Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 139

Whitney’s breath hitched as the man’s brooding exhalation traveled across the phone line. He didn’t hung up which meant he’d give her a few seconds to explain

“Listen, this is the last time I went to see him Whitney rushed to explain. “I needed to retrieve a family heirloom from him, something of my grandpa’s. Then I have to track down my uncle. He’s all the family I have left. And I’ve got it now, so can you please not get all jealous?”

The man on the other end paused, his voice still frosty. “Looking for family? Fine, I’ll forgive you. Now get yourself home!

“I’m on my way,” she muttered, driving with a mixture of irritation and resignation. “You’re being paranoid. Everyone has some secrets, and you’ve already dug into mine. But you…”

Whitney trailed off, her thoughts suddenly snagging on something Elaine had said before leaving–something utterly baffling

She’d hinted that ‘L‘ was harboring a secret about someone who had once saved his life.

Whitney pursed her lips, blurting out without thinking, “And speaking of the past, what about you? Do you harbor someone in your heart?”

Silence came from the other end of the line.

Then the flight attendant’s announcement filtered through.

Felix reminded him that it was time to board his plane.

His response to Whitney was clipped. “Enough talk. I’m off on a business trip. While I’m gone, stay out of

trouble.”

And with that, he hung up.

Whitney stared at her phone, her delicate brows knitting together. Did he react to her question, or was he hiding something?

Could there really be such a saviour in his life? Or maybe Elaine was just stirring the pot? Whitney let out a sigh, realizing there was no point in clinging to his past.

Resolved, she pressed down harder on the gas pedal, her spirits lifting as she drove.

Back at the villa, Whitney pulled out the small, well–worn contact book from her bag, cradling it like a precious relic. She stroked its cover, her eyes welling up with tears.

at it was like seeing her grandpa and mother

accident when Whitney was sent abroad for middle school. By the

been searching for her grandpa’s personal assistant, Torin, but to no avail. But it was Simon who had found

Banyan City, with a reputation that preceded him and extensive properties. Not adept with computers, he relied on this contact book.

and slowly opened

handwriting. Her eyes burnt with fresh tears.

contact book was thin, with several pages clearly torn

had ripped them out or if someone else had.

1/4

to look for her uncle’s

a name “Keegan“. Below it was a sequence of letters,

playing letter puzzles with her grandpa as a child, and quickly decoded the letters into

hands trembled as the numbers came to

page.

Was he protecting her uncle

Whitney dialed the

the call connected, and a voice

her uncle’s voice!

flowed freely, and she nodded vigorously, “Uncle Keegan, is it really

quivering. “Whitney, you finally called. Do

been waiting for

abroad. He said when you grew up, if you could find this

hit Whitney’s

and mother’s deaths? Were

When are you

replied with a mix of excitement and a hint of a cold laugh.

“Uncle, what happened

you have no idea what I’ve been through these years. But now that I’ve found you,

yet filled with anticipation, Whitney ended the call, still unsure of her

had finally connected with her

the contact book. Her grandpa had recorded various business contacts and

name kept cropping up: