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.

assuming the role of ‘Ludwik‘, he explained awkwardly, “If your husband is mad at you, did you ever stop to think why? Maybe he dropped everything to save you, went through all that trouble, and what does he see? An ungrateful woman not only failing to recognize her savior but also tangled

made Whitney stiffen

to the heated argument that night, she was so furious she was not thinking straight. When L charged in,

L of

her, would that not mean he completely misunderstood her? No wonder he was

with her.

fingers twisted in

watched with a touch of satisfaction.

Chapter 95

softened a

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

Ludwik frowned, “Suffered, how?”

was just a scare,

revealing the bruising, “I was beaten in the holding cell,

What?

deep bruises on

no one told

noticed that night and he had been so cruel

past days, were they

as he realized how fragile she was and how she should not

had been blind with rage, oblivious

“Does it… hurt?”

I was throwing up for his child in that bathroom, all Simon did was hand me a tissue, and L blindly accused me

handsome eyes froze, wondering how many more bruises like that she had, her face barely a hand–span wide, now even thinner, her eyes shimmering as if

he had

out with his long fingers, wanting to comfort her, but Whitney sensed it and withdrew like a startled crab, guarding

married woman, that day with Simon in the bathroom,

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

a hint of a sensually bare ankle above his sharp leather shoes,

he muttered, clenching

back to his office as

night. And why was there no mention of bruising on her

the baby’s condition every day, he had seen