Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 476

Right now, she was like a porcupine, all prickles and spikes.

He furrowed his brows, trying to explain, "Things were chaotic, she was bleeding, and I accidentally bumped into you..."

Chaotic?

"A little burn, a bit of blood, and it all happens to Florence, and suddenly it's a crisis for you?"

Whitney couldn't help but laugh, a bitter, mocking laugh. He really did treasure that woman.

And what did that make her? Just another blade of grass underfoot?

"She indeed mustn't get hurt right now!" Ludwik's face was cold as he placed the antiseptic on the table, trying to make things clear. "Whitney, I don't want to see you two at odds again.

I know you don't like her, probably because I left Danny the other night, and you've held it against her.

What you did this morning..."

"What did I do?" Whitney exploded, "Ludwik, you think I'm still hung up on you, jealous because of your heartless actions, and taking it out on Florence by picking at her? Is that what you think?"

"I didn't say that," his lips pressed into a thin line.

Yet, the constant conflicts at the company brought him to these conclusions.

At this juncture, he hoped she would back down.

Even if Florence was doing it on purpose, just for these couple of days, couldn't she let it slide?

But her sharp tongue and actions didn't seem like she was going to let Florence off easy.

Ludwik couldn't disclose the real reason, so he had to forcefully make his request, adopting an indifferent tone, "Florence doesn't understand the company's policies and procedures, she's just here to gain some life experience, walking into someone's office isn't a crime, so let it go."

"Do you really think she doesn't understand, or is she pretending not to know?

She provokes me, and I pay her back in kind. This has nothing to do with you, so don't flatter yourself!"

Her words couldn't be clearer; she didn't care about him, wasn't jealous. She simply couldn't stand Florence.

it stung, igniting his

edge, Ludwik looking down on her from his height, "Fine, let me be clear then. Right now, I

you already mocked her for just being able to make

with this morning's plagiarism accusation, everyone's saying she's incapable of

this some narrative your subordinate started? I'm

through, "I need to create

to be more than she is, Ludwik. After all these

colleagues' criticism, "Someone said that your subordinate mocked Florence at the meeting. That's

making you coffee

brought it upon herself, Ludwik,

office, with the same cover

she's playing games, you're enabling her. You want me

not giving you

stormed out, her biting words like

nothing, unwilling to endure even the slightest

the truth about his mother's leukemia to prevent her from feeling

it all for

coldness churned

clenched jaw, he

fainted in the office," the secretary whispered at the

feeling drained but not allowed the luxury of rest, stormed

Sandy saw Ludwik rush Florence out to the waiting ambulance, with a

definitely faking it!" Sandy vented to Whitney, "I don't get why Ludwik

a burn, she's

We have to pull an all-nighter, there's a big presentation tomorrow." She tried to make light of the situation. Sandy, trying to match her composure, sat down with the assistant,

-

At the hospital.

woke up, but she refused the heart medication offered

up at the head of the bed, her voice

pressed tight, tried to apply ointment

moved to hold

don't want

the heart medication," Ludwik urged,

was dropping