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.

brow furrowed in mock seriousness, “I’ve known her a long time. She’s

helping you with ulterior motives, thought

he

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

Her stomach growled audibly.

but asked with indulgence, “Have

to mention it. Your child, you should

up towards the kitchen, “It’s all my fault. Letting you get pregnant

at his Adam’s apple, her cheeks

her a stack of

to her arrogantly.

was letting her have them, but only if

compromised for the sake

napkin, ready to catch any crumbs from her delicate bites, the door swung open, and an elderly lady walked in. From her angle, it looked like her son was nestled

picture they make, hehe… Carry on, just don’t hurt my little grandson! I’m just grabbing something, and then I’ll

like a

was at a

embarrassment as she glared

at her belly, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “She saw it wrong. I wasn’t really diving

about it. Is

always,” Ludwik replied, his brow furrowed

last time, she was tempted to ask. “L, is

she had a serious head injury and lost her memory. She’s better off this

voice was icy,

of sympathy and curiosity, “How did Mom get

knitting into a frown as if suppressing something, his

not probe further, sensing she had

greatly to

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

merely wrapping her tiny arms

tiny

silent was communicating with him, trying

lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom

The night deepened.

a Facebook message to Tiana. She realized she could not quite capture the night’s dramatic twists or L’s flirtations, so she simply burrowed into bed, exhausted and