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.

dropped everything to save you, went through all that trouble, and what does he see? An

blunt guidance made Whitney stiffen

that night, she was so furious she was not thinking straight. When L charged in, she was thanking

she sarcastically accused L of

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

with her.

in self–reproach,

with a touch of satisfaction. Had she finally realized

Chapter 95

softened

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

Ludwik frowned, “Suffered, how?”

just a scare, was

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

What?

the deep bruises on her

no one told

not noticed that night and he

the caregivers these past days, were they blind or

gaze hardened as he realized how fragile she was and

he had been blind

“Does it… hurt?”

heart,” 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

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

because he had been negligent

comfort her, but Whitney sensed it and

still remembered she was a married woman, that day with Simon in the bathroom, maybe

so much. Skye Gem will slowly return to my hands. Watch out for me as a fair competitor,” she said,

revealing a hint of a sensually bare ankle above

he muttered, clenching his

Ludwik back to his office as the temperature

her in the holding cell that night. And why was there no mention of

condition every day, he had seen her records, too, although