Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 390

It was 4 A.M. when Ashton stumbled home from another late-night networking event, slightly tipsy and all over Valerie, only to be interrupted halfway through their intimacy...

His phone erupted with the sound of an incoming call from Elaine.

Without hesitation, Ashton picked it up. Immediately, Elaine's voice, weak and tearful, filled the room. "Ashton, please, you have to protect me. Ludwik's got it all wrong. You're the only one I can turn to now..."

Ashton paused, his gaze still filled with desire as he looked down at Valerie beneath him. But the call was a clear interruption, and he rolled off, urgency taking over.

Valerie watched the ceiling with a hollow laugh, her smile laced with sarcasm, cold and bitter.

As Ashton hurriedly put on his shirt, trying to calm Elaine on the phone, Valerie's pale, delicate arm snatched the phone from his grasp and hurled it across the room!

"What the hell, Valerie?" Ashton turned, his imposing figure outlined with anger, a hint of rage in his sharp features.

Valerie chuckled dryly, reflecting on the years of their marriage, tired of being caught in Ashton's whirlwind. She could never openly support her friend Whitney in the face of Elaine's manipulations, always overshadowed by Ashton's blind loyalty to Elaine, whom he defended unconditionally. "Why won't you just divorce me if you're so obsessed with her?" Valerie's voice was cold, filled with years of pent-up frustration.

sudden emergency. After hours of waiting,

had vanished, but Ashton was suspected of

Ludwik decided, his voice devoid of emotion, as they drove to confront

arrival, Ashton was met with Ludwik and his entourage, their presence demanding

meaning of this, Ludwik?" Ashton's voice trembled under Ludwik's

games," Ludwik cut

to defend Elaine, claiming her innocence, but Ludwik was unmoved, revealing the shocking

to Ashton, denying everything. But Ludwik was determined, his past

was a tipping point, revealing the deep fractures

gotta believe me," Elaine pleaded, her eyes glistening with tears, "Ludwik's got it all wrong. Whatever his mother said, it might not even be true. Is Ludwik really gonna take me away now?

her finger. Elaine seemed so innocent, but he hadn't noticed how skillfully she'd been playing her

firmer by Elaine's side, facing off with Ludwik like it was the

Everything's still up in the air. I'm not letting you

the proof. I'm settling this today! Are you gonna

"I won't!"

word, Ludwik coolly drew a gun from his belt, stepped over the garden fence, and pressed it against Ashton's