Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 576

"Actually, if Whitney would just hurry up and marry Bryce, my threat would be gone," Florence spat venomously, her eyes simmering with resentment. "That witch, if she's already given up on Ludwik, why keep him dangling?"

"If she knew Sammy's been found, she wouldn't be under my thumb anymore."

"I bet Ludwik won't tell her, he can't even face Whitney now. Did you forget, Whitney went public with her new relationship? With the two of them at each other's throats, communication's practically impossible."

Holly pondered, patting her daughter on the shoulder, "Calm down. Besides, isn't Sammy a bit of a lost cause? How would Ludwik just hand him back to Whitney?"

Florence considered this, her frustration slightly easing as she furrowed her brows, "I need to find a way to test Whitney."

Just then, Myra rushed in, her iPad alight with breaking news, "Ms. Sheldon. Whitney tracked down the paparazzi who was stalking her and traced it back to you. She's hit back with a news piece exposing your actions, mocking that if you can't keep your man, you should look at yourself rather than framing her."

"What?" Florence's face hardened, trouble following trouble. That witch Whitney.

"Show me that tablet!"

---

At noon, Ludwik stepped out of a meeting at Pearl Plaza, uncharacteristically flustered with mistakes made not once, but twice during the conference. Parker and Felix waited to catch him.

"Ludwik, let's grab some lunch."

Ludwik wasn't in the mood, his mind elsewhere, "Felix, I need a list of the top psychologists worldwide."

Parker chimed in, "Looking for a shrink for Sammy? What's wrong with him?"

"I suspect he's been hypnotized," Ludwik's gaze deepened.

"That makes sense now. But it seems like the solution should come from the source. Ryan operated on his brain; he must know something. Don't worry, Ryan wouldn't dare leave him like that!"

"Every day Sammy refuses to come back to me, it's as if I haven't really found my son. Parker, can you understand that feeling? How do I explain this to Danny? How do I respond to his hopeful gaze?"

Parker remained silent as they settled into a restaurant on the second floor of the mall.

As the lady finished, some bystanders got riled up, "Right, if I wanted to shake off rumors of being the other woman, I'd also grab a man and claim he's my boyfriend. Isn't that a classic celebrity move to clean up their image?"

"These bosses think they can play us for fools, taking our money while living scandalous lives."

"With a brand nobody's heard of, let's boycott her stuff!"

Whitney clenched her hands.

Bryce stood by her side, surveying the scene, his eyes darkening, "Whitney, what do we do now? Our relationship is still under scrutiny…"

From the mall's escalator, Ludwik descended with long strides, his cold gaze fixed on the drama at the counter. He was about to intervene.

The woman grabbed Bryce's hand beside her, declaring firmly, "Just like I said yesterday, Mr. Lutz and I are genuinely in a relationship. Our connection isn't some stunt pulled in light of yesterday's gossip or for some promo. We've even set our wedding date; it's next month."

Ludwik froze, as if doused in ice water, staring intensely at her delicate profile.