Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Inside the dimly lit bar, Tiana had drowned herself in alcohol to the point of staggering inebriation. Her mood hadn’t been sour at first.

But after two phone calls both ended in arguments, it was clear that Gunner was on the other line.

Clinging to her friend, Tiana vented, “That jerk! He’s asked for my hand in marriage, and yet he says he’s in Grace City closing deals when I ask him to pick me up. He’s paying less and less attention to me. Is he really that busy?”

Whitney flicked through her phone to catch up on Stella’s latest news.

Turns out, Stella was filming in Grace City. What kind of ‘deals‘ would he be closing at this hour? Whitney’s face hardened as she looked at Tiana’s dejected expression. Her heart was aching with a mix of pity for Tiana and loathing for that unfaithful pair.

But how to bring it up? How could she minimize the damage for Tiana?

“Whitney, let’s go get a room and have some fun!” Tiana hollered, clearly gone off the deep end. Whitney steadied her.

The bar was a scene of drunken collapses, but there was one sober college guy called Cooper that Whitney barely knew. He mentioned he had returned from studying abroad and ran a diamond import business. Whitney’s eyes gleamed – they were in the same line of work. Skye Gem Ltd. covered everything from jewelry design to production.

“Whitney, perhaps we’ll cooperate in business someday,” Cooper said, handing her his business card with an impressed look.

Whitney took the card with a smile, struggling to support Tiana. Cooper offered a hand to help.

Suddenly, an icy pressure descended upon them.

“Oh, getting a room? Planning a threesome?” came a familiar, mocking voice tinged with chill.

Whitney’s head snapped up to see her husband, shock written across her face.

Then it hit her – what did he just imply with that comment? Feeling awkward when she glanced at Cooper, she asked with a semblance of calm, “What are you doing here?”

–

Oh, the tone of her voice as if he didn’t have the right to show up?

Ludwik’s aura turned even colder.

the newcomer’s presence. He offered a

said in a low voice, too quick to let the man decipher

to be set

up, though she felt her analogy wasn’t

college guy, “It’s getting late, maybe you should head home,

Cooper excused himself with

room fell into an eerie

not a threesome? I’m totally down for the kind of man

internally, wishing her friend

12:00

who coldly sidestepped

a glare but before she could help Tiana up, Ludwik’s arm snaked around her

gaze. Whitney felt uncomfortable, “How would I know what kind

yould know very well he murmured, his eyes hinting

embarrassment – what was he so proud of? She pushed away from

on the

friend and at a loss, Whitney looked to Ludwik and muttered reluctantly, “Since you’re here, give me

a

help Whitney batted her eyes, tugging at his shirt in gentle

knew how

his eyes, Ludwik loosened

Tiana, Ludwik held her at arm’s length, asking coldly, “Where

book a suite upstairs. Tiana kept saying she wanted to sleep,” Whitney said, leading the

a bag of trash. It irritated Whitney, who complained to the assistant, “is your boss always this fastidious?

generally doesn’t like women getting too

quickly added with a smile, “Except for you,

but dismissed it

the room, Ludwik tossed Tiana onto the bed. Whitney covered her with a blanket and fetched a damp cloth to wash her face, only to have Ludwik take it away. His shirt still crisp and clean, he intended

That’s for cleaning her

less important than her?” his

beneath him? Whitney thought indignantly. Her gaze lingered on his long flawless hands. It was said that such hands could