Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Suddenly, Whitney’s hand was slapped, and Roselyn snatched the shirt away.

Her arm was still smarting from the last time Whitney and her thug buddy roughed her up at the club. Today, she was hell–bent on humiliating Whitney.

With a sneer, Roselyn said, “Whitney, this is a Hermès counter. Can you read it? Do you think you’re still that jet–setting socialite who used to be front row at fashion shows?

And you, sales clerks, times have changed. Why are you letting every Tom, Dick, and Harry in here to pollute the view of us esteemed VIPs?”

The clerk, eager to appease Roselyn, immediately looked at Whitney with disdain.

Tiana was about to rush forward in Whitney’s defense, but Whitney stopped her with a hand.

Roselyn picked up a dress with an air of superiority, “This is Monica’s custom gown worth 880 grand. You’re with some nobody who can’t even afford my medical bills. Do you think you can afford a scrap of this dress? And what are you wearing?”

She viciously pulled at Whitney’s collar to inspect her clothes, “Monet? Ha, must be a knockoff!

Everyone, take a look! The once untouchable Ms. Valentine is wearing fakes now. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Sales clerks, be careful, don’t let the poor steal anything!”

Whitney wanted to laugh, curious about what L would say if he heard someone questioning the authenticity of his clothes.

“Shouldn’t you be throwing out this down–and–out who can’t afford to buy anything with a black card?” Roselyn thought smugly, sure that publicly stepping on Whitney would earn her points with Monica.

The clerk hesitated, moving to usher Whitney out.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Whitney produced her smartphone, with a gold–embossed black card resting on top. She approached the counter and calmly said, “I’ll take the entire collection in this store, including the dress she’s holding – the precious gown Monica wants.” She glanced back at Roselyn with a mocking smile.

eerie silence, punctuated only by

transformed, and Roselyn’s

her. “Impossible, how could you have a black card? Clerk, check her

transaction without batting an eyelid, and

the onlookers began to

it, sneering, “See now? We don’t even bother tearing into people like you. Oops, my bad, I tore it a bit. But ragged clothes suit a vile person like Monica

“Tiana, you bitch, you…”

still not scurrying away, waiting for me to kick your ass?” Tiana’s voice was fierce,

clutching the torn gown, her face

called, whining, “Monica,

one thing. You’re useless!”

fair–weather friends. If it were not for Monica’s current

1/3

14:59

Chapter 22

the whole

scoffed. “Impossible, are you blind? Whitney’s barely making ends meet. Didn’t you say that her nobody boyfriend couldn’t even pay your medical bills, and now she has a

voice filled with venom as she said, “That bitch, she’s caused scandals for my mother, Ha, my dad has already forgiven my mom, and she’s working on something.

immediately flattered, “Yvonne

in the Valentine

afternoon, Yvonne used all her tricks to please Preston, and after

her fists when thinking about how Whitney had exposed her past. Fortunately, Preston had quashed the trending searches, and the taunts from the other high society ladies had subsided.

to Simon and Monica’s engagement. But Monica still needs a

hers,”