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Chapter_126
Whitney’s heart raced as she walked past the wall of flowers, the suffocating scent filling her senses. The sea of blooms seemed endless, and each one felt like a weight on her chest. She had been faced with so many emotions lately—anger, betrayal, confusion—but this? This was a reminder of the man who had lied to her, and now, tried to erase it all with something so impersonal. Flowers. A gesture, sure, but one that didn’t even come close to addressing the root of the pain he’d caused.
As Tiana’s voice echoed behind her, Whitney’s steps faltered for just a moment. “Seems like someone really wants to make things right,” Tiana had said, but Whitney wasn’t sure if flowers could ever make anything right. They didn’t heal wounds. They didn’t undo the lies.
The familiar signature on the cards only made things worse, stirring up memories of their time together—the good ones and the bad. Ludwik. He was trying to fix things, but he was doing it in the only way he knew how: with grand gestures, instead of confronting what was really broken.
Her fingers clenched into fists as she fought back the conflicting emotions. She was furious at him, but part of her… part of her wanted to believe that he meant it. That he cared enough to try. And that was the worst part. She wasn’t sure whether she was angry at him for betraying her, or at herself for still wanting him back.
Tiana’s voice broke through her thoughts again. “Are you going to talk to him? Or let this be enough?” The question hung in the air, and Whitney didn’t have an answer. She couldn’t talk to him right now—not like this. She wasn’t ready to forgive him.
She walked past the flowers, ignoring the pull of their fragrance, focusing on the cold, hard truth. No matter how many bouquets Ludwik sent, it wouldn’t change what had happened. The lies, the secrets—those couldn’t be erased with petals and ribbons.
“I don’t know if flowers will fix anything,” Whitney muttered, mostly to herself, but Tiana caught her words.
Tiana’s gentle advice resonated with her, “He’s going to have to work for it, you know?” Whitney knew she couldn’t let Ludwik off the hook so easily. She had to make him see that it wasn’t just about saying sorry, or showing up with flowers. It was about being honest. It was about trust—and right now, she couldn’t trust him.
As she reached for the door, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and for a moment, she froze. The message on the screen was simple, but it hit her like a freight train.
“I’m sorry. Can we talk?”
Her heart twisted, and for a moment, she just stared at the screen, her mind racing. What was she supposed to do with this? Her heart ached, but her pride couldn’t ignore the fact that Ludwik’s apology came too late. Was it enough to make her want to open the door again?
Tiana, watching her closely, raised an eyebrow, waiting for a response. Whitney could feel the pressure of the decision in her hands. But instead of replying, she tucked the phone back into her pocket and walked toward the front door.
“Come on, let’s get to the office,” she said softly. “I need to clear my head first.”
Tiana smiled, understanding the weight of Whitney’s decision. The flowers, the apology—none of that mattered right now. What mattered was giving herself the space to figure out what she really wanted. And the office? It was a distraction. A way to put the chaos on hold, if only for a little while.
The flowers could wait. The man who sent them could wait too. Whitney had to figure out what she needed first.
