in the kitchen, his proficiency evident from the systematic sounds that followed.

He knew how to cook, having shown off his skills three years ago. According to Danny, he had prepared almost every lunch for his son since.

But that didn't change the fact that he was a jerk, heartless, protecting Elaine, blinding himself to right and wrong.

The more Whitney thought about it, the colder her expression became.

"Whitney, where do you keep the salt and vinegar?" His deep voice called out.

After a brief wait, Ludwik peeked out from the kitchen, "Hurry up, Danny's starving."

With a snap, Whitney closed her laptop, fetched the condiments from a visible shelf, and dumped them on the counter.

"Oh, so they were here. I didn't notice," Ludwik said innocently upon seeing her mocking expression.

"Oh, so Mr. Lippert is blind!" Whitney scoffed.

Ignoring the double entendre, Ludwik's gaze hardened as he looked at her, "If you won't talk to me, I have to replace some excuse, don't I?"

"You protect Elaine every day, refusing to avenge our son's kidnapping. As long as you do, we will be at odds."

Whitney was straightforward.

Ludwik paused his cooking, sighing silently before turning to her with a helpless look in his eyes, "Whitney, how do I make you understand that I owe her..."

"Then focus on her and stop trying to have it both ways, acting like a shameless jerk. And I have no intention of going back to you. We're divorced, and I don't want anything to do with you. You have no right to interfere in my life." Ludwik bristled, "Is it because you don't want me meddling in your love life? In this city, there's nothing I can't handle, including you!"

Whitney clenched her fists, furious. Just then, Ludwik's phone rang.

He answered with a sharp glance still fixed on her, "Hello... Ashton?"

Whitney could hear Ashton yelling from the phone, "Where the hell are you? Big trouble with Elaine! She was attacked by a crazed fan who broke into her villa. She fell from the second floor trying to escape and is bleeding badly!" "What?" Ludwik's expression darkened, "I had assigned two bodyguards to her..."

"The bodyguards were absent. How could they protect her when you treat her so coldly? Get to the hospital now!"

Ashton hung up angrily.

Ludwik hesitated, then made to leave, but Whitney blocked his way, her eyes gleaming with scorn, "Elaine in trouble again?"

"It must be real. Ashton wouldn't lie to me."

Whitney laughed bitterly, "So, whenever you're here, she ends up in some accident? First, a gastric perforation from drinking at the trial, and now, a broken leg? She's good at playing the victim to gain your sympathy." "Whitney..." Ludwik frowned, "Don't speak like that about someone's misfortune."

Whitney's cold laughter echoed, her heart aching despite her resolve.

She stood with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow, "If you believe me, you'll stay tonight. If you go to her now, don't bother coming back. I won't tolerate a man who can't decide where his loyalties lie." Ludwik struggled with his decision, clearly considering Whitney's words.

Seeing his hesitation, Whitney coldly added, "If you're so easily swayed by her acts, have you considered how your indulgence might give her false hope and make her cling to you forever?" Ludwik paused sharply.

His gaze cooled, and he stepped back, finally speaking, "I'm worried about her, that's all. But you're right. Indecision gives false hope. I won't go."

Whitney watched him, emotionless.

Ludwik picked up the spatula, placing it in her hand, "Shall we continue cooking? And about what you said earlier, about me playing with feelings... does that mean you still have feelings for me?" He leaned in, a challenge in his gaze.

"You heard wrong. My feelings for you are nothing but contempt," Whitney dodged him, her heart skipping a beat. Damn it, why did she let herself get drawn into this?

She turned coldly, the mood icy as they finished the meal together, Ludwik's phone left forgotten in the kitchen.

The man's eyes flickered with a hint of resignation. "I already said I'm not going, are you really that jealous?"

Whitney couldn't care less about him; she was merely using him.

After sitting down for dinner, Danny quickly grew sleepy. Without offering to let them stay, Whitney left Ludwik no choice but to take his son back home.

At the doorstep of the apartment, Whitney handed his phone back to him and with a raised eyebrow, said, "Remember what you promised."

"Got it. I won't go. So, can I just swing by whenever I want now?" The man, pushing his luck, raised an eyebrow in return.

"In your dreams." Whitney snapped, slamming the door shut in his face.

Yet, she found herself looking at the door, her lips curling into an almost imperceptible smirk. The jerk had finally shown some sense of right and wrong tonight.

She dashed into the bedroom to catch up with Sammy.

-

Ludwik carried the sleeping Danny back to their mansion and tucked him into his child's room.

Taking care of the boy himself, he wiped Danny down before heading downstairs to shower. That's when his phone, which had been on silent all this time, slipped out of his pocket.

He noticed Ashton had called him dozens of times.

Ignoring the barrage of missed calls, Ashton sent a text with a photo attached.

The picture showed Elaine lying in a hospital bed, her left wrist revealed with a shocking trail of blood.

Ashton's text read: "Ludwik, I'm begging you, come see Elaine. She's been threatened and scared by a psycho, she's so traumatized. She hasn't eaten or drunk anything since you left and even tried to commit suicide while I was out paying the bills with the maid. Can you live with yourself knowing this?"

Ludwik's steps faltered as he stared at the photo, his expression changing.

The promise he made to Whitney flashed through his mind, a slim chance she had given him.

But... with Elaine attempting suicide, his face grew cold, and he grabbed his car keys and rushed out.

He'd calm Elaine down and leave; Whitney wouldn't have to know...

-

Whitney was jolted awake by her ringing phone not long after falling asleep.

It was Tiana on the other end, sounding somewhat helpless. "Whitney, I think Cherry's not adjusting well to the new place. She's come down with a fever, and I'm a bit overwhelmed here. Can you come with me to the hospital?" Whitney immediately got out of bed. "Okay, wait for me. I'll come pick you up at your place."