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Chapter_182
The tension in the room was suffocating, a palpable weight that pressed down on both women. Elaine’s mocking smile was the spark that ignited a fire of rage within Whitney, but she refused to let it consume her. She fought with every ounce of her being to maintain the composure that had always been her shield. She wouldn’t give Elaine the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Elaine’s words, dripping with spite, were like daggers. “You think you can just play the martyr, trying to win Ludwik’s favor? You’ll never have him. Not when I’m here.”
Whitney’s response was measured, each word carefully chosen to avoid the trap Elaine had set. “You’ll never understand him, Elaine. You’ve been playing your games for too long. But you can’t force someone to love you. You can’t manipulate their feelings like that.”
For a moment, Elaine’s smile faltered, but the anger in her eyes only deepened. Her voice, now tinged with venom, cut through the silence. “You think you’re better than me? You think you’re the only one who knows Ludwik? He’s mine now, and you’re just a shadow of the past. It’s over, Whitney.”
The sting of her words was sharp, but Whitney stood her ground. Her heart pounded, but her voice remained steady, betraying none of the turmoil within. “If you think that, then you don’t know him at all.” The bitterness in her words was unmistakable, a reflection of the hurt that still clung to her heart. “He may be with you now, but it doesn’t mean he loves you. He’ll never love you the way you want.”
The rage in Elaine’s eyes was unmistakable as she clenched her fists, her body trembling with barely contained fury. “You’re nothing. You’ve lost. And you’re going to regret this.”
A heavy silence hung between them, the sound of the rain outside the only thing breaking the stillness. Whitney turned away, her chest tight with the weight of everything left unsaid. She had no illusions that she could change Ludwik’s feelings now. But she wasn’t going to let Elaine break her. She wouldn’t let her win, not like this.
She stood tall, resolute, her mind made up. She couldn’t change Ludwik’s heart, but she could change her own course. She would not let the humiliation and torment of these past months define her. She would fight—because she had no other choice.
Elaine’s sneer followed her, cutting through the moment of peace. “You’ll see, Whitney. You’ll see just how far I’ll go to get what I want.”
The words echoed in Whitney’s mind, but she refused to let them settle. She had faced enough of Elaine’s manipulation to know that no threat, no empty promise, would make her falter. She was stronger than that.
As the morning stretched on, Ludwik remained distant, a wall of icy indifference that seemed impenetrable. Every attempt Whitney made to bridge the distance between them was met with silence, with a coldness that spoke volumes. It was clear—he had already made his decision, and Whitney had no place in his life anymore.
But despite the certainty in Ludwik’s actions, Whitney couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Elaine’s words reverberated in her mind, and Ludwik’s refusal to even acknowledge her gnawed at her. It was as though something deeper was at play, something she couldn’t quite grasp, but instinct told her that this wasn’t over—not yet.
Taryn had warned her that the battle for Ludwik’s heart was far from finished. And though every part of her screamed to walk away, to escape the turmoil, a part of her refused to give up. She couldn’t let go, not when there was so much left unfinished. She couldn’t abandon Natalie’s last wish, and she couldn’t let Elaine win without a fight.
The stakes were too high, and Whitney was no stranger to battles. She had already lost so much, but she still had her resolve. And as long as there was a chance, she would keep fighting. Even if it meant going through hell, she wouldn’t back down now.
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