Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 477

"I've got your back. You need to deal with these injuries right now, take your medication, and replace a way to calm down!"

Florence tried to hold back her tears, but hope flickered in her eyes as she looked up. "Ludwik, are you really going to help me win the contest? Wouldn't that go against your principles?" Did he even have a choice now?

Those sharp, profound eyes of his looked down at Florence's pale and frail face, asking softly, "Do you really not care about the shares? Don't want to take over the Sheldon Group?" The room fell silent all of a sudden.

He wasn't looking at her, but Florence felt the chill in his gaze piercing through her face.

She had always hidden her intentions well. Had he sensed something?

He was the man in charge of the Lippert Group, a smart one at that.

Florence clenched her fists, forcing a bitter smile. "Ludwik, did you forget? I'm dying."

Ludwik's gaze hardened. In that case, her ambition was moot.

The man frowned, his tone cool and indifferent. "Just take your medicine and get your wounds treated."

"Okay!" Florence managed a forced smile.

He got up to go outside for a smoke, and as his tall figure disappeared at the door of the room, Florence, looking at the doctor bandaging her ankle, let a malicious smile creep across her face hidden by her eyelids. She had burned her ankle on purpose.

Step by step, piece by piece, setting the stage for Whitney's downfall tomorrow!

Because Whitney would never understand why Ludwik 'cared' so much for her.

She knew he had principles and wouldn't easily bend the rules for her, so she had to make her physical and emotional condition appear dire. Ludwik would have no choice...

-

Sunlight pierced through the office blinds, casting shadows.

Whitney opened her red and tired eyes; she had only managed half an hour of sleep, working through the night till 9 in the morning.

Sandy came in with two steaming cups of coffee and breakfast. "Whitney, go freshen up and eat something!"

"Okay."

Whitney pushed herself up, looking at the perfect jewelry proposal on her desk, a smile playing on her lips.

"You've worked too hard! You were practically alone for the entire second half of the night."

Sandy, comparatively more alert, looked at their work. "This proposal is going to win! Whitney, your dedication to jewelry has amazed me! I bet there's no proposal better than yours. Florence's amateur attempts don't even stand a chance." Whitney took a deep breath, her right eye twitching nonstop, an ominous feeling she couldn't shake off.

By noon, the S-T Group's general manager called, asking Whitney to bring the proposal upstairs.

In the large conference room, Whitney walked in, the general manager and two senior judges seated at the head.

Just then, Ludwik's imposing figure appeared at the door.

His height cast a long shadow, followed by an aura of cold authority.

The S-T Group's general manager immediately stood up, welcoming him warmly. "Welcome, Mr. Lippert, to our judging panel."

Whitney's heart skipped a beat. He was part of the judging panel?

She looked over at him with a wary and hostile gaze.

Ludwik glanced at her briefly, his look from above was cold but meaningful.

His brows furrowed, and he took his seat at the head without a word.

Whitney stepped outside, checking her phone for any work updates.

That's when she saw Florence's tweet from last night.

Two photos, both set in a hospital room.

In one, she was covered in a man's expensive coat, adorably taking her medicine.

In the other, Ludwik was sketching, his long fingers gripping the pen under the light, the half-visible side of his face serious as he bit on a cigarette.

Whitney immediately read her caption: "Mr. Lippert staying up late to help me- He doesn't want me to be sick, told me to rest and leave everything to him, teehee." Help her?

With what?

At such a critical time, what could he possibly be sketching?

A cold chill ran down Whitney's spine as she gripped her phone tighter.

"Sister, have you submitted your proposal yet?" Florence's voice chimed in.

Whitney turned to see the belated arrival, frailly seated in a wheelchair, clutching a thick file.

Florence smirked. "I've finished my proposal too. Now, let's let the judges decide which one is superior."

She wheeled herself in, placing her proposal next to Whitney's.

The secretary handed both proposals to the judges.

Ludwik, sipping his black coffee, looked indifferent.

The general manager opened Whitney's proposal first, visibly impressed.

But upon seeing Florence's, the judges were ecstatic!

"Nyx, your proposal is outstanding, far surpassing the assistant manager's!" exclaimed the general manager.

Outside, Sandy turned to Whitney, her eyes filled with concern.

Whitney put away her phone, her suspicions about being sabotaged growing stronger, but she was reluctant to believe it.

She barged back in, asking coldly, "General manager, may I have the honor of reviewing Nyx's proposal?"

The general manager handed it over without hesitation. "Assistant manager, see for yourself. Isn't it magnificent?" Ludwik lowered his gaze, hiding his thoughts.

He couldn't stomach his coffee anymore.

And Whitney, looking at the jewelry proposal that came unmistakably from Ludwik's hand, felt her world crashing down.

The designs, the selection, all bore his signature touch!

Florence's tweet wasn't lying.

He had gone to such lengths, breaking rules to indulge Florence, to see her defeat Whitney?!

In that moment, she felt breathless, her heart as if cleaved in two, wondering how he could forsake all his principles and integrity, just for Florence.

Whitney was utterly convinced that he wouldn't, at least not lose his senses over lust.

Oh, how wrong she was!

Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at the man before her. With a scoff, Whitney slammed the proposal onto the table, "Mr. General Manager, I must speak my mind, I doubt this is Nyx's own work. She's cheated! Someone's been pulling strings for her, and if you declare her the winner, I won't accept this outcome!"

Florence smirked from across the room. Her plan was to provoke Whitney by having Ludwik personally assist her with the proposal, aiming to win disgracefully and fuel Whitney's hatred towards Ludwik to the extreme!

The young girl coughed, turning to Ludwik with tears falling. "Mr. Lippert, my sister doesn't believe I could come up with such a proposal, accusing me of nepotism..."

The General Manager was somewhat embarrassed. "Ms. Valentine, this proposal was indeed submitted by Nyx."

"Just because she submitted it, does it mean she actually did the work? Yesterday, Nyx's proposal, which landed in my office, was amateurish at best. And today, she's made such an incredible leap? Do you expect me to believe that, Mr. Lippert? A former jewel in the industry lending a hand, and the sketches and plans produced are not something I could ever compete with. All to make his girlfriend happy, Mr. Lippert has truly gone above and beyond. But I'm not buying this proposal!"