Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Could it be that Florence was spewing all that venom about Ludwik simply because her hatred for him had clouded her judgment?

That would mean her account was far from the truth.

If that was the case, then what about Florence's claims that Ludwik was plotting to take over the Harmonia branch, had murdered Director Phineas, and was even targeting her, Parisa, in his insatiable greed... Were those allegations grounded in reality or mere fabrications?

It dawned on Parisa that relying solely on Florence's word would be unjust.

She decided she needed to conduct her own investigation into Ludwik, to understand the man from different angles.

The discrepancies between what she had heard and the truth indicated there was something amiss.

Parisa glanced at the doctor and warned him, "I'll let you go back to work. But keep today's conversation to yourself. If word gets out and it backfires on you, don't expect me to step in."

Her gentle yet menacing warning left the doctor visibly shaken. He waved his hands frantically, "As long as I can keep my job, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone. Besides, I don't even know who you are, ma'am. I have no one to tell."

"Good."

Leaning against the desk, Parisa straightened up and commanded, "Erik, make sure the doctor is safely escorted home. Then, hop onto the web and dig up everything you can on Ludwik. I want photos, background information, anything you can find. Is he as charming and noble as he's made out to be? There has to be something about him in the Harmonia news feeds."

Erik had long felt that Parisa should look into Ludwik, especially since her perspective from Germinia limited her insight into Harmonia's affairs.

But he also cautioned, "I've always thought Miss Florence's portrayal of Ludwik as a demon was steeped in personal vendetta. Chairman, she might be biased."

"Indeed," Parisa agreed.

How else could she explain Ludwik's alleged intent to save a child, while Florence accused him of cruelty, claiming he wanted to use the child as a bargaining chip or even kill the child to solidify his affair with Whitney...

Rubbing her temples, Parisa walked back to her office, unable to focus on work with Florence's lies cluttering her mind.

The doctor's claim that Ludwik had performed surgery to save a child, not harm it, suggested there was more to the story. Could Florence have wronged Ludwik in some way? Was she portraying herself as a victim to gain her mother's sympathy and aid in her vendetta?

The more Parisa pondered, the more she doubted Florence's narrative. It didn't seem characteristic of her own daughter to manipulate situations so cunningly...

Lost in thought, Erik knocked and entered with a digital report in hand.

"You found information this quickly? Even hacking into Harmonia's secureworks takes time..."

Parisa was skeptical.

Erik shook his head, "Chairman, for some reason, there's very little information available about Ludwik. It's as if he keeps a low profile on purpose, and I couldn't even find a photo of him. Another possibility is that someone has tampered with the news to block foreign investigations."

Parisa's eyes narrowed in thought, "So, what did you find?"

Erik read from the report, which contained snippets from Harmonia's gossip columns. "It appears Ludwik has a history of breaking engagements and was even accused of abducting a bride. According to these reports, Florence was indeed a victim. There's also mention of Ludwik having an affair with a married woman... By these accounts, he's portrayed as a man of questionable morals."

After reviewing the news excerpts, all scandalous and painted in bold, salacious strokes, Parisa found no photos of Ludwik himself.

"Can we trust these reports?" Parisa's tone grew colder, her suspicion evident.

"The hacker sourced them directly from Harmonia's news agencies. They should be legitimate," Erik replied.

Yet, the news painted Ludwik as a heartbreaker and scoundrel, aligning with Florence's depiction of him as cruel and heartless. However, the doctor's testimony suggested Ludwik tried to save the child, not harm him.

What was the truth amidst these contrasting narratives?

Just as Parisa began to view Ludwik in a new light, the news investigation muddled her perception further.

Erik, noticing her perplexed expression, suggested, "Maybe Ludwik isn't entirely the villain Florence makes him out to be, nor is he a saint. He abandoned Florence, conspired with another woman, and even assassinated Director Phineas?"

Parisa's gaze lingered on her assistant, her response withheld.

After a moment, she pressed the tablet down on the desk, covering the scant news reports, "Isn't it odd that a high-profile heir to the Lippert Group is only mentioned in negative news, and there's so little of it?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," I mused, swirling my coffee in its mug as if the dark liquid could unveil secrets. "Maybe the guy's playing it low- key on purpose, trying to fly under the radar. Or maybe, he knows he's been up to no good and wiped his slate clean-scrubbed his bad press off the face of the earth."

"But what if someone else erased his digital footprint?" Parisa murmured, almost to herself.

"Someone else wiped his info?"

I was puzzled now.

Parisa folded her arms, her sharp gaze narrowing, a brow arched in speculation. "Just a theory. Like that time when Phineas, the director, was suddenly offed. Every time I try to dig into something, bam! An unexpected twist throws me off the scent.

I got this vibe before, like there's some invisible hand erasing everything I'm about to uncover."

"The chairman thinks someone doesn't want you snooping into Ludwik's business?"

"It's just a hunch."

Parisa lifted her slender arm, resting her hand against her forehead as strands of hair fell loosely, casting subtle shadows across her eyes.noveldrama

Then, slowly lifting her head, she shared a thought, "Seems like if we want to get to the bottom of Ludwik's story, I'd have to be in Harmonia Country, hire a detective from there, or better yet, meet the man in person!"