Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

“You’re off the hook now, Carter might not want to cross you,” he snorted with feigned indifference.

“I won’t admit to something I didn’t do. I know you’re a business tycoon who looks down on fernale entrepreneurs, but I do have my principles. Believe it or not, that’s up to you, Whitney said with a light smile, her lips brightened by the warmth of the heater, looking quite fetching. Ludwik’s gaze darkened with longing for that pretty mouth.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke with a chilling tone, laced with biting sarcasm, “Congratulations, getting nabbed was supposed to land you life behind bars. Who was blind enough to bail you out? Your husband?”

Whitney flinched, life imprisonment? She muttered, “My friend said it would be just over a decade, tops.”

“Ignorant,” he scoffed arrogantly, “Billions in counterfeit diamonds, and the Lutz family pressing charges–did you really think they’d settle for anything less than life? They wouldn’t bother otherwise.”

Whitney felt her blood run cold.

With a thin smile, he taunted, “Scared now? Do you actually think that ex of yours could save you? Hunters temper is explosive, and Wyatt is slick as they come. Would he really attract hatred for someone like you? If you’re blind, perhaps it’s time to wash your eyes out.”

She sat there stunned, shocked by his furious words.

But his reminder made her think. Wyatt was indeed cunning and would not curry favor with the Lutz family over a few words from Simon, a love child.

That day, Tiana also mentioned Simon being inconsequential, but she had not seen anyone else but Simon.

“Mr. Lippert, perhaps you’re privy to what happened that night? Then tell me, who saved me?”

Ludwik felt his blood boil with irritation, his handsome face framed with a frosty sneer, “Apart from a husband saving his wife, who else saves someone else’s wife? Because you’re pretty?”

Whitney’s face stiffened slightly, she had considered it, but L never mentioned saving her, bursting in only to fight and berate her.

Her face showed hurt, eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Ludwik knew he had been somewhat…harsh that night.

He just would not admit it. And this stubborn little mule would not back down either.

So, the cold war lasted until today.

Maybe he dropped everything to save you, went through all that trouble, and what does he see? An ungrateful woman not

blunt guidance made Whitney

she was not thinking straight.

accused L of being too busy to

L who saved her, would that not mean he completely

with her.

fingers twisted in self–reproach,

a touch of satisfaction. Had she

Chapter 95

softened

if he misunderstood, he had no right to berate me without knowing the facts. Does he

Ludwik frowned, “Suffered, how?”

just a scare,

bruising, “I was beaten in the holding cell, and even my child was in danger. But you men are all

What?

deep bruises on her delicate wrists. She

no one told

and he had

caregivers these past days, were they blind

she was and how she should not have been

he had been blind with

“Does it… hurt?”

Whitney clenched her teeth, pulling her sleeve back down, her eyes stubbornly holding back tears, “Thinking about how I was throwing up for his child in that bathroom, all Simon did was hand me a tissue, and L blindly accused me of kissing my ex. I’m

how many more bruises like that she had, her face barely a hand–span wide, now even thinner, her eyes

he had been negligent and

her, but Whitney sensed it and withdrew like a startled crab, guarding herself. “Mr. Lippert,

still remembered she was a married woman, that

for letting me vent so much. Skye Gem will slowly return to my

long legs stretched out awkwardly, dress pants revealing a hint of

muttered, clenching his

office

cell that night. And why was

monitoring the baby’s condition every day, he