Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 523

The weight of her origins was like an anchor, dragging her down. But she was determined not to let it hinder her; she had to secure her future with Ludwik. She couldn't afford to lose her footing, especially not with the threat of the Sheldon Group's shareholders discovering her scandalous birth secret- the result of her mother's affair with her uncle. Would they ever accept Whitney back into the fold and cast her out instead? Absolutely not. Florence knew her position was precarious, and making Ludwik her husband was the only way to cement her place.

With a determined glint in her eye, Florence's mood steadied. She offered her mother a smile, "Mom, I know Uncle Hugh has always been kind to me. My harsh words were just a moment of impulse. Give me some time, I'll come around to accepting him."

Her mother, Holly, visibly relaxed, comforted by her daughter's words, "I know, dear. Hudson might have the looks and the brains to be a great father, but he's not. Hugh will be thrilled to hear this. I'll go tell him right away. To secure our position in the Sheldon Group, we must maintain a good relationship with Hugh, starting now."

"I understand. Go ahead," Florence replied, her eyes shimmering with unspoken plans as her mother left the room.

The door knocked, and Sienna peeked in, "Florence..."

"What is it?" Florence asked, recalling the task she had assigned her.

With a huff, Sienna closed the door behind her, her frustration evident, "I had someone keep an eye on Ludwik, and he didn't leave that tramp Whitney's hotel room until late evening! His friend and Whitney's BFF left the hotel for about two hours, which means Ludwik and Whitney were alone together for way too long. How could he disrespect you like this? Does he even care about his fiancée?"

Florence's heart twisted in jealousy at the thought of Ludwik trying to win Whitney back, spending hours at her side. Sienna, noticing Florence's distress, hesitated before adding, "And there's more. Some socialites have been talking about you... about how you went to the Lippert Group and got rejected by Ludwik. They're saying you're out of favor with him, laughing behind your back, claiming your engagement is just for show. Those girls, their fathers are all big shots wanting to ride on your coattails into a partnership with the Sheldon Group. Now, they're all waiting to see if you'll really become his wife."

Florence's fists clenched in anger and frustration.

"Don't worry about them," Sienna reassured. "They don't know the real situation like I do. It's all Whitney's doing, that fox!"

Florence managed a bitter smile, "I don't understand why my sister wants to fight over a man with me. But after all, she's still my sister. What can I do but endure? Sienna, our grandparents must be worried about me too, right? Help me reassure them. And... to mend things with Ludwik, we might need to involve them."

-

Without hesitation, Sienna moved closer, "How can we help? I'll pass the message to them tonight!"

Florence's eyes narrowed with calculation as she whispered her plan.

At Emperor City Hospital, Ludwik had arranged for Dr. Ivan, a renowned neurosurgeon, to treat Hudson. Whitney rushed to the hospital upon receiving the call from Felix.

After examining Hudson, Dr. Ivan was optimistic, "The situation isn't the worst. I'll use a neuroregulatory procedure to treat Mr. Sheldon. It'll take time, at least six months, but there's hope. Can you accept that?"

Whitney was overjoyed, "Yes, please do everything you can."

She offered to prepay the doctor, but Dr. Ivan refused, "Mr. Lippert has already covered the fees. Are you his friend? I'll do my best."

Torn, Whitney accepted Ludwik's support. She then asked Dr. Ivan to keep the details of her father's recovery a secret, instructing him to spread a rumor that her father would wake up much sooner.

Just then, Jared entered, questioning Whitney's intention behind spreading false information.

Facing her grandfather, Whitney stood firm, "Grandpa, who do you think would want to harm my dad? Do you really believe the police's conclusion about a disgruntled shareholder? I don't. There's someone else pulling the strings, and right now, Holly stands to gain the most from Dad's downfall."

"Grandpa, don't buy into Whitney's nonsense."

Just then, Emma stormed in, her eyes icy as she glared at Whitney, "You heard what Sienna said last night, trying to seduce Ludwik! With her track record, I'm not the least bit shocked she's bad-mouthing Holly. She's got a bone to pick with Holly, and I'm not about to take her word for anything."

Whitney rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. Emma was too far gone, completely brainwashed by Holly and Florence.

She turned to Jared, "Granddad, I'm

doing this to corner whoever's

behind this mess. If it's Holly, knowing Dad's about to wake up, she'll definitely make another move. That way, she can get her hands on Dad's fortune. And if there's someone else behind this, they'll have to take control of the Sheldon Group within a fortnight. Who could it be? We'll soon replace out."

Jared had an epiphany, his gaze at Whitney shifting.

She was smart, setting a trap with Hudson's illness to flush out the culprit. Perhaps she had more guts for the business world than Florence... "Also, Grandpa, please keep what I've told you today between us, don't even tell Uncle Hugh."

Emma's face hardened, "Suspecting Holly is one thing, but suspecting Uncle Hugh too? Impossible. Hugh's been disabled since childhood, introverted, childless - why would he want the Sheldon Group? We even pushed him to take over the company, and he refused, afraid of tarnishing Hudson's legacy. Stop

trying to stir the pot!"