Chapter 223
“You can shack up with ine or get engaged for all I care. I’m divorced, and still, you think you can
control me?” Whitney thought.
Remembering how he had allowed ine to mock her as ‘second–hand good‘, Whitney’s heart
throbbed. What was she to him? Did her feelings not matter at all?
Clutching her fists, she said coolly, “Are you done, Mr. Lippert? If so, please step aside.”
“I don’t have the patience to repeat myself!”
His fury pressed down on her like a suffocating cloud.
Whitney looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “The only reason I’m engaged is because
you pushed me into it. We have nothing to do with each other anymore, and you have no right to
dictate what I do or don’t do.”
We have nothing to do with each other…
Those words seared through the man’s gaze.
“When did I ever force you?” he scoffed coldly, “Force you into another man’s bed, into eagerly jumping
into his arms? Whitney, you’re even more shameless than I thought.
Even if I cast a shameless woman like you aside like an old shoe, I won’t allow any other man to touch
you, to tarnish my reputation, got it?”
Whitney was floored by his unabashed audacity. It seemed he just kept humiliating her further.
Her nails dug into her palm as she realized that what he discarded could be trampled underfoot but
must not tarnish his pride.
A man so arrogant, how could he bear the thought of his ex–wife remarrying? It seemed unrted to
whether he loved her or not.
She felt as if pricked by ice needles and could not help butugh mockingly. “Mr. Lippert, you’re worried
about losing face? Maybe you should reflect on how quickly you got engaged to ine after kicking
your wife to the curb. You might already be wearing the cap of a scoundrel.”
“ine has sacrificed everything for me. What right do you have to speak about her and me? As for
you and Bryce, a viper and a schemer, you’re well matched,”
His eyes narrowed in scorn as he grabbed her arm, drilling his gaze into her, “Do you even know what
he’s done behind your back?”
“What do you mean?” Whitney struggled, bewildered.
Ludwik scrutinized her expression. “He’s cunning, not as simple as you think! He ys dirty, using
media maniption to trap you in a ploy, and The Lutz Group isn’t unstable at all. Are you naive or just
willing? Take today, for instance. He deliberately brought you here; you think it’s for what? It’s just to
provoke me.”
The smirk Bryce had given him earlier was not lost on Ludwik.
Yet this woman stood by him, feigning affection, and the thought of him iming his fatherly rights in
front of Ludwik made his blood boil. “I’m warning you, whether I want it or not, the child in your belly is
still mine. If I see Bryce overstepping with you again, you’ll both regret it.”
The way Bryce looked at her waist was something Ludwik could not forget.
His rage surged, and his eyes reddened with fury as if he wanted to strangle her. “Do you understand
what kind of man he is now? Leave him, cancel the engagement!”
Whitney snapped out of her daze, a flicker of calm and coolness settling over her, “Ludwik, I don’t know
what misconceptions you have about him. To me, he’s been a help in difficult times. Without him, Skye
Gem would’ve been driven to the ground by you.
You say he’s manipting the media, deceiving me? Sorry, your bluster doesn’t convince me. Just to
get to me, he’d neglect The Lutz Group and ruin his own reputation? He’s a businessman; that doesn’t
make sense.
He brought me to this bridal shop because a friend rmended it. Bryce is gentle by nature; you’re
overthinking it, or maybe you just can’t stand seeing me with him…”
Despite her lengthy exnation, she saw his expression grow colder. Whitney knew all too well his
paranoid nature, his belief that he was above all.
His eyes darkened with chilling firmness, gripping her until it hurt. “He’s all good, and you don’t believe
me, right?”
Whitney frowned, enduring the pain in her wrist, her voice strained yet clear. “I just think you shouldn’t
gauge the heart of a gentleman with your own mean measure. You’ve chosen ine, so stop trying to
control whether I get engaged or create false stories about Bryce to pressure me into calling off my
engagement.
No one can have the best of both worlds. I’d rather die than be your mistress. I’m not that cheap, and
you can forget about it.”
Ludwik let out a low, prolonged sneer.
Gauging Bryce with his mean measure? In her eyes, was he really like that?
Or was she so protective of Bryce that she forgot their past?
A heartless, blind woman.
A pang of pain struck Ludwik’s heart as his gaze returned to an icy cier, abruptly releasing her, his
features sharpening with cold. “So you’re unrepentant and guarding him, huh? You’ll pay for every word
you say today. Dreaming of a happy life with him, Whitney, you’re living in a fantasy.”
He flung her off with disgust, his pupils void of emotion, and though his look was indifferent, it sent
shivers down her spine.
Whitney leaned against the wall, nursing her sore wrist, watching him walk away coldly.
What did his words mean? What price would she pay? How had she offended him?
Why did he seem angrier than the day he found the video?
A wave of rm washed over her.
It was only when Bryce arrived, finding her in the restroom, that Whitney snapped back to reality. “Did
ire leave?”
“I saw my mother off. Come on, let’s continue with the dresses,” Bryce casually suggested, hand in
pocket.
Suddenly, the bridal shop manager came rushing over, looking apologetically at Bryce, “I’m sorry, Mr.
Lutz, Mr. Lippert from Skyfaith Electronic Tech has reserved the ce. He’s bought all the dresses at
full price. You’ll have to leave immediately.”
Whitney paused, a sense of relief washing over her as she looked up at Bryce.
Bryce seemed unfazed, his demeanor still calm, his lips pressed into a thin line as he met Whitney’s
gaze. “What do you think?”
“Let’s go to another shop.”
“It doesn’t matter. There are plenty of other ces,” Bryce said nonchntly as he escorted Whitney
past the VIP sofa area, where ine was twirling in a dazzling dress, showing it off to Ludwik, who
seemed captivated by her, holding a ss of red wine and not sparing a nce in
their direction.
Bryce smiled softly. “Mr. Lippert is really spoiling ine. I should take a leaf out of his book. Whitney, I’ll
spoil you too.”
Whitney averted her gaze briefly, uncertain if Bryce’s words were a show of support for her or if he had
some other agenda.
Once they left the bridal boutique and got into the car, Whitney pondered for a moment before turning
to ask, “Bryce, you didn’t deliberately bring me to this particr shop, did you?”
The man’s hand, firmly on the steering wheel, paused as he turned and gave her a smile tinged with
amusement. “Of course not. What did you think? That I’d be so childish as to drag you here just to get
under Ludwik’s skin? Silly girl, I’m not so immature.”
Whitney furrowed her brows and studied him for a while, eventually deciding to suppress the doubts
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festering in her mind. Ludwik had misunderstood; surely, Bryce would not stoop to provocation.
Back in the shop, a wine ss nearly shattered in the man’s grip as he dealt with ine with strained
politeness.
Rising to stand by the floor–to–ceiling window, Ludwik watched the Cayenne pull away. He pulled out
his phone and dialed. “Felix, I want you to set up a grand scheme. I’m preparing a
special engagement gift for Bryce.”
Coming to the bridal boutique to taunt, show off, and brainwash that foolish woman? The thought that
someone might take what was his, especially her, with his child still growing inside her, made Ludwik’s
gaze turn icy cold.