Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_62
The man’s eyebrows arched slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and a sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “Oh? Are you getting all snarky because you’re jealous?” His voice was teasing, yet there was an edge to it. “Wasn’t it you who planned to leave after a year? What’s changed?”
He rubbed his chin with a mock serious expression, as though deep in thought. “I’ve got to think about the kid and myself, you know? The baby needs a mother, and I can’t go on forever without a woman by my side. Elaine seems pretty decent.”
Whitney barely had time to register his words before they hit her like a wave. Since when does a man imply that he’d die without a woman by his side?
His words lingered in her mind, drawing her attention to her still-flat stomach. The realization sank in slowly, the seed of his words sprouting silently within her. For the first time, she allowed herself to think about the stepmother issue—after the baby was born. A cold pang of discomfort prickled at her heart.
Was Ludwik already planning to find the child a stepmother, just waiting for her to leave? The thought sent a jolt of pain through her chest. She clenched her fists, feeling the anger bubbling up inside her. All the while, she had been the one insisting on keeping her distance, refusing to fall too deeply into this mess. Yet, his practicality cut through all her carefully constructed walls.
A stepmother for her child? Over her dead body.
Fear and loss flashed in her eyes, her chest tight, as she tried to blink back the tears threatening to fall. Her emotions were a tangled mess, too complicated to unravel right now. She didn’t want to feel this vulnerable, didn’t want to care about his plans for the future. But it was impossible to ignore the sting.
Ludwik paused, sensing her sudden change in demeanor. He had gone too far, he knew that now. But his expression remained unreadable. He was always the rational one, pragmatic and detached. He wasn’t prepared to confront the weight of her feelings. Not now.
He reached out, his hand brushing her ear gently, as if offering some small comfort. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice low, a faint trace of indifference mixed with something else. Maybe concern, or maybe just curiosity. But she was too far gone in her own thoughts to care.
She pushed him away roughly, irritated, and spat out, “I’m just a house worker, right? Don’t touch me.”
Her words stung, and his gaze darkened with a flicker of amusement. It was almost as though he were enjoying her discomfort. But before he could respond, Elaine appeared, having witnessed the tail end of his touch on Whitney’s hair. Elaine had always seen Ludwik as cold and calculating—especially in business—but this… this was something new. She had never seen him show this kind of tenderness before.
Elaine’s fingers curled into a fist, her smile trying to mask the anger inside. “I’ve got the tickets!” she said brightly, though the tension in her voice was unmistakable. “Oh, I forgot to grab the worker’s ticket. Should I go back for it?”
“No need to bother, thanks.” Whitney wasn’t interested in the three of them sharing a hot tub. The sight of Ludwik with Elaine, acting so familiar, so comfortable—it was more than she could handle. She shrugged off his hand and marched toward the open-air camp nearby, her footsteps quick and purposeful.
Elaine, undeterred, flashed a hopeful glance at Ludwik. “Bro, shall we…?” Her voice trailed off, but she quickly caught the indifferent look he shot her way. The softness he had once shown Whitney was now completely gone. Ludwik turned his gaze away from her and said, “Elaine, go ahead without me.”
And with that, he walked toward the camp without looking back.
Elaine stood frozen, her jaw clenched, the weight of the situation settling in. She had seen enough today to realize that Ludwik’s feelings for Whitney ran deeper than she had thought. But why should she care? This was all part of the contract, a business arrangement. Wasn’t that all this was supposed to be? A contract marriage with no real emotions involved. So, why did it hurt so much to see Whitney in the picture?
Elaine’s lips curled into a calculated smile, her eyes narrowing with a cold gleam. She wouldn’t let this interloper stand in her way. Not now, not ever.
The camp was alive with activity, a European-style barbecue party in full swing. Tables were set with all sorts of grilled meats and sweet treats. The air was crisp, the chill of the evening starting to set in. Whitney wrapped herself in an apricot-colored sweater dress, soft but not nearly warm enough for the cooling air.
“Bro, it’s so cold out here,” Elaine’s voice floated over to her, drawing Whitney’s attention. Beneath an umbrella, Ludwik sat with his legs crossed, looking effortlessly relaxed. Elaine was beside him, peeling a lychee and offering it to his lips.
