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.

clearly outclassed by the newcomer’s presence. He offered a nervous smile

quick to let the man decipher their relationship, “He’s my

do you need to be set straight? Repeat what you just

though she

suggested to the college guy, “It’s getting late,

tension, Cooper excused himself

fell into

a threesome? I’m totally down for the kind of man like Mr. L, and so should

wishing her friend would

12:00

stumbled toward turk, who coldly sidestepped her and

arm snaked around her waist. His gaze was dark and teasing. “My

his intense gaze. Whitney felt uncomfortable, “How would I

well he murmured, his

burned with embarrassment – what was he so proud of? She pushed away from his crisp

on the

lift her friend and at a loss, Whitney looked to Ludwik and muttered reluctantly,

a laborer to you?” he

Whitney batted her eyes, tugging at

knew

of his eyes, Ludwik loosened his

up the drunken Tiana, Ludwik held her at

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

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

‘Sir generally doesn’t like women getting too

“Except for you, young mistress. I believe

pretended not to hear. Her cheeks warmed at the thought, but dismissed it at once. Her husband’s interest was surely driven by

fetched a damp cloth to wash her face, only to have Ludwik take it away. His shirt still crisp

stared, That’s for

I less important than her?”

lingered on his long flawless hands. It was said