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Chapter_250
The tension between father and son simmered in the back of the Bentley, a quiet, uneasy atmosphere that only seemed to deepen as Daniel made his playful remark. He rested his elbow on the car’s bar, looking over at Ludwik with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “You think I’m a gullible three-year-old, huh? A kidnapper, really? That woman clearly just had a thing for you. She was probably a nurse with a crush.”
Ludwik’s lips twitched in amusement at the comment. He glanced at Daniel out of the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth twitching as he casually adjusted his tie, a sign of him relaxing, just slightly. Felix, noticing the subtle shift, chuckled. “Danny, you forgot something—you’re still just three and a half! You’re easy to fool, you know?”
Daniel’s pride took a hit, his chin jutting out in both embarrassment and defiance. The mood inside the car had lightened, but it was short-lived. Suddenly, Ludwik sneezed a few times, and Daniel couldn’t help but glance over at him, a slight look of concern crossing his face. His tone was flat as he spoke. “Roll up the window for him, will you? The old man’s getting weaker by the day.”
Felix, feeling the sting of the unintended jab, quickly shot back in his mind, “Danny, your dad just got back from an andrology check-up with your mom. He’s really sensitive to being called ‘weak’ right now.”
Ludwik’s expression darkened, his sharp gaze locking onto Daniel as he muttered, “You’ve been unusually chatty today. Want me to toss you out of this car?”
Daniel, sensing the shift in his father’s mood, clamped his mouth shut, immediately understanding the weight that hung in the air. His earlier attempts at lightening the mood had fallen flat. Frustrated, he let out a huff, giving up.
Meanwhile, Whitney had parked her car, her mind still swirling with the tension of the meeting with Orion. Her phone buzzed in her bag, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Tiana. [Whitney?]
The sudden reminder of Tiana caught her off guard. She had called her the night before from a new number, since her old one had been disconnected three years ago. It was no surprise that Tiana hadn’t picked up immediately. Whitney hesitated, staring at the message, her fingers trembling as she read it again. Tiana’s tone seemed casual, almost unaffected, but Whitney couldn’t quite shake the feeling that things between them were far from normal.
With a mix of emotions, she replied, [It’s me, Tiana. I’m back, and I need to see you today.]
She tucked her phone back into her purse, her mind already shifting back to the task at hand. As she walked toward the restaurant’s private dining room, her thoughts remained heavy with the unresolved questions, her brow furrowed in contemplation.
Inside the restaurant, Orion lounged in his chair, his eyes glinting with an unsettling mix of amusement and calculation. As Whitney entered, his gaze lingered on her, and he whistled low, his grin widening. “Looking good, I see. Who knew you’d be such a knockout once you weren’t pregnant? I’d say my dive into the ocean three years ago was worth it—coming to rescue you.”
Whitney immediately shot him a cold glare, her voice cutting through the air like ice. “Keep your sleazy eyes to yourself, Orion.”
She sat down, cool and collected, her mind flashing back to that day three years ago when she had jumped into the sea with Sammy in her arms. Orion had been out on his yacht, watching her struggle, but it wasn’t until she was nearly dead that he had chosen to save her. When she woke up, she had asked him why he’d bothered, to which he had laughed and said, “Keeping you alive to use against Ludwik someday. Now that’s a sweet deal.”
Twisted, but true.
Since her return to the country, Whitney had learned that the Imperial Gem Corporation’s market value had plummeted by billions, driven into the ground by Ludwik’s ruthless actions. In just three years, Ludwik had brought the once-dominant Lippert family to its knees, and the massive corporation that Orion had stolen from him was now a joke in Banyan City. Orion, barely hanging on by a thread, was now looking for any way to avoid a complete collapse.
And now, he saw an opportunity in Whitney.
He slid a contract across the table with a sly grin. “Join Imperial Gem as a jewelry designer. The pay’s great. Just follow my orders to snatch deals, and we’ll both profit.”
Whitney’s lips curled in a knowing, almost contemptuous smile. “So you want me as a human target? Just by sitting at Imperial Gem, I could cause a stir, right?”