Ludwik frowned at the gesture, clearly unimpressed. Elaine, however, was all smiles. She leaned in closer, her voice a little too sweet. “Act your part. She’s watching.”
Ludwik glanced toward Whitney, who was staring at them from a distance. Caught in the gaze, Whitney froze for a moment. She wasn’t going to look away, not this time. Despite herself, she watched as Ludwik casually accepted the lychee from Elaine’s hand, feigning indifference. Elaine, with her feigned bashfulness, even complained, “Oh, you bit my finger!”
Ludwik’s voice held a note of amusement as he replied, “Did I?”
The playful tone echoed in Whitney’s mind, and the sting of jealousy twisted inside her. She couldn’t shake the image of him with Elaine, so comfortable, so affectionate. Meanwhile, she was left standing here, in the cold, alone.
Ludwik’s eyes met hers again, and he saw the frustration flicker across her face. His lips twitched into a smirk. “You said you were cold,” he said, his voice almost too calm. He reached over and draped his coat over Elaine’s shoulders with exaggerated care. “Don’t freeze.”
Elaine responded with a feigned gasp of surprise, her voice quivering in exaggerated shock. “Bro, I’ll always remember this moment,” she said, her eyes sparkling with artificial affection.
Ludwik’s response was dry, “Silly girl.”
Whitney stood in the distance, her face drained of color. She was still shivering from the cold, but what truly stung was the sight of Ludwik giving his coat to Elaine, while she stood there, pregnant with his child, without even a second thought.
A surge of bitterness swept over her, biting colder than the evening air. How could he? Knowing about her pregnancy, yet giving his attention, his warmth, to someone else?
Her heart clenched as she turned away, walking toward the grill area. She needed to escape, to do something to rid herself of the choking feeling in her chest. Grabbing a handful of spicy skewers from the grill, she sat down on the grass, her mouth burning as she shoved the food into her mouth, trying to suppress the tightness in her throat. The heat of the spices only made it worse.
Suddenly, something rolled against her foot, and she looked up to see Ludwik standing over her, his brows furrowed in concern.
“What are you eating?” he asked, his voice laced with disapproval.
Whitney didn’t even look at him. “Are you blind?” she snapped, tossing the corn cob he’d kicked toward her right back at his shins.
He grimaced but didn’t move. Instead, he crouched down in front of her, his eyes narrowing. “You’re feeding my child spicy food?” he asked, his tone hard, bordering on reprimanding.
Whitney rolled her eyes. “Oh, so now you remember you have a child? I thought you couldn’t wait to start a family with Elaine. Perfect. The child can be all mine,” she retorted, bitterness creeping into her voice.
His lips curled into a tight smile. “What’s gotten into you? So fiery all of a sudden?” He snatched the skewer from her hand and placed it aside. “You can’t eat this. Give it to me.”
Whitney pulled the skewer back defensively. “I want to eat it! I grilled these myself. I’d rather feed them to a dog than to a philanderer’s mistress.”
He chuckled darkly, amused by her defiance. “So now we have a little pup gnawing on bread?”
Whitney froze at the mocking tone. Her eyes widened, the awkwardness of the situation clear on her face. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, a mix of anger and embarrassment. “Stop laughing at me,” she snapped, her voice trembling with frustration.
Ludwik, swallowing his laughter, simply observed her. She looked like a feisty little kitten, all puffed up with indignation. He couldn’t help but admire her fiery spirit, even if it made his pulse race in a way he hadn’t expected. But still, he couldn’t resist teasing her just a little more.
With a sly grin, he said, “Alright, I won’t share my food with my mistress. Nanny, grill me some corn on the cob.”
He reached for the corn, but Whitney swatted his hand away, her eyes glaring at him. “Didn’t you almost choke on the lychee earlier?”
Ludwik clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Look at you, all sharp-tongued and sour. Where’s the grace of a young lady? What’s gotten into you, huh? Angry? Jealous?”
Whitney didn’t answer. She just stared at him, her body tense, her heart a riot of emotions she couldn’t quite control.
