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.

towards him, it stung, igniting

edge, Ludwik looking down on her from his height, "Fine, let me be clear then. Right now, I won't allow you to physically harm her, regardless of the reason behind

day, you already mocked her for just being able to make

everyone's saying

this some narrative your

looked at him coldly, her laugh cutting through, "I need

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

played a recording of their colleagues' criticism, "Someone said that your subordinate mocked Florence at the meeting. That's not false,

hurts! Wasn't she making

brought it upon herself, Ludwik, can't you

proposal to my office, with the

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

I'm not giving you

off his hand, dropping the antiseptic, and stormed out, her biting words like a slap across his face, making

to nothing, unwilling to endure even the slightest for him or for her

the truth about his mother's leukemia to prevent

all for

churned within him, his determination feeling

he kicked the medical kit

fainted in the office,"

drained but not allowed the luxury of rest, stormed

to the waiting ambulance, with a

Sandy vented to Whitney, "I don't get why Ludwik is

burn, she's not going

all-nighter, there's a big presentation tomorrow." She

-

At the hospital.

a round of CPR, Florence woke up, but she refused the heart medication

the

to apply ointment to her ankle,

bodyguard moved to hold her

don't want the

heart medication," Ludwik urged,

blood pressure was