Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 452

Her sarcasm always had a way of igniting his fury-

Thinking about her evening antics with Bryce, Ludwik scoffed, "Indeed, I'm afraid Florence would be heartbroken if she found out you're Danny's mom, so better keep it to yourself." Whitney's fists clenched tightly by her sides, her heart feeling as if it were pierced by needles.

She tried to suppress her emotions but couldn't hold back the frustration, her eyes reddening as she growled, "Ludwik, you would do anything for her! I won't help you hide the truth, nor will I let my child suffer because of Florence. Today, you were too busy with your girlfriend, neglecting Danny, which led to the incident at the Lipperts'. If anything had happened to him, I wouldn't have forgiven you! Sammy has already... Sammy..." Her voice broke, choked with anxiety.

A sharp pang of regret stabbed Ludwik's heart as he glanced her way. What was meant to be a jibe had triggered a massive reaction; blinded by anger, he had overlooked the sensitive topic of Sammy's disappearance, which now had her on edge.

"Whitney," he said, his voice laced with a mix of concern and regret as he moved closer, pulling her into a hug without another word, "Don't cry! I just "

How could she not see he was only trying to provoke her?

His long fingers forcibly tilted her chin upward, his dark eyes fixated on her tears, as if they burned him, prompting him to hurriedly reach for a tissue.

"You know well that revealing you're Danny's mom here at the Lipperts' wouldn't do him any good. Jarvis, Riley, didn't you see for yourself that night? You know what you should do."

Ludwik wiped her tears, avoiding directly addressing his earlier attempt to provoke her. His only desire was to hold her close, "Danny's fine; he met my grandma for the first time, and she treasured him like a precious gem."

Whitney's tension eased a bit upon hearing this. She pushed away his hand as it reached to wipe her tears again. