Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 223

“You can shack up with Elaine or get engaged for all I care. I’m divorced, and still, you think you can control me?” Whitney thought.

Remembering how he had allowed Elaine to mock her as ‘second–hand good‘, Whitney’s heart throbbed. What was she to him? Did her feelings not matter at all?

Clutching her fists, she said coolly, “Are you done, Mr. Lippert? If so, please step aside.”

“I don’t have the patience to repeat myself!”

His fury pressed down on her like a suffocating cloud.

Whitney looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “The only reason I’m engaged is because you pushed me into it. We have nothing to do with each other anymore, and you have no right to dictate what I do or don’t do.”

We have nothing to do with each other…

Those words seared through the man’s gaze.

“When did I ever force you?” he scoffed coldly, “Force you into another man’s bed, into eagerly jumping into his arms? Whitney, you’re even more shameless than I thought.

Even if I cast a shameless woman like you aside like an old shoe, I won’t allow any other man to touch you, to tarnish my reputation, got it?”

Whitney was floored by his unabashed audacity. It seemed he just kept humiliating her further.

Her nails dug into her palm as she realized that what he discarded could be trampled underfoot but must not tarnish his pride.

A man so arrogant, how could he bear the thought of his ex–wife remarrying? It seemed unrelated to whether he loved her or not.

She felt as if pricked by ice needles and could not help but laugh mockingly. “Mr. Lippert, you’re worried about losing face? Maybe you should reflect on how quickly you got engaged to Elaine after kicking your wife to the curb. You might already be wearing the cap of a scoundrel.”

for me. What right do you have to speak about her and me? As

in scorn as he grabbed her arm, drilling his gaze into her, “Do you even know what he’s

you mean?” Whitney

simple as you think! He plays dirty, using media manipulation to trap you in a ploy, and The Lutz Group isn’t unstable at all. Are you naive or just willing? Take today, for instance. He deliberately brought you here; you think

earlier was not lost on Ludwik.

this woman stood by him, feigning affection, and the thought of him claiming his fatherly rights in front of Ludwik made his blood boil. “I’m warning you, whether I want it or not, the child in your belly is still mine. If I see

Bryce looked at her waist was something Ludwik could not

to strangle her. “Do you understand what kind of man

what misconceptions you have about him. To me, he’s been a help in difficult times. Without

your bluster doesn’t convince me. Just to get to me, he’d neglect The Lutz Group and ruin his own reputation? He’s

by nature; you’re overthinking it, or maybe you just

all too well his paranoid nature, his belief

hurt. “He’s all good,

the heart of a gentleman with your own mean measure. You’ve chosen Elaine, so stop trying to control whether I get engaged or create false stories about Bryce to pressure me into

be your mistress. I’m

out a low, prolonged

In her eyes, was he really like

so protective of Bryce that she

heartless, blind woman.

abruptly releasing her, his features sharpening with cold. “So you’re unrepentant and guarding him, huh?

of emotion, and though his look was

against the wall, nursing her sore wrist, watching him walk away coldly.

would she pay? How

he seem angrier than the day

wave of alarm

finding her in the restroom, that Whitney snapped back to reality.