Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 476

Right now, she was like a porcupine, all prickles and spikes.

He furrowed his brows, trying to explain, "Things were chaotic, she was bleeding, and I accidentally bumped into you..."

Chaotic?

"A little burn, a bit of blood, and it all happens to Florence, and suddenly it's a crisis for you?"

Whitney couldn't help but laugh, a bitter, mocking laugh. He really did treasure that woman.

And what did that make her? Just another blade of grass underfoot?

"She indeed mustn't get hurt right now!" Ludwik's face was cold as he placed the antiseptic on the table, trying to make things clear. "Whitney, I don't want to see you two at odds again.

I know you don't like her, probably because I left Danny the other night, and you've held it against her.

What you did this morning..."

"What did I do?" Whitney exploded, "Ludwik, you think I'm still hung up on you, jealous because of your heartless actions, and taking it out on Florence by picking at her? Is that what you think?"

"I didn't say that," his lips pressed into a thin line.

Yet, the constant conflicts at the company brought him to these conclusions.

At this juncture, he hoped she would back down.

Even if Florence was doing it on purpose, just for these couple of days, couldn't she let it slide?

But her sharp tongue and actions didn't seem like she was going to let Florence off easy.

Ludwik couldn't disclose the real reason, so he had to forcefully make his request, adopting an indifferent tone, "Florence doesn't understand the company's policies and procedures, she's just here to gain some life experience, walking into someone's office isn't a crime, so let it go."

"Do you really think she doesn't understand, or is she pretending not to know?

She provokes me, and I pay her back in kind. This has nothing to do with you, so don't flatter yourself!"

Her words couldn't be clearer; she didn't care about him, wasn't jealous. She simply couldn't stand Florence.

That indifference towards him, it stung, igniting his anger.

His words came out laced with a cold edge, Ludwik looking down on her from his height, "Fine, let me be clear then. Right now, I won't allow you to physically harm her, regardless of the reason behind the conflict.

And that meeting the other day, you already mocked her for just being able to make coffee.

Now with this morning's plagiarism accusation, everyone's saying she's incapable of competing with you,

Is this some narrative your subordinate started? I'm not sure..."

Whitney looked at him coldly, her laugh cutting through, "I need to create a narrative to deal with her?

Don't make her out to be more than she is, Ludwik. After all these years, is this what you think of me?"

Ludwik played a recording of their colleagues' criticism, "Someone said that your subordinate mocked Florence at the meeting. That's not false, right?"

"The truth hurts! Wasn't she making you coffee during work hours?

And this morning's plagiarism, she brought it upon herself, Ludwik, can't you see?

Why would she bring a poorly made proposal to my office, with the same cover as mine, if not to make Sandy think it was mine?

So even if she's playing games, you're enabling her. You want me to back down? Is that it?

Sorry, I'm not giving you that satisfaction!"

Whitney shook off his hand, dropping the antiseptic, and stormed out, her biting words like a slap across his face, making his stoic demeanor freeze.

In her eyes, he amounted to nothing, unwilling to endure even the slightest for him or for her mother.

And him, hiding the truth about his mother's leukemia to prevent her from feeling guilty, what was it all for?

Was it all for nothing?

In that moment, anger and coldness churned within him, his determination feeling foolish.

With a clenched jaw, he kicked the medical kit aside.

"Mr. Lippert...Ms. Sheldon fainted in the office," the secretary whispered at the door.

Ludwik, feeling drained but not allowed the luxury of rest, stormed out.

Soon, Sandy saw Ludwik rush Florence out to the waiting ambulance, with a bodyguard carrying her.

"Florence is definitely faking it!" Sandy vented to Whitney, "I don't get why Ludwik is so worried about her health?

A cough and a burn, she's not going to die from that."

Whitney had lost all interest in their drama, "Let's focus on the project. We have to pull an all-nighter, there's a big presentation tomorrow." She tried to make light of the situation. Sandy, trying to match her composure, sat down with the assistant, and they got to work.

-

At the hospital.

After a round of CPR, Florence woke up, but she refused the heart medication offered by the doctor.

Curled up at the head of the bed, her voice low and tearful.

Ludwik, lips pressed tight, tried to apply ointment to her ankle, but she pulled away.

Seeing this, the bodyguard moved to hold her ankle.

"Ludwik... I don't want the ointment."

"Then at least take the heart medication," Ludwik urged, patience wearing thin.

Her blood pressure was dropping with each measurement.

With less than 24 hours before she was due to donate blood for her mother, he couldn't allow any complications.

"I don't want to... Ludwik, am I really that awful?"

Florence's self-pity turned into a desperate plea, looking at the assistant, "Bring me my project file, I need to keep working on the proposal! Cough, cough..."

"How can you work on a proposal in this state?" Ludwik frowned, sternly.

"But... being accused of plagiarism, I can't stand it.

I know I'm not as good as my sister, lacking in so many ways.

She's set on winning the shares and the Sheldon Group, and I never wanted to compete with her.

But now, everyone's mocking me, looking down on me, it's too much to bear.

I've never been one to fight over anything, but this time...I suddenly want to win. Not for the shares, but just to prove a point!

Even if I die two years from now, I refuse to be remembered as a plagiarist.

Ludwick, can you help me out here?

The shares, they'll still go to my sister after I'm gone.

I just want to win this one time...

Otherwise, otherwise I... *cough cough cough*

She clutched her chest, coughs racking her body as she collapsed onto the bed.

The monitor's readings fluctuated wildly, and the doctor glanced at Ludwick, "Her emotional state is very unstable, constantly affecting her blood pressure.

And she won't let us treat that ankle wound; it's starting to get infected.

If it's still like this tomorrow, her heart won't be able to pump enough blood for a transfusion. Try to get her to calm down, will you?"

Ludwick looked at the agitated Florence, his usually stern face softened slightly.

After a long pause, he finally spoke-