Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 437

Tonight, Riley got roughed up by Ludwik, and it looked like Joanne had her sights set on Whitney. If Justin got involved... Ludwik would end him.

Jarvis mulled over the evening's events, the undercurrents between Ludwik and Whitney at the dinner table, and that look in Joanne's eyes... He chuckled, his face twitching but not a bit worried. "Tonight might just turn into quite the show. In the grand Lippert estate... Auntie, let's just sit back and see if Ludwik takes down Riley first, or if Riley gets the upper hand!"

Thea smirked maliciously, sensing an opportunity to benefit from the chaos. Then, something struck her, her gaze turning cold. "I don't like the way Whitney's eyes wander all over the place at the dinner table!" She had been observing the secrets of the Lippert family for over two decades, secrets that couldn't be uncovered by an outsider!

After dinner, most people were either playing cards or enjoying other forms of entertainment. The men continued their business talks. Whitney hadn't seen Florence around, and Sienna was still fussing over young Mr. Nelson from the Nelson family. Feeling somewhat bored, she played some children's games on her phone with Danny.

Half an hour later, a servant approached her, saying politely, "Whitney, Mrs. Camilla would like to have a word with you."

Ludwik's grandmother? Mrs. Camilla had been at the dinner table but left early. Identifying her, Whitney wondered what she wanted now. In front of the servant, it wasn't appropriate to ask questions or refuse. Thinking it over, Whitney stood up and followed the servant to the backyard.

The estate was vast, with various villas and small courtyards beyond the main building, bamboo groves, and water features shimmering in the night lights, obscuring the path ahead. They passed through several archways to a villa with a large swimming pool in front, its blue depths shimmering.

Whitney frowned. The old lady lived in a pool villa? Her phone was recording, just in case. "Excuse me, Mrs. Camilla..." Suddenly, with a 'splash', she was pushed into the water!

Gasping, Whitney struggled in the pool, which was at least six feet deep. Her phone dropped, and her plan to record for safety backfired. When she finally surfaced, before she could clear the water from her face, someone grabbed her neck! "Who?!"

Startled, Whitney panicked. "Let go of me! Who are you?" The person enveloped her from behind, a young body with forceful roughness dragging her toward the pool's edge. Gasping for air after a fierce struggle, she finally saw the face of the man choking her. Justin! Gone was the polite demeanor from the dinner table. His eyes were lecherous, eagerly gazing at Whitney's drenched form. After dragging her ashore, he pounced, "Whitney, let's play some grown-up games, huh?"

Whitney, choked and powerless, remained calm, her voice icy. "Orion, I'm not someone you can toy with. Think about the consequences!"

"But I have a thing for MILFS, you know, having had a kid and all. Really wanna try you out. Wearing that tonight, weren't you asking for it?"

Whitney clenched her eyes shut, realizing Ludwik's predictions were spot on.

"As for consequences?" Justin laughed as if he'd heard a joke. "My mom sent me to deal with you! Worst case? I end up having to marry you. A little older, but they say that's like striking gold."

Hearing this, Whitney was shocked. Joanne? Just then, footsteps approached from the other side of the pool, growing louder, suggesting a large group was nearing.

"Mrs. Sheldon, please, calm down! If the servants saw Whitney heading this way, maybe she came to Justin's villa."

"If she sneaked off to my son's villa, she must be up to no good! Mrs. Sheldon, your daughter, clinging to my son at the Lippert family dinner table, she's ambitious..." Joanne feigned outrage.

Holly? And Joanne? Whitney's mind raced, piecing things together. They were setting her up, Joanne sending Justin to sleep with her while loudly accusing her of seducing him at dinner. Caught in such a compromising position, her reputation would be destroyed. Whitney's face turned ashen as the footsteps drew closer, desperately fighting Justin off. But her breath grew fainter, unable to even cry for help...

"Crash!" Suddenly, a branch fell, momentarily blocking the intruders. Out of desperation, Whitney felt the grip on her neck loosen, and someone kicked Justin away! Turning, she saw Parker. "You..."

"Shh." Parker crouched down, covering her mouth, hastily fixing her torn dress.

"Son of a―" Justin cursed, getting up. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Son!" Outside, behind the tree barrier, Joanne's shrill voice pierced the air. "They must be inside! Butler, hurry up! This tree just fell; move it, don't let Mrs. Sheldon miss replaceing her daughter!"

"Right, if Whitney's really in there messing with Justin, how would I explain it to the master?" Holly lamented, her voice thick with concern and dismay.

"Auntie, at the party, she insisted on wearing that dress and wouldn't change. I knew right then she was out to lure men!" Sienna chimed in, fanning the flames with her words.

"The whole town must be out there just waiting for a show." Parker's gaze was stormy as he lifted Whitney, shoving away the overzealous Justin with a forceful kick and scanning the villa with a sharp eye. Whitney was trembling, her breaths short and panicked, her eyes wide with fright.

"We have no choice but to scale the wall, now, Whitney, hurry!" Parker hoisted her up, pushing her toward the two-meter-high wall. They hadn't noticed the shards of glass embedded on top of the wall, and Whitney's hand was cut the moment she touched it, her cry of pain muffled by her determination.

"Whitney!"

She bit back the pain, turning to him with a deep breath. "I'm okay, really, just go!"

"Run, they won't replace you here, but they'll keep looking! With you looking like this, if anyone sees... Head to the fourth villa in the backyard, that's his place. I'll let him know right now! He'll come for you!"

Whitney knew exactly who Parker was referring to, her dark eyes tightening. Then, as the archway was cleared, Holly and Joanne burst in with a crowd!

"Whitney!" Holly called out loudly, pretending to search for her.

Whitney's expression darkened, and she glanced worriedly at Parker, "But what about you?!"

Parker glanced at Justin lying on the ground, a mischievous smirk playing under his spectacles. "I'll just take one for the team, pretend to be 'you' for the night, let this idiot have his moment of fame." Saying this, he shrugged off his shirt, revealing a toned and lean body as he lunged toward Justin.

"Damn."

Whitney realized what Parker was doing, a sharp tug at her heart. He was truly a friend who'd go through hell for her, buying her time. Drenched and cold, she quickly scaled down the wall, sprinting into the night. However, she didn't get far before realizing she was completely lost in the darkness. As she turned, expecting perhaps to see a way out, she saw a figure standing right behind her...

And it wasn't Ludwik.