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. She’s been a great help to

might be helping you with ulterior motives, thought Whitney. Men never

tell he

of Elaine now would only cause trouble without

Her stomach growled audibly.

asked with indulgence, “Have you been feeling too

the nerve to mention it. Your child, you should

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

at his Adam’s apple, her cheeks

stack of cupcakes from the cabinet, noting the

them to her arrogantly. “I’ll indulge you

but only if she

the sake of

swung open,

picture they make, hehe… Carry on, just don’t hurt my little

scurried upstairs like a gust of

a loss for

with embarrassment

down at her belly, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “She

it. Is Mom feeling any

as always,” Ludwik replied, his brow furrowed

last time, she was

her memory. She’s

icy, unwilling to

curiosity, “How did Mom

knitting into a frown as if suppressing something, his

probe further, sensing she had

must have suffered greatly to

with L in their luxurious estate, his mother was kept close and protected. What about L’s father? Whitney felt it was a taboo subject, the sudden restraint in L’s expression,

said nothing, merely wrapping her

her tiny head,

as if something silent was communicating with him, trying to find a

while, he lifted her into his

The night deepened.

having freshened up, sent a Facebook message to Tiana. She realized she could not quite capture the night’s dramatic