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.

her

terrible accident when Whitney was sent abroad for middle school. By the time she returned, a

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

reputation that preceded him and extensive

and slowly

handwriting. Her eyes burnt with fresh tears.

book was thin, with several pages

ripped

1/4

went straight to look for

third page, there was a name “Keegan“.

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

numbers came to

page.

hidden it? Was he protecting her uncle from

dialed the

held her breath as the call connected, and a voice spoke through the veil of

her uncle’s

vigorously, “Uncle Keegan,

and sorrow, almost quivering. “Whitney, you finally called. Do you have any idea how long I’ve

waiting

her uncle choked up, “Before he died, my dad told me to go into hiding abroad. He said when you grew up, if you could find this number, it would mean you were ready to stand by me and fight with me. Whitney, our family has a heavy score

jolt hit Whitney’s brain.

and mother’s deaths? Were they killed by

When are you coming back?” Whitney asked urgently.

month of treatment, but I’ll make it back for your mother and grandpa’s anniversary,” her uncle replied with a mix of excitement and a hint of a cold laugh. “Ten years… It’s finally the time I came back to

of the past. “Uncle, what happened to you?

idea what I’ve been through these years. But now that I’ve found you, I’ll explain everything to you when I

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

elaborate, but she had finally connected with her only remaining

Whitney continued to flip through the contact book. Her grandpa had recorded various business

end, one name kept cropping