Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 90

Whitney huffed with irritation. “So you don’t trust me either? What kind of woman do you take me for?”

Ludwik stiffened. Their relationship, a trial marriage of sorts, was built on unfamiliarity. Trust was scarce, and both had sharp edges no one had yet to smooth out.

“It’ll get better in the future,” he said, frowning slightly as he took her small hand in his.

So they were making up? And there was a future? Whitney wondered.

Her cheeks flushed with the thought. She wanted to ask about that night. “I called you twice when everything went down. Why didn’t you pick up?”

Ludwik pinched the bridge of his nose. “There was a crisis with the Elate City project. I had to rush over and left my phone behind. Elaine brought it to me later at Sea Bay. As soon as I got it, I headed straight back to Banyan City. By then, you’d been detained for four hours.”

Elaine had L’s phone? Whitney’s eyes darkened with suspicion.

To the conspiracy theorist, Elaine had deliberately delayed, causing a four–hour wait.

But Ludwik, oblivious to her expression, continued matter–of–factly, “Elaine was running around with me that night. She’s the one who hired the lawyer for you. I waited outside your hospital room, unable to leave. You were angry with me, so I took advantage of her presence. You shouldn’t hold a grudge against her.”

Whitney bristled inside. He made it sound like Elaine had been a saint to her.

But she pushed her emotions down, looking at him with a forced smile. “What makes you think I hold a grudge against her?”

“Don’t you?” Ludwik teased, playfully flicking her nose, his eyes sharp. “You were a bit harsh on her tonight at the club. Jealous of the attention she’s getting?”

Whitney had been probing on purpose, suspecting Hannah was someone Elaine brought in to stir trouble.

Whitney smirked at him, deliberately provoking, “Why shouldn’t I be jealous? Is she really your sister? Related by blood?”

Ludwik paused, his gaze deep and mysterious as he looked away, his brows furrowing, “She’s just a sister; don’t overthink it. She poses no threat to you because my heart is all…”

He stopped on purpose, looking at her with a proud arch of his brow.

Whitney’s face heated up, his non–confession sending her heart racing.

a long time.

be helping you with ulterior motives, thought Whitney.

he trusted

Elaine now would only cause trouble without evidence. It seemed a

Her stomach growled audibly.

not scold her but asked with indulgence, “Have you been feeling too sick to

have the nerve to mention it. Your child, you should deal with the morning sickness,” Whitney retorted with

and scooped her up towards

at his Adam’s apple, her cheeks burning,

stack of

to her arrogantly. “I’ll

have them, but only if

compromised for the sake of the

a napkin, ready to catch any crumbs from her delicate bites, the door swung open, and an elderly lady walked in. From her

look at those two, what a picture they make, hehe… Carry on, just don’t hurt my little

like

at a

embarrassment as she glared

her belly, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “She saw it wrong.

about it. Is Mom feeling

Ludwik replied, his

Taryn said last time, she was tempted to ask. “L, is Mom’s memory loss

her memory. She’s better off this way, carefree. I’m here

voice was icy, unwilling

a pang of sympathy and curiosity, “How did Mom get a head

brows knitting into a frown as if

not probe further, sensing she had touched

greatly

protected. What about L’s father? Whitney felt it was a taboo subject, the sudden restraint in L’s expression, the storm beneath those

the cupcake, Whitney said nothing, merely wrapping her tiny arms around

at her tiny head, her

as if something silent was communicating with him, trying to

into his arms and carried

The night deepened.

She realized she could not quite capture the night’s dramatic twists or L’s flirtations, so she simply burrowed into bed, exhausted and soon