When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian) novel Chapter 85

Yvette's voice blared through the phone like an alarm, practically shattering Whitney's eardrums.

She had to hold the phone away, feeling both annoyed and embarrassed that Noel had spoken up at just the wrong moment.

Now there was no way to explain this without it sounding suspicious.

She turned, about to vent her frustration, only to realize the door was already closed. Noel was gone.

"It's not like that, Yvette. It's Noel." Whitney finally explained honestly, though she knew Yvette had a tendency for gossip.

"You and him, again? Sparks flying, huh?" Yvette teased, laughing over the phone.

Whitney closed her eyes in exasperation. "Stop overthinking. Nothing happened between us."

"Hey, it's not me overthinking, honey. It's midnight. The world's asleep. It's just you two alone in the quiet place. Besides, it's not like you've never had a spark with him before," Yvette teased, her voice dripping with mischief.

She added, "Are you doing this to make Damian jealous? But honestly, if you got together with Noel, it wouldn't be a bad thing. He's reliable, at least, and not the type to mess around."

"What are you talking about? Get together with Noel just to get back at Damian?" Whitney replied, exasperation evident in her tone.

Whitney then negated Yvette's last comment, "Some people may seem decent on the surface, but their lives are way more colorful than you'd think."

A man who supposedly had someone special in his life but kept toying with her? Was that what Yvette called reliable?

"So, you're implying Noel isn't as straight-laced as he seems?" Yvette pressed on, curious.

"I'm just saying, in general. Anyway, nothing's going to happen between us. He has someone he cares about," Whitney said, feeling a slight pang of sadness.

After ending the call with Yvette, Whitney got ready for bed and lay down in the guest room.

Before sleeping, she turned off her phone, knowing full well that by morning, someone would have noticed her absence.

Her father would likely bombard her with calls or even send people to look for her.

Determined not to go outside today, she examined her reflection in the mirror.

The swelling on her right cheek had subsided. Though there was still a faint mark, it was hardly noticeable unless one looked closely.

She opened the refrigerator and found it well-stocked with ingredients. There was milk, eggs, bread, some vegetables, and various drinks.

She took out an egg and two slices of bread, planning to make a simple breakfast for herself. But then, a thought struck her.

If anything went missing, the "lady of the house" would surely notice.

Whitney put the food back.

Ordering room service was also out of the question. The staff here were familiar with the guests on this floor, especially those in the presidential suites.

Never mind, she thought. Better not cause trouble for Noel. She could survive a day without food.

"You…" the woman in the business suit started, eyeing Whitney with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Please don't misunderstand. I'm just a housekeeper Mr. Howard hired for cleaning. I just finished up and was about to leave," Whitney blurted out in a panic, making up an excuse before the woman could get the wrong idea.

She hadn't seen any women around Noel before, but this woman was clearly someone who could enter freely. No questions needed.

Whitney felt like an intruding third party who had just been caught. Her face flushed with embarrassment and shame.

She hurriedly moved to slip past the woman. She then opened the door to leave, only to walk straight into a solid chest.

Looking up, she saw Noel standing outside, holding a paper bag.

Seeing Whitney's flustered expression, his gaze grew slightly puzzled. "Why are you so nervous?"

Without thinking, Whitney clamped a hand over his mouth, trying to push him back outside. She wanted to tell him his "girlfriend" was already here.

The woman behind them, hearing the commotion, walked over with a surprised expression. "Noel? What are you doing here?"

Whitney's heart sank as she heard the woman's voice behind her. This was like something out of a cheesy soap opera. Situations like this only happened in novels, didn't they?

Noel's brow furrowed. He pulled her hand away and stepped past her, entering the room.

Then, a rich and magnetic voice floated back to Whitney's ears.