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Chapter_84
“Ms. Designer, if you’re sincere about your intentions…”
“I’ll bring my A-game, ma’am. You’ll be dazzled, I promise!” Whitney assured, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Claire, the formidable matriarch of the Lutz household, simply huffed. “That’s more like it. And as for the bracelet, it’s mine now. Bryce, show our guest out.”
Watching Claire admire the bracelet, Whitney knew she had managed to soothe the woman’s ire, at least for now.
Outside the hospital room, Whitney turned, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over her, but she stopped when she found herself locked in Bryce’s warm gaze. “Thank you for stepping in today, Mr. Lutz,” she said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the sudden attention.
“I’m Bryce Lutz, the second son. I’m a few years your senior,” he responded with a hint of a smile, clearly intrigued by her. “I’m familiar with you, Whitney. Right?”
Surprised, Whitney couldn’t help but wonder what could have caught the attention of such a prominent family. Her thoughts were interrupted when Bryce explained, “I spent most of my time abroad, so it’s normal that you don’t know who I am. But I saw you once at a social event, and I was quite taken aback by your beauty and talent. However, you seemed a bit too young at the time, and I thought it wasn’t appropriate for me to make a move.”
Clearing his throat, Bryce flashed a charming smile. “Ms. Valentine, remember your promise. Allow me to escort you.”
Whitney, still in shock, quickly replied, “I will keep my word. But I wouldn’t dream of troubling you, Mr. Lutz!”
As Whitney walked away, Bryce’s eyes followed her, narrowing slightly. He admired her in silence—stunning, talented, a rare find indeed.
A week later, Whitney was discharged from the hospital. She left alone, the silence of her villa a stark contrast to the chaos of the past week. With Natalie away at a wellness retreat and no sign of the man she thought she knew, Whitney’s mind churned. Was this his subtle way of saying he had had enough?
She could feel the bitterness creeping in. It was becoming clear to her that if this continued, they would never reconcile. Regret filled her heart—perhaps it had been a mistake to agree to date him in the first place. With everything that had happened, it seemed better for them to remain strangers.
Maybe it was time to move out. After all, it would be inappropriate to block him from coming home, and Natalie wasn’t around anyway, which would make things easier.
At Imperial Gem Corporation, Felix was sitting at his desk when he received a call from the nurse. “Madam left the hospital on her own at 10 o’clock this morning.”
Felix turned to Ludwik. “Mr. Lippert, Madam discharged herself,” he reported.
Ludwik’s expression darkened, but his voice was icy as he asked, “Why? Has she done her reflection?”
Amused by Ludwik’s imagination, Felix replied, “She discharged herself.”
Ludwik’s face froze, his anger barely contained. “It’s none of my business if she disappears off the face of the earth!” he spat, clearly irritated. “Who told you to report her situation to me?”
Felix fell silent, realizing that he had crossed a line.
Just ten minutes later, another call came in. Felix braced himself as he reported, “Mr. Lippert, the driver mentioned that Madam went out to house hunt. It seems she plans to… move out.”
The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the sound of a fountain pen shattering on the floor. Felix watched, wide-eyed, as Ludwik’s fury mounted.
“Damned woman,” Ludwik muttered under his breath. His expression was one of barely contained rage. “What the hell is she thinking? Find out where she’s house hunting, now!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ludwik stormed out of the office, heading straight for the United Realty Corporation building. As soon as he arrived, he found Whitney coming out, casually browsing for future reference. Her back was turned when Ludwik’s presence froze her in her tracks.
“Mr. Lippert?” Whitney greeted politely, though her heart raced at the sight of him.
Ludwik had been so consumed by his fury that he’d forgotten to mask his emotions, and seeing the smile on her face only heightened his anger.
Whitney felt the cold sting of his glare but recalled something important and quickly approached, smiling apologetically. “Mr. Lippert, are you free now? It’s lunchtime, and I’d like to invite you to eat with me. I owe you a thanks, remember?”
Ludwik’s rage flared, and his response was frosty. “You enjoy inviting men for meals? Can’t live a day without one? Get lost.”
Confused and offended, Whitney wondered what was going on. Was he schizophrenic? He had shamelessly teased her the last time they met, and now he acted like she was his enemy. What was his problem?
However, she couldn’t afford to offend such a powerful man, so she tried to explain herself. “Mr. Lippert, I’d really appreciate it if you would agree to have this meal with me. There’s business I’d like to discuss…”
“Tell her to get lost,” Ludwik snapped as he strode into the lift.
Whitney stood stunned, unable to believe what had just happened. Hidden from view, Felix, who had witnessed the exchange, shivered, knowing all too well that Ludwik’s wrath was a force to be reckoned with. Whitney had inadvertently crossed a line by seeking out “Ludwik” when she was still quarreling with her ‘husband’.
On the fifth floor, Ludwik, still seething, turned to Felix. “Where the hell did she go? Didn’t she say she wanted to invite me to a meal? Where’s her sincerity?”
Felix, speechless, replied, “Madam seemed to have gone to the ladies’ room.”
Minutes later, Whitney returned, contentedly munching on a baked sweet potato. Ludwik’s gaze darkened, and he glared at Felix. “She was buying a sweet potato? You lied for her?”
Felix, exasperated, responded, “Perhaps she was simply hungry. She’s pregnant, after all.”
Ludwik’s mood was a storm of irritation and concern. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still drawn to Whitney, despite everything. He watched her from afar, his chest tight with a strange mix of emotions.
“Send her up. I’ll grace her with my presence,” Ludwik said, his voice like ice.
Felix felt as though his worldview had just shattered.
Whitney, unaware of Ludwik’s internal turmoil, rushed upstairs, where she humbly invited, “Mr. Lippert, thank you for honoring me with your company. Shall we head to the French bistro?”
Ludwik’s face darkened further. “A French bistro? Such a fancy joint. You and your hubby probably never set foot in one, huh?”
Confused, Whitney pointed to the restaurant across the street. “It’s just convenient because it’s close by,” she explained.
Felix, watching all this unfold, thought to himself, “The boss is really full of himself.”
At the French bistro, Ludwik stormed into the private dining room without so much as a gesture to pull out a chair for Whitney. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu; his behavior reminded her so much of ‘L’. Had it not been for the time she had seen beneath L’s mask, she would have believed they were the same person. Their tempers were just too alike.
Biting back her frustration, she ordered their meal while Ludwik ignored her, staring out the window instead.
Well, at least his stunning looks helped calm her down, she thought.
Whitney got straight to the point. “Mr. Lippert, I invited you to dine today primarily as the general manager of Skye Gem. I wanted to address the slander in the news about me allegedly pushing fake diamonds into your supply chain. I sincerely apologize for any harm this may have caused your company, but I must make it clear—I didn’t do it! If you don’t believe me, we can go to the police station and confront Carter. The whole story was fabricated by my stepsister, Monica, to frame me.”
Ludwik paused, taken aback by her straightforwardness. For a moment, he studied her—her small face was stubborn, her gaze direct. Something in Ludwik’s chest, which had been heavy for days, shifted ever so slightly.
