Love beyond the mask (Whitney)

Chapter 134

Castor searched the conference room for ages, looking for a USB plug, but found nothing.

Just then, the door burst open, and in stormed a middle–aged socialite, her designer purse clutched

like a shield. Her eyes locked onto the giant screen that displayed a video of Castor and two young

women doing it. Red–faced with fury, she charged onto the podium. “Castor! You scoundrel! Cheating

on me?”

“Honey, I swear I didn’t!” Castor’s head spun around, and seeing his wife crash the company meeting

turned his face pale as a ghost.

“You didn’t, huh? The video was sent to my phone! You came from humble beginnings, and marrying

me got you where you are today. Now you think I’m too old, and you’ve been up to no good with that

Elaine, haven’t you? I’ll teach you a lesson!” And with that, she launched herself at Castor, fists flying.

After taking a few hits, Castor could not take it anymore. He slapped her across the face, “You crazy

woman! Isn’t my reputation ruined enough for you?”

Meanwhile, Whitney had already slipped out to the front of the United Realty Corporation building.

Smirking, Harper said, “The conference room’s a madhouse. Castor’s father–in–law is a minor

shareholder, so he always tiptoes around his wife. Now that he hit his wife, this is going to be a disaster

for him! The staff are having a field day, secretly filming and sharing the drama in the company chat.”

Whitney nodded. “Send me everything. The real show starts tomorrow morning.”

Harper looked at her in awe, giving a thumbs up behind her back.

In the parking lot, Tiana poked her head out of her car window. “Perfect timing with Castor’s wife,

huh?”

“Thanks for hacking his computer and sending the video to his wife,” Whitney said with a grin.

“Just following orders. Looks like even with Elaine gone, her lackeys are here to hassle you!”

Whitney’s eyes narrowed, her gaze icy. She had not forgotten Elaine’s words that morning.

Elaine undoubtedly orchestrated Castor’s antics from afar. Without Elaine’s backing, he would not dare

be so bold.

These insiders had to be dealt with, or Whitney’s stay at United Realty would be fraught with peril.

But this was L’s company. Stirring trouble under his nose…

Did he know what she had done?

Feeling slightly guilty about disrupting the meeting, Whitney pulled out her phone to call L.

23:58

The man did not pick up, probably busy during the business trip.

Whitney breathed a sigh of relief, got into the car, and Tiana suggested, “Valerie’s free. How about the

three of us grab a drink?”

The trio ended up at a pub.

Tiana raised her glass, teasing Whitney, “Cheers to our Whitney, the new Vice President of United

Realty Corporation, with Skye Gem in her grasp, too. A true wealthy lady. I’ll be living off you from now

on!”

Whitney rolled her eyes at her friend.

Valerie lifted her glass, her usually stoic face softening just a bit. “Whitney, I’m thankful for your part in

Elaine’s departure from Banyan City. I understand what you did for me.”

Whitney looked at Valerie’s melancholic expression. “Have you and Ashton been

misunderstanding each other? Now that Elaine is gone, maybe it’s time to open your hearts to each

other.”

Valerie gave a bitter smile. She had always been open with Ashton, yet he had stomped all over her

heart.

“Easier said than done.”

“Well, you still need to keep a close eye on your husband. Elaine’s still pulling strings in the shadows.

Today, her cronies targeted Whitney at United Realty. She’s eager to return!”

“She won’t get the chance.” Whitney’s grip on her glass tightened. Her covert battle with Elaine would

come to a head tomorrow.

Just then, a refined and deep voice interrupted from a nearby table. “Ms. Valentine?”

Whitney turned, slightly surprised, “Mr. Lutz?”

Bryce surveyed her porcelain face and then glanced at the two women beside her, his voice smooth.

“Can I borrow a moment for a work–related matter?”

Whitney suspected she knew what this was about, but there was no avoiding it now:

She reluctantly stepped aside with him,

Bryce ordered a drink from the bar, sipping lightly as he turned to Whitney, his brooding gaze softening

with a hint of resignation. “I didn’t expect you to cancel the gemstone supply contract with the Lutz

Group. I understand the cancellation, but you didn’t even show up to sign off. Did my confession scare

you that much?”

Whitney detected a mix of accusation and disappointment in his tone.

He had saved her in the hospital, and she had only compensated him with medical bills, without

offering personal care, then briskly terminated the contract.

She fidgeted with her hair, feeling outmatched by the mature man before her, and apologized,

“Mr. Lutz, that was not my intention. It’s just that my partner prefers that I avoid any appearance of

conflict.”

“But there’s nothing between us. He’s quite possessive, isn’t he?” Bryce shook his head, gazing

intensely at her before continuing, “Such a relationship can be suffocating. I know my confession came

too late, and your heart belongs to another, but my feelings for you are my

own.”

Whitney was taken aback by the depth of emotion in his eyes.

Had she really left such a deep impression on Bryce since she was 20? But she could not reciprocate;

all she could offer was a polite response. “Mr. Lutz, I’m grateful for your kindness. If you ever need my

assistance, don’t hesitate to ask. My friends are waiting, so I must excuse myself.”

Bryce sighed. “We can still be friends, right?”

“Of course.”

Watching the girl return to her seat, Bryce’s eyes narrowed slightly.

As Whitney returned to her seat, Tiana nudged her playfully, teasing, “Was Mr. Lutz talking business or

personal matters with you?”

Before Whitney could reply, her phone rang.

It was Simon. Whitney’s brows furrowed, and after a brief pause, she answered.

Simon’s voice was frantic and tinged with anger. “Whitney, what do you think you’re doing? Where are

you? We need to talk now!”

Whitney had seen it coming from a mile away–Simon would seek her out today or tomorrow at the

latest.

Clearly, Skye Gem’s financial department and board were relatively quick to act.

Whitney grabbed her purse and tossed a casual goodbye to Tiana and Valerie, “Gotta jet for a bit. I

might head straight home after. You guys don’t wait up.”

“Hey, I saw Simon on caller ID. What does he want to meet for?” Tiana stood up, her confusion spilling

into the space around her.

Whitney waved her off, offering no answer as she rushed out the door.

“Damn, Whitney’s playing with fire today. Better not let L catch wind of this,” Tiana muttered, glancing

at Bryce, who was still lounging in the booth.

Valerie lifted her glass. “Whitney’s got her reasons for dealing with Simon, no sweat. Let’s just keep the

drinks coming.”

Just down the street from the pub.

27.50

This was where Whitney had arranged to meet Simon.

A handsome man in a tailored suit walked in. Simon was actually quite a looker, but that was before Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Whitney’s heart moved on to L, and Simon turned against her with lethal intent.

After his betrayals, the only thing Whitney felt for this man was a burning desire to see him brought to

justice.

Simon looked worn out, with a hint of red in his eyes. He approached Whitney’s table, staring her down

with frustration burning in his gaze.

“Whitney, why the hell did you liquidate my performance shares at Skye Gem? And you got the board

to draft a resolution to boot me as CEO–over half the shareholders have signed off on it. You’ve been

rallying them, haven’t you? Why do you have to take it this far?”

“Who’s been taking it too far all along? Simon, I’ve been more than fair to you. The original shares of

Skye Gem were never yours. I’ve cashed out your performance shares for $2 billion. You can take that

and start your own gig. I’ve told you before, hand over my grandfather’s contact book, or it was only a

matter of time before I’d come for you.”