Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Underneath the towering facade of Lippert Enterprises.

Whitney parked her car, momentarily lost in a daze.

She never thought, after being rescued from that deserted island, she'd ever cross paths with Ludwik again.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans, forcing her once more into the world of the Lippert family.

Yet...

The once-thriving Lippert Enterprises appeared to have lost its former glory.

The reception desk, usually manned by three cheerful receptionists, along with the security guard, was eerily vacant.

An unsettling sense of panic seemed to pervade the air.

As Whitney watched the elevator doors open, several employees hurried out, boxes in arms.

She instinctively raised her sleeve to cover her face, hoping not to be recognized.

But it seemed they were too preoccupied to notice her, murmuring among themselves, "I just got a call from HR over at Patrick Enterprises. They're offering to triple my salary to jump ship. It's not that I'm ungrateful, but when I checked with Lippert's finance department about this quarter's bonus, they said Mr. Lippert is prioritizing settlements first! Looks like our bonuses and salaries will be delayed. Patrick Enterprises seems like a brighter prospect now, I better leave."

"Jarvis, the GM of Patrick Enterprises, even called me personally. Leaving sooner seems better. Mr. Lippert is out of moves. For us professionals, staying here is just a waste of potential, a surefire way to ruin our future."

"Hold it right there!" a figure resembling a high-ranking executive burst out, attempting to stop the resigning employees, "Did you even submit your resignation to Mr. Lippert? When times were good, you enjoyed the highest salaries in the industry. Now, at the first sign of trouble, you dare to leave without notice. Do you think Mr. Lippert won't hear about this?"

“Keith, go ahead and tell him. I doubt Mr. Lippert has the time to care about us. We're definitely not staying. It's better to secure a good position at Patrick Enterprises now rather than waiting to be fired or starve here."

The manager, Keith, cursed in frustration, "Ingrates! Has Mr. Lippert ever let you down? All those bonuses he handed out..."

"Keith, save your loyalty. Even if Mr. Lippert treated you well, he can't offer you a future now. Better leave before we end up becoming your bosses." With that, they quickly dispersed.

Keith, dejected, ran back to the elevator, presumably to report upstairs.

Whitney stood there in disbelief. The Lippert family was on the brink of not being able to pay salaries?

The situation was more dire than she had imagined...

Pressing her lips together, she took the elevator to the executive floor. The secretary's office was nearly empty, the once-bustling floor now chaotic and understaffed.

Approaching the CEO's office, she hadn't even knocked when a heated argument broke out from within.

"Ludwik, listen to reason. Lippert Enterprises is finished. I saw employees leaving as I came up. You can't even pay salaries now, can you? Stop pretending everything's fine. If I were you, I'd accept my offer and sell Lippert Enterprises to me. I'll even waive the 30 billion penalty for the chip contract breach. I'm being more than fair here."

"To think you can acquire Lippert Enterprises for just 630 billion, Lane, you're dreaming!" Felix's voice was laced with cold fury. "Even if we breached the chip contract, we have countless subsidiaries - real estate, finance, hospitality, e-commerce - each leading in Emperor City. Your offer is a joke. You're biting off more than you can chew."

“Shut up, what are you? Just Ludwik's lapdog."

Lane's voice was filled with

arrogance, his mocking tone evident.

"Felix, you think you're still the

golden boy assistant of Lu?

Times change. People need

accept their fate. The Lippert family is history."

Ludwik's gaze hardened, "Get out."

S

"Ludwik, don't be too proud! You were once the esteemed Ludwik, now look at you. And remember, I'm Justin of Patrick Group's father-in-law. I could have you taken care of."

"Try it," Ludwik's voice was ice-cold, his towering presence intimidating.

Lane paused, a flicker of fear crossing his face before he kicked Ludwik's desk in frustration and stormed out, passing Whitney on his way.

The office door swung shut with a loud snap.

Felix's voice, filled with righteous anger, echoed, "Mr. Lippert, who does Lane think he is, coming here to threaten you... It must be Jarvis stirring the pot, wanting to see you fall and planning to swallow bippert Enterprises whole..."

"Enough," Ludwik cut him off, suddenly looking up to see a figure standing at the door.

His expression shifted, a mix of shock and tension. Ludwik blinked, making sure he wasn't seeing things.

His voice was unexpectedly gentle, "You're here."

Felix was puzzled until he turned around and suddenly saw Ms. Valentine.

"Ms. Valentine?" Felix, shocked, hurried over to open the door for her.

Whitney clenched her fist, stepping inside...

She felt as if the whole world was scrutinizing her, the skin beneath her clothes feeling prickly and hot, yet fiercely cold, sending shivers deep into her soul. She wasn't sure if it was fear or discomfort.

She turned her stunning face away and removed her cloche hat, revealing soft, jet-black hair that, in Ludwik's eyes, always looked most beautiful when she was bare-faced.

At that moment, her skin seemed almost luminous, except for her pale lips and the light veil of sadness in her almond-shaped eyes.

His heart trembled so much that he had to put a hand over it, watching her with a heavy gaze, feeling a dull pain.noveldrama

"Felix, please leave," Ludwik quickly said in a low voice.

With complex emotions, Felix left the office, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Inside, the two stood in silence, facing each other.

Whitney looked at Ludwik with a complex expression. It had only been a few days since they had parted ways on the island.

But it felt like ages to her, and even Ludwik seemed somewhat unfamiliar now.

The night he left, he was as dashing as a statue, domineering as a demon, radiating confidence and pride as if he owned the world.

But now, the man before her had a wrinkled white shirt, bloodshot eyes, and a stubble shading his sharp jawline...