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Novel Catalog
Chapter_136
Ludwik glanced up at her, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held a spark of amusement as he continued scanning the documents before him. “Let’s just say, there’s more on my plate than you can imagine,” he replied, his voice soft yet sharp.
Whitney leaned back, watching him closely. She couldn’t deny the intrigue that stirred within her. Ludwik, despite his tough exterior, seemed to harbor a layer of complexity that she wanted to unravel. She didn’t mind the power he wielded—if anything, it made him even more captivating. The combination of ambition, control, and subtle vulnerability made her question just how much she truly understood him.
“You’re not one for slowing down, are you?” she asked with a playful tilt to her voice, her curiosity piqued. “How do you manage all of this without a break?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he continued to flip through the papers, his gaze focused, but his mind clearly elsewhere. Then, after a beat, he finally said, “If I stopped to rest, someone else would take my place. And I’m not ready to let anyone take what I’ve built.”
There was something almost haunted in his words, a hint of a darker side she hadn’t yet seen. Whitney felt a stir of empathy for him, understanding the weight of carrying so much responsibility alone. But she quickly masked the vulnerability in her thoughts with a playful smile.
“Well, I think you’ve earned a little downtime. You should at least enjoy your meal without being glued to those papers.”
Ludwik gave her a sidelong glance, a glint of amusement flashing in his eyes. “You’re always so concerned with my well-being, Whitney. But I’ll take that advice—just for today.”
His tone softened, and for a moment, she saw a flicker of something else: a hint of trust, perhaps, or even gratitude. It was fleeting, but it didn’t escape her notice.
She leaned forward, her eyes glinting with mischief. “So, what’s next on your grand agenda after all this?”
He set the papers down, finally giving her his full attention. “Well, there’s a matter of securing the next big project. A hotel chain is up for sale. It’s a massive deal. And then there’s—” He paused, as if considering whether to share more. “There are always more deals. More opportunities. There’s no end to it.”
Whitney’s curiosity deepened. “A hotel chain? I thought you already had enough on your plate.”
Ludwik smiled, but it wasn’t his usual confident grin. It was the smile of someone who knew the stakes of their empire all too well. “It’s never enough, Whitney. Not when you have something this big at stake. There’s always another mountain to climb, and I’m not stopping until I’ve reached the peak.”
Whitney sat back, a mixture of admiration and wariness in her gaze. Ludwik’s ambition was contagious, but it also felt isolating. How far would he go to build his empire? What was he willing to sacrifice?
But before she could voice any more questions, Felix returned, his usual professional demeanor back in place as he handed Ludwik another set of documents. Ludwik’s eyes flickered over the papers briefly before he looked back at Whitney.
“We’ll talk more about this later,” he said, the usual authority in his voice returning.
She nodded, sensing that she had touched on something deeper, something Ludwik wasn’t yet ready to share. But she was patient. In time, she would learn everything there was to know.
As Ludwik turned his attention back to his work, Whitney leaned against the back of the couch, watching him in silence. A quiet, unspoken understanding passed between them—there was power in their connection, but also complexity. And she knew, without a doubt, that the game was far from over.
