Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 307

Orion coughed deliberately, shooting a mischievous glance at her, "I wanted to tell you about him since I saw him this afternoon. But there you were, mingling in the crowd, looking all happy. So, I thought, 'Why spoil the fun?'"

Whitney could only glare in response. It was pure retaliation.

If she had a knife in her hand, she would have gladly made an art piece out of this infuriating man!

Always more trouble than he's worth.

She was speechless.

Just her luck.

Frozen in place, she feared that Ludwik might confront her demanding the child.

Yet, the man, despite his ominous gaze fixed on her and Orion, seemed to lack any other aggressive behavior.

Instead, it was Elaine's glare that seemed to strip her of her dignity.

What was their problem?

Unaware of the storm of jealousy brewing in Ludwik's heart, Whitney caught Elaine's increasingly dark scowl and stuck her tongue out at Ludwik, a mix of defiance and disdain.

Little did she know, this fleeting girlish gesture caught Ludwik's eye, stirring something within him, his gaze darkening.

In a moment, Whitney was off, her dress flowing behind her as she entered the throng of men.

Ludwik's expression turned sour instantly.

"Mr. Grant, good evening. Regarding the Gemstone Exhibit Project, our Imperial Gem Corporation is looking to partner with some top-notch suppliers. Your company comes highly recommended. Might there be an interest in collaborating?" Whitney offered her business card, trying to stay professional while hastily texting the nanny to keep a close eye on Sammy.

Adapting on the fly was her only option now.

However, the initially receptive executives suddenly turned cold after Felix approached with a few words.

Felix, apologetically, whispered, "Gentlemen, Mr. Lippert would like a word with the heads of the raw stone companies."

"Mr. Lippert wants to speak with us?" The executives were visibly flattered.

This was an opportunity of a lifetime. The Gemstone Exhibit Project was rumored to be under the Skyfaith Group's purview.

It seemed that even if Imperial Gem Corporation got the project, Mr. Lippert still held the reins.

The executives quickly excused themselves, flocking to Ludwik and leaving Whitney out in the cold.

"Jerk," she muttered under her breath, glaring daggers at Ludwik, who returned her look with an icy gaze.

Clearly, he was challenging her to approach him, to seek his approval like a beggar.

Not in a million years.

Whitney clenched her fists, refusing to bow down. She grabbed a glass of wine and mingled in the crowd, confident she could find business opportunities elsewhere.

Suddenly, a commotion from the crowd caught her attention.

A glass shattered on the floor.

Turning, she caught a glimpse of Tiana's pale face as she was being pushed around.

"Tiana, don't just bolt when you're called out," Endora chided with a fake smile, her eyes glinting with malice. "Mr. Uriah hasn't closed the door on discussing the partnership. It's just that you can't use the Melford name to bluff your way into deals. Stand on your own merits. Besides," she added with a coy smile, turning to Mr. Uriah, "Tiana's quite a catch, isn't she?"

Mr. Uriah, a man in his mid-forties with a penchant for striking deals and beautiful women, had initially entertained the collaboration for two reasons: Whitney's endorsement and Tiana's allure. He thought to leverage the partnership as an opportunity to get closer to Tiana.

However, discovering that Tiana had misrepresented herself was a setback, albeit not a deal-breaker in his eyes.

Narrowing his eyes, Mr. Uriah took a step closer to Tiana, "Ms. Melford, since you've misled me, a simple apology would be in order, don't you think? Perhaps we could discuss this further upstairs?"

"Let go of me! I'm not that kind of woman!" Tiana's voice rose in panic, her scream piercing the tense atmosphere.

Amidst their struggle, Endora gripped Tiana tightly, causing her glass to slip from her grasp and her dress to slip down her shoulder on purpose, exposing more than intended.

"Ah... please, no." The fear and memories of a past ordeal flooded back, leaving Tiana paralyzed with fear.

"Tiana!" Out of nowhere, Whitney burst through the crowd, her presence commanding attention.

She quickly pulled Tiana close, shielding her from further harm. Coldly assessing the situation, she saw Endora and Mr. Uriah, each holding onto one of Tiana's arms.

"It's okay now," Whitney whispered, her voice a soothing contrast to the chaos, as she gently stroked Tiana's face.

Endora, momentarily taken aback by Whitney's icy demeanor, quickly recovered, bolstered by the thought of her influential ally, Elaine. She scoffed, "Ms. Valentine, I was merely helping Tiana secure a deal. Why the hostility?"

"Hostile?" Whitney's laugh was cold, devoid of any warmth as she stepped forward and raised her hand.

The sound of her slap echoed through the room, a clear and forceful statement. Endora's head snapped to the side, shock and pain registering on her face as a red welt, marked by five fingers, swelled into view.

"Blood... You... You dared to hit me?!" Touching the blood at the corner of her mouth, Endora's voice was a mix of shock and rage.