Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 96

Cooper was sly as a fox, gently closing the VIP room door behind him. He cast a glance at Whitney's profile, radiant and enchanting. He had entertained some thoughts about her himself.

But those thoughts scurried away when he considered Bryce. "A fair lady is a gentleman's delight," as the saying goes.

Little did he expect that the Chairman had already set his sights on Whitney...

With a wry smile, Cooper left.

Inside the VIP room, Whitney immediately pulled out her sketchpad and pencils, apologizing, "I've already got a preliminary design for Claire’s necklace, but I didn't expect to bump into you today, Mr. Lutz, so I didn't bring the sketch, but I can redraw it for you right now."

Bryce watched her forgo her meal to focus on her work, a flicker of admiration in his gentle eyes.

Nodding, he asked, "You have such a good memory?"

"It's alright. If you're satisfied with this draft, I'll select the finest emeralds for the piece." Whitney began to sketch.

He rose, his long legs carrying him over to her. With one hand in his pocket, he stood beside her chair, watching her draw.

...

Elaine received her assistant's report, her cool eyes sparkling with triumph. "The Lutz family's Bryce? Are you sure?"

After carefully recounting the details, Elaine hung up the phone, her lips curving deeply.

An unexpected boon, indeed. It appeared that the company behind Whitney's classmate was none other than Bryce's Lutz Group.

Bryce was a big fish, much more threatening than Whitney's classmate.

“This is going to be interesting!” Elaine thought.

She returned to the conference room, where Ludwik had just finished a meeting with city planning officials.

Around lunchtime, Elaine touched her stomach and casually mentioned, "I know this great eatery nearby, the Lotus Clubhouse. Mr. Lippert, shall we grab a bite there? We have more to discuss with the city planners this afternoon."

Since the place was close by, Ludwik frowned and nodded.

He did not care much about the dining specifics, checking his phone briefly. Good, the little lady had not even asked if he had had lunch.

Was she wholly absorbed in her work?

His brow furrowed with displeasure, and soon, they arrived at the Lotus Clubhouse.

Elaine walked with him on his side, and as she glanced through the semi-private dining room of the Lotus Clubhouse, she hesitated, then said in a voice tinged with reluctance, "Ludwik, remember you asked me to check on Whitney's suppliers? Well, I found out that..."

In the time she hesitated, Ludwik, who was leisurely smoking, cast a casual glance through the veiled window of one of the rooms. He paused when he saw the man and woman inside. Recognizing them, his expression turned icy.

He focused on Whitney inside the VIP room, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. She wore a pink sweater and a white pencil skirt, accentuating her curves. She sat sideways at the table, with a distinguished-looking man leaning close to her, lazily looking down. From Ludwik's angle, it almost looked like the man's lips touched Whitney's head.

He leaned close to Whitney, the two chatting and laughing, whispering something.

There was no one else in the room! The curtains were half-drawn, oozing intimacy.

That was Bryce, and Ludwik instantly recognized him—the Lutz family's second son, head of the Lutz Group.

His hand clenched in his trouser pocket, and he sneered with a mocking laugh. "So she's currently discussing a partnership with her chosen male supplier?"

He turned to Elaine with a piercing look.

She avoided his gaze, looking startled as she glanced at the window, whispering regretfully, "How could this happen? Dammit, Ludwik, Whitney, she..."

Bryce, noticing her delicate, fair hands and the fragrant hint of milk on her soft skin, was momentarily entranced by her sweet, youthful scent.

Suddenly recollecting himself, Bryce suppressed his distraction and slowly stood up, "My apologies, my vision isn't the best. I just wanted to get a closer look at what you're drawing."

Understanding, Whitney saw 'L' calling and quickly excused herself, "I need to take this call, Mr. Lutz!"

Seeing an urgent smile on her face, Bryce wondered who it was that called while giving a nod of acknowledgment.

Whitney stepped outside the VIP room, answering the phone sweetly, "L, what a surprise! Have you had lunch yet?"

"Where are you?" The man's voice came through, cold and sharp as a blade.

Whitney paused, sensing something was off. "Why do you sound upset?" She blurted out. "Oh, I've just been outside discussing a partnership."

"With who? A man or woman?" Ludwik's gaze was fixed on the window, where a laughing face was visible. His eyes held a chilling intensity.

A shiver ran down Whitney's spine. She glanced back at the booth where Bryce was sitting, and memories of that awkward encounter in the bathroom with Simon flooded back. Knowing Ludwik's jealous streak, the revelation of a young man would likely set him off, especially with the tension already evident in his voice. Instinctively wanting to avoid drama, she lied smoothly, "A woman, of course. L, I'm just working, you know. Do you really need to check up on me?"

"Fine," Ludwik replied with a sudden, cold laugh. His long lashes fell, and then he abruptly ended the call.

Closing his eyes tightly, Ludwik reopened them to a vision flooded with terrifying fury, as if he could freeze everything in his wake.

The confused executives exchanged glances, unsure of what had transpired.

On the inside, Elaine was nearly laughing herself to death, but on the surface, her expression was one of frantic concern as she weakly clutched at Ludwik's sleeve.

"Bro, don't be angry just yet," she said, attempting to soothe him. "Whitney did mess up this time. You generously offered her the best resources for nothing in return, and she declined only to cozy up to Bryce. But maybe she's unaware of the bad blood between you two. I trust her not to be swayed by Bryce's wealth or to play both sides behind your back..."