Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Bryce was deep in thought, noticing even the Finance Minister spoke of Phineas with a sense of reverence. The guy must wield immense power, no wonder Wade had been bending over backward trying to get close to Phineas recently.

As everyone was lost in their thoughts, Ronan left the scene.

Seizing the moment, Bryce quickly turned to Whitney, "Whitney, I'm going to grab a drink from the bar. Could you please keep Mr. Nelson company?" "I was just about to have a word with her myself," Shane nodded in agreement.

As Bryce walked away, Shane's eyes gleamed mischievously. He nudged his chin towards Whitney, "See over there, Ludwik made it tonight too. I didn't send him an invite; wonder how he got in. Seems like he's desperate for that deal with Inko Group. But look at him, all by his lonesome, not a single soul willing to chat him up."

As Shane gossiped, Whitney couldn't help but glance at the man standing alone by the floor-to-ceiling windows, ignored by everyone.

Though Ludwik still looked dashing, most people were stealing glances at him, with a mix of schadenfreude, cold observation, or outright mockery. Suddenly, a young woman carrying a glass of red wine approached him, whispered something, and Ludwik, after a moment of hesitation, followed her into the corridor.

Whitney, puzzled and somewhat disdainful, thought, "Is he really that easy? Just any girl approaches him and..."noveldrama

Her internal criticisms were cut short by a piercing scream from the corridor, "Ah! Ludwik, how dare you! You drag me here to harass me? And you spilled your drink all over my dress, you brute!"

The crowd went silent, their attention drawn to the source of the commotion, especially since Ludwik was involved. Everyone seemed eager to find out what was happening.

With a worried frown, Whitney felt a sudden dread, suspecting Ludwik might have been set up.

"What's going on? Let's go check it out," Shane said, eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Rolling her eyes at Shane, Whitney still found herself rushing over.

At the entrance of the corridor, a girl in a now drenched dress was crying. Recognized as the third daughter of the prestigious Patrick family, a family that had risen to become the first family of Harmonia Country, some quick-witted attendees immediately came forward to console her, "Miss Patrick, what happened?"

Brielle Patrick, tears in her eyes, accused Ludwik, "I just saw him standing alone, so I kindly offered him some juice. But after a few words, he started to harass me. I tried to leave, but he grabbed my hand and dragged me here, intending to assault me! He spilled his drink on my dress, clearly wanting to embarrass me so I couldn't face others. How can I show my face after this?"

Brielle's pitiful sobbing drew sympathetic looks from the crowd.

"Ludwik, this is beyond the pale!" a young noble stepped forward, scolding Ludwik, "Miss Patrick is out of your league! Have you looked in the mirror lately to see your current standing?"

The room filled with accusatory voices, isolating Ludwik in an instant.

"Pure nonsense, what's going on here?" Jarvis and Wade approached, Jarvis with a smirk of enjoyment on his face.

"Uncle Wade, cousin Jarvis, you're just in time!" Brielle cried, "Ludwik bullied me. He dragged me into the corridor and tried to take advantage of me." "This is outrageous! Ludwik, to think you were once a top gentleman of Harmonia Country, and now you stoop to such lows. Are you trying to suck up to the Patrick family, or are you just bitter because they've surpassed you, so you take it out on my cousin?" Jarvis quickly condemned Ludwik.

The crowd's disdainful looks towards Ludwik intensified.

Jarvis smirked, "If you kneel and apologize to my cousin, we can forget this happened."

Wade, with his stern features, clearly agreed.

"You want me to kneel?" Ludwik's lips curled coldly, his gaze piercing through the crowd, "I doubt any of you have the right to demand that." "Just when push comes to shove, he still acts all high and mighty."

"The Lipperts have hit rock bottom, and yet he's out there, living it up, refusing to own up. Jarvis, tell him to hit the road."

Wade was pleased; with Phineas nowhere in sight, he could get rid of Ludwik before any confrontation.

He said in a mild tone, "After all, tonight is Mr. Wilson's gala. This might not be the best look."

"Mr. Patrick, why not? He never had the right to be here at such an upscale event to begin with.

The Lipperts are down and out, does he really think he can still snag a deal with the Inko Group?

I bet even Mr. Wilson wouldn't give him the time of day! Get lost!"

Laughter followed, and soon, many of the wealthy young men began to push Ludwik around.

Shane, watching from a distance, furrowed his thick brows, "This is clearly a dirty trick by the Patricks.

But, when the walls fall, everyone's ready to push. Whether Ludwik is wronged doesn't matter anymore; these rich kids just want to see him embarrassed."

Whitney's delicate brows knitted together. She really shouldn't get involved...

But seeing Ludwik being jostled around reminded her of him fighting for the Garcia Group's debts, stirring a flicker of sympathy in her heart. Such a cold world, the Patricks just wanted to humiliate him tonight, make Phineas despise him!

For some reason, she couldn't bear to see him defeated.