Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 112

“Yep!” Tiana watched Whitney quickly regain her composure, returning to the familiar friend she knew and loved. “You think Elaine put Hannah up to framing you at the party? Let’s dig up some proof.”

“There’s more to it,” Whitney mused, sensing that Elaine’s preparedness meant her hostility ran deeper than it seemed. She was certain Elaine had designs on L, a possessive desire to steal him away.

“Oh, right, let me just butt in for a second.” Tiana, beaming, booted up her laptop. “Haven’t you been waiting for Valerie’s investigation? About how Monica got propped up by foreign Judges, and who’s the bigwig backing her? Valerie got in touch with me today. Just hang on…”

Tiana immediately connected with Valerie, who was halfway across the world.

Whitney frowned slightly, a thought from Tiana earlier that morning echoing in her head, “You’ve been like a trouble magnet lately!“.

Monica’s miraculous comeback in the competition, followed by the scheme framing her for buying fake gemstones and landing her in jail, seemed unrelated to her recent entanglements with L

But were they truly unrelated?

A bold idea sprouted in Whitney’s mind–if the person behind Monica was…

At that moment, the call connected, and Valerie’s voice came through. She was the epitome of sophistication, and even after a long absence, there was no excitement in her greeting, just a slight smile and pressed lips. “Whitney, long time no see.”

Among the three, Tiana was bubbly, Whitney mischievous, but Valerie was always the grounded one, like a glass of clear water with a few floating leaves–understated at first glance but with a lingering, mellow taste. If Whitney’s edge lay beneath the surface, Valerie’s was right out in the open.

Among the three of them, Valerie contacted the least, having been abroad for studies and only briefly reuniting with them when she returned home.

But that was how their friendship was–Stella, despite being in constant touch, turned out to be nothing more than a fair–weather friend.

“How’s the investigation into the judges going, Valerie?” Tiana asked eagerly.

“There was definitely someone pulling strings to get those foreign judges to boost Monica, Valerie said, taking a sip of water. A hint of amusement crossed her face.

was?” Whitney pressed, certain that this person was either Monica’s backer or closely connected to

eyes, and she gave a thin smile. “It’s my husband, Ashton

“What?”

and Tiana gaped

“Sorry, it’s hardly what you’d call a marriage. I did not see the point in

he the man you’ve always loved?” Despite Valerie’s private nature, Whitney remembered bits and pieces. “When

“A year ago.”

“Girl, how much have you kept from us while studying abroad? That’s not cool. But Ashton–he’s the Fuller family’s eldest son, right? Why would he

but a very elegant male hand appeared on Valerie’s screen before

the laptop fell to the

City’s second–most

the black

effortlessly. She was slender, with a model’s physique: delicate in front, striking curves behind, and legs

eyes were bloodshot with drink. He was tall and Imposing, with sharp features and a cropped haircut

without a hint of tenderness and

her fiercely, murmuring another woman’s name in

suddenly froze with pain, a pain that felt like a knife twisting in her heart. This

face cold with rage. “Open your eyes, Ashton! I’m not her, not your first love. If you’re drunk, go find a hooker You’ve got plenty

deep loathing as he saw her cool,

and desperate? Forced by him to come here for a honeymoon, I ignore you, so you start digging into that judge’s affair, trying to get my attention at all costs. Now that I’m giving you what you want, you’re not happy? It’s been a year since you crawled into my bed–are you that

cut through her like a cold

wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re overthinking. I just don’t

for her needing a liver transplant urgently, do you think I would’ve married you under duress? You’re just like your mother, all high and mighty on the outside but a whore on the inside. I hate being threatened. Just wait and see how

a foolish hope that he might fall in

away from his first love. No, that was not true. Valerie scoffed bitterly, enduring

sweet on another man, and oh, that man happens to be your

sharp slap across her face silenced her