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Chapter_278
It felt like an eternity since Ludwik had been this overwhelmed, torn between disdain and something much deeper, something he couldn’t quite name. His eyes locked on Whitney, his breath ragged, as she stood before him with a coldness that mirrored his own.
Whitney avoided his gaze, her thoughts racing. She mumbled under her breath, “Sorry, didn’t expect you to look down.”
The space between them grew, a subtle shift in the air. Ludwik didn’t know whether to feel relief or something worse—emptiness. He had always prided himself on control, but Whitney… she always had a way of pulling him in, messing with his carefully constructed walls.
Without warning, his hand shot out, grasping her chin, lifting it forcefully. His grip was harsh, his voice laced with annoyance, “So, you say you’re not trying to seduce me? With all these little games you play, what exactly are you after?”
Whitney’s eyes flickered for just a moment, her gaze darting to the edge of the bathtub. A new message had popped up on her phone from Kelvin, and it was enough to bring her back to her senses. The weight of the situation hit her, clearing the fog of alcohol that had clouded her judgment.
Was she really drunk? Or had she simply been pretending? She wasn’t sure anymore, but the truth was that she had a motive—one that had formed in the heat of the moment. Tonight was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up, one where she could turn the tables, if only for a while.
Her voice, still laced with drunken mockery, cut through the thick silence. “Me, seduce you? What for? To be bored with Elaine’s leftovers?”
The words stung, sharp and intentional, but Ludwik’s expression didn’t change. He shoved her away with barely a flinch, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Get away from me.”
Whitney scoffed. “My mouth was clean before, and you didn’t like me any better. We’re divorced now, so you have no say over what I say.”
The tension between them thickened, and in a flash of defiance, Whitney kicked out at his leg, her voice laced with mocking amusement. “Actually, you like it when I’m unrestrained, don’t you?”
Ludwik’s lips pressed into a tight line. This woman was relentless, turning everything upside down. But he couldn’t deny the truth behind her words. His restraint, the control he had worked so hard to maintain, was slipping.
“Enough!” he snapped, grabbing her forcefully, pulling her to her feet. His words came out in a low, dangerous growl. “Don’t try these cheap tricks on me. I won’t touch you. I find it disgusting.”
“Then why don’t you just leave?” Whitney retorted, her voice dripping with scorn. “You’ve been with Elaine, haven’t you? You’re not fooling anyone.”
Ludwik’s jaw clenched, his temper flaring as he tried to regain control. The mention of Elaine hit a nerve, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he pushed back, his voice a harsh whisper. “If you’re so lonely, the parking lot is full of options. Or how about Bryce Orion?”
The words hung in the air, but Whitney wasn’t phased. She was playing her part, even if it was a game she didn’t quite understand anymore.
Ludwik’s eyes narrowed as she kept taunting him, but he couldn’t ignore the tension building inside him. His body responded to her in ways he didn’t want to acknowledge. Damn it, he hated how she could still get under his skin.
“You really want to push me, huh?” he growled. His fingers tightened around her wrist, making her wince. “Don’t test me, Whitney.”
Whitney smirked, though her heart raced. “I didn’t ask you to touch me. Let go, you’re hurting me!” She said it in such a way that it felt like a challenge, both to him and to herself.
Ludwik’s gaze darkened. Her defiance, her pushback—it was all too familiar. But her words had a double meaning. There was a part of him that couldn’t deny the pull, the old feelings rising despite the years of bitterness between them. The memories of the past—those moments of reckless passion—came flooding back.
“Didn’t you say I was all brute force?” he murmured, his voice low, as his fingers tightened again. “Not hurting you would be a disservice to all the names you called me.”
The words echoed between them, a reminder of their history—of their unfinished business. The memories of the moments they had shared, both sweet and bitter, stirred within him, fighting for dominance.
Whitney, her cheeks flushed, turned away sharply. “You’re a brute,” she muttered, her voice quieter this time. “I won’t speak to you anymore.”
Ludwik was seething, but he couldn’t fight the pull, the desperate yearning he still felt for her. He moved closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he hissed, “Which part of what I said was brutish?”
His lips curled in a dangerous smile. “Clearly, it’s your thoughts that are impure.”
Whitney’s breath hitched, her heart racing as his words sank in. “I didn’t think anything!” she protested, but the denial fell flat. His voice was too convincing, too real.
Ludwik chuckled darkly. It was a sound that sent shivers down her spine. “Fine, I thought about it. And so did you,” he said, his voice low and laden with intent. “But you’re not fooling me, Whitney. You’ve wanted this as much as I have.”
Her cheeks burned with shame and anger. She had never wanted to admit it, but Ludwik was right. The tension between them, the undeniable pull—it was something they both had been pretending didn’t exist.
“Shut up…” she muttered, barely able to catch her breath as he kissed her, cutting off her words. His kiss was harsh, desperate, as if he were trying to silence every lingering doubt between them.
The heat between them flared, but Whitney fought back, her hand lifting as she grabbed a silver needle from the counter. With precision, she jabbed it into Ludwik’s neck.
“You…” His eyes widened, but the world spun and his body slumped to the side.
Whitney took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she stood over him. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her expression hardening as she looked down at him, his body limp on the floor.
“Who said you could get a free pass?” she scoffed, her voice tinged with a dark satisfaction. “Jerk.”
With that, she turned, the echo of his fall still ringing in her ears as she stepped away from him. This time, she was the one who had taken control. She wasn’t going to be anyone’s pawn any longer.
And as she left the bathroom, closing the door behind her, a part of her finally felt free.
