Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 420

In that moment, the tension in the air was almost palpable, pressing down like a heavy weight.

Sienna looked up at Ludwik's striking features, her eyes widening in fear. "Why are you taking her side? She's just a bastard."

"I'm a bastard too," he replied, his lips curling into a half-smile.

His gaze was icy, and he lounged in his chair with an air of casual arrogance. Sienna's heart sank. It felt like Ludwik was defending Whitney, which felt like a slap in her face.

The grandmother spoke up, her tone displeased, "Sienna, stop harping on about her being a bastard. Ludwik doesn’t appreciate it."

"Indeed, I don’t. Let’s not hear that again," he said, his casual demand cutting through the air.

The grandmother mistook his irritation as a dislike of being reminded of his own illegitimacy. "Apologize this instant."

Sienna, pale-faced, quickly said, "I didn’t mean any offense, Ludwik. It won’t happen again."

"Apologize to the person you should be apologizing to," his gaze drifted away from Whitney, his expression unreadable.

Florence, however, knew exactly why he was angry. On the surface, she played the peacemaker, standing up to apologize to Whitney, "Sis, Sienna just speaks without thinking. Please don’t be mad at her."

Ludwik's expression darkened, and the grandmother stiffened, both turning their attention to Whitney. "Florence is apologizing on Sienna's behalf. She always thinks of others first. As their sister, don’t make this ugly."

As if rejecting the apology meant she was the unreasonable one.

Whitney's response was veiled in sweetness, "My dear sister is too kind, apologizing for Sienna's mistake. It makes me seem petty if I don’t accept, doesn’t it? Being called a bastard isn’t a big deal. I don’t care about titles as much as Ludwik does. What matters is living truthfully, not how many layers of pretense we wrap ourselves in."

Her comment was a subtle jab at everyone present, including Ludwik. His gaze hardened, feeling personally attacked even though he was trying to protect her feelings. Was she really this angry with him? He thought, recalling their past conflicts and the compromises he had made, which led him to Florence.

Whitney, sharp as thorns, always knew how to hurt him the most. He looked away, his heart sinking.

Florence coughed, drawing attention to herself, sensing Whitney’s underlying message.

Sienna, moved by Florence's gesture, protested, "Why do you always defend her?"

"Shh, let’s just keep the peace," Florence sighed, playing the victim.

The grandmother sympathized, "Whitney, don’t be so sarcastic. Florence is fragile."

"I’m sorry, grandma. Like my sister said, I speak without thinking. Please don’t be mad," Whitney replied, her tone innocent yet mocking.

The grandmother was speechless, caught in Whitney’s clever retort.