Orion smirked, clearly impressed by her directness. “Smart girl. No need to spell it out when you already know what’s going on. Don’t you want to crush Ludwik with your own hands?”
He leaned in closer, his voice low and conspiratorial. “You have no choice. I saved your life three years ago. This is your chance to get revenge. Ready to join me in tearing down his empire?”
Whitney narrowed her eyes, already aware of his manipulative tactics. But she also knew she couldn’t refuse outright. Not yet. She had her own plans, her own reasons for coming back, and this might be the chance to stir things up, even if it meant playing along for now.
A wry smile curved her lips as she took the pen and signed the contract without hesitation. Orion’s expression shifted from surprise to amusement as he leaned in closer, his tone now more intimate. “I never realized you hated him so much. How about marrying me instead? My brother has a good eye for beautiful women. You’re practically glowing.”
Whitney shoved his hand away with the pen, disgusted by his suggestion. “I have zero interest in you, and I haven’t forgotten how you wronged my uncle.”
Orion retracted his hand, settling back into his seat with a smirk. “Boring,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.
Whitney’s lips twitched in amusement. She knew Orion was rotten to the core, and though his eccentricities often amused her, she also knew he wasn’t cut out for business. If he had been, he wouldn’t have fallen so far in three years.
Curiosity flickered in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you hate him so much? Why go after him like this?”
Orion’s eyes darkened as he leaned back in his chair, a bitterness that had been years in the making surfacing in his words. “Who wouldn’t want to be the carefree heir to a fortune? But the old man didn’t like him. He didn’t want him as his successor. So I had to step up. I had to make something of myself—beat him, just once, right?”
He paused, a twisted smile forming. “Rumor has it Natalie wasn’t faithful when she married my dad. Ludwik’s parentage was always in question. The old man and Natalie had a terrible relationship, so naturally, he resented Ludwik. And guess who benefited from that? Me and my mom.”
Whitney blinked, taken aback by the venom in his words. The mention of Natalie’s name made her stomach turn, but she quickly dismissed it. The Lippert family drama wasn’t something she wanted to get involved in anymore.
With a shrug, she returned to the business at hand. “I’m willing to work at Imperial Gem and take on whatever tasks you throw my way. But I have my terms. Skye Gem Ltd. I want to buy it back privately, and you’re going to have to pay a lot for it.”
Orion’s eyes narrowed, his smirk faltering slightly. “Damn, you really are cutthroat, aren’t you? Why not have Bryce pay for it? Isn’t he wrapped around your finger?”
Whitney raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp. “You just called me cutthroat, didn’t you? Well, that’s only against you.”
Orion’s face turned a shade of green, but his sly smile never fully disappeared. “Isn’t the auction for Skye Gem Ltd. tomorrow night? Fine, I’ll go with you as your date and bleed some cash for you.”
Whitney didn’t refuse immediately. She simply picked up the contract, slipped it into her purse, and stood to leave. “Then send the evening gown to my apartment.”
Before she exited, she turned back. “Oh, and Ludwik’s going to try to revoke my medical license since he’s refusing to have me as his doctor. You’ll need to find a way to protect it.”
Orion chuckled, clearly intrigued by the prospect. “Doctor or not, that’s not the point. The real question is, can you reignite his passion?”
Whitney’s frown deepened, but she didn’t respond. Orion stepped closer, his voice dripping with innuendo. “Isn’t your uncle facing the death penalty? If I were you, I’d make Ludwik fall for you again, then ditch him hard. Let him feel the despair you’ve lived through!”
Whitney paused, emotion flickering across her face, but she quickly shut it down. “Spare me your rotten ideas. I’m not selling myself out. Forget it.”
Orion shrugged it off with a smirk. “You’ll see. When you hit a wall, you’ll remember this.”
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a more menacing tone. “Remember when you staged those two bodies by the seaside to throw Elaine off your trail? She bought the whole story. She probably doesn’t even know you’re back. What surprise do you have in mind for her?”
Mentioning Elaine made Whitney’s fist clench, but she forced a cold smile
