Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 250

“Come on, how did you know she was pretty before I even mentioned it?”

There was an awkward silence before Daniel, resting an elbow on the bar, rolled his eyes. “You think I’m a gullible three–year–old kid, huh? A kidnapper, my foot. That was clearly a nurse with a crush on you!”

Ludwik’s lips twitched, and he shot Daniel a side–eye without a word, casually adjusting his tie.

Felix knew that Mr. Lippert fiddling with his tie was a sign he was relaxed. Daniel, the little goof, had not even suspected that the ‘kidnapper‘ was his mom.

With a chuckle, Felix teased, “Danny, did you forget you’re actually three and a half and easy to fool?”

Daniel’s mature composure took a hit. His chin jutted out in both embarrassment and defiance at the jab about his age.

For some reason, Ludwik sneezed repeatedly.

Daniel glanced over, showing slight concern with an indifferent tone, “Roll up the car window for him, will ya? The old man’s getting weaker by the day.”

Felix shivered, thinking, “Danny, your dad just got back from an andrology check–up with your mom. He’s pretty sensitive to the word ‘weak‘.”

Sure enough, Ludwik’s face darkened, and he gave Daniel a sharp look. “You’re awfully chatty today. Want me to throw you overboard?”

Daniel clamped his mouth shut reluctantly.

He sensed his old man was weighed down by worries today and not in high spirits. The sneezing had to be because someone was bad–mouthing him, right? He wanted to cheer him

1. up.

Clearly, the father–son duo was having a tense day, and his attempts to lighten the mood were not effective.

Daniel huffed in frustration.

Whitney parked her car, her phone buzzing with a new message.

It was from Tiana. [Whitney?]

She had called Tiana the night before using a new number, as her old number had been terminated three years ago. Was that why Tiana was too scared to pick up?

Whitney felt an inexplicable surge of emotion and bit her lip as she read the message over and over. Tiana’s tone seemed so casual. But could she really be unaffected by everything?

Chapter 250

ignoring another pressing call from

with a tremor in her fingers. [It’s me, Tiana. I’m back, and I need to see you

into her purse and walked

chair, his eyes lighting up at

such a knockout when not pregnant? My dive into the ocean three years ago to pull

eyes

sat down with a cool detachment.

comical how she had jumped into the sea with Sammy in her arms, only for Orion to be out fishing on a yacht in Sea Bay at the same time. She had struggled in the cold waves for hours, and he probably saw her much earlier

woke up, she immediately asked why he had bothered to save her at all.

plan. “Keeping you alive to use against Ludwik someday?

Twisted, but true.

the country, she had found that the Imperial Gem Corporation’s market value had plummeted

desperation. The massive corporation Orion had stolen from him had become the laughingstock of Banyan City. Orion was barely hanging

contract across the table. “Join Imperial Gem as a jewelry designer. The pay’s great; just follow my orders to

scoffed. “So you want me as a human target? Just by

Why spell it out when you know the score? Don’t you want to crush Ludwik with your own

years ago, and this is your chance for payback. Ready to join me

his blatant manipulation was no

she

offer. Second, she had returned with a desire to

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Chapter 250

and this would be her platform to achieve

played on her lips as she signed

chin. “I never realized you hated him so deeply. How about marrying me instead? I must admit, my

zero interest in you.

hand and settled back into his seat.

the core and oddly eccentric. He was, however, not cut out for business, or he would not have fallen so

he cared for Imperial Gem, but his rakish, cavalier attitude was

hate him so much? Why

didn’t want him as his successor. So I had to step up, had to make something of myself,

mired in mud since childhood while I’ve lived in luxury, yet the family elders

aback. “Why didn’t your dad like him? Isn’t he his son too?”

when she married my dad. Ludwik’s parentage has always been in question. The old man and Natalie

schadenfreude was palpable, making Whitney