Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 53

In the lavish estate of Valentine Manor, nestled atop the rolling hills of a prestigious neighborhood.

ngagement party preparations were a testament to opulence, with friends and family filling every seat.”

Yvonne and Monica had scrambled out of the award ceremony, bruised and battered, fleeing back to the sanctuary of the Valentine family. The sight of the romantic engagement feast ignited Monica’s fury, and she nearly crushed the invitation in her clenched fist.

The reporters she had invited had already watched the live broadcast of the ceremony, and they were now converging on Monica with pressing questions.

Preston descended the stairs from the second–floor conference room. Seeing his wife and daughter return, he asked excitedly. “Did you bring home the grand prize? Then let’s get the engagement party started! Where’s Simon? And Phebe, and the elders of the Perlman clan-”

Monica trembled violently, hiding behind Yvonne.

Yvonne saw the unusual excitement on Preston’s face. She knew how much he valued his reputation. With today’s engagement ruined, she dared not tell the truth. Glancing nervously at the gathered relatives and friends, she said hesitantly, “Honey, come here first. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“It’s not the time for discussions!” Preston’s face was flushed with anticipation, though a frown soon creased his brow. “T’ve waited all morning. Where are those investors who said they’d support Valentine Corp days ago? My daughter is about to marry into the Perlman family. They wouldn’t dare snub us! I’ll give them a push.”

“Darling!” Yvonne couldn’t let him make that call!

But Preston had already picked up the phone, his voice commanding as he dialed, “Mr. Wendt, Monica’s back with the grand prize. Why haven’t you come for the engagement ceremony?”

Silence met him from the other end of the line.

After a long pause, a mocking voice came through, “Preston, have you been offline? Your daughter had made such a fool of herself at the awards. You still expect us to invest? Haven’t you heard? Phebe had called off the engagement!”

“What?” Preston froze. He turned with a fierce glare at Yvonne.

“Darling, listen to me, it was all Whitney’s wrong.”

shoved her aside, reaching for

her attempt to bribe Imperial Gem Corporation exposed by Mr. Lippert, her broken engagement with the Perlman family, and

veins throbbed with anger, humiliation engulfing

as Preston dragged

with fame. Her mother had just kept the truth from him, and now Preston was furious. Before Monica could escape,

thinking of Valentine Corp’s tarnished reputation, the humiliation from the investors, and feeling played for a fool by his wife and daughter, he lashed

how much I’ve borrowed from the banks these days? Now look, Monica’s engagement is off. You can’t even raise a daughter right. If I had known how useless you both were, I should have

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been brewing. She had repeatedly failed against Whitney, not to

humitation was the last straw, and he vented all his anger on

face ewelled from the stap. With so many eyes upon them, Monica had never felt such humiliation. Furious, she yelled, “Dad, how can you talk to mom like this? She’s given everything for the Valentine family. Why didn’t you find us useless when we made you proud? How can you be so heartless, caring only for your

you’ve done?” Preston swung again. “You’re just a worthless

a son, Preston. You’re feudalistic and hypocritical!” Yvonne had

up!” Preston

family scandal was on full display to

late

phone rang, “Sir, Valentine Corp’s stocks are dropping. Monica’s scandal

he stormed out, “Look at the mess you two made. If Valentine Corp is broken, you’ll have

Monica clung to each other and sobbed, each with a

by Whitney,

the influential third

was just as

her phone only to find her social media accounts besieged, her inbox filled with

trending tweet caught her eye: a crowdfunding campaign to buy Monica a prison jumpsuit,

80,000 people had joined the

fainted with

exclaimed as she scrolled through the flood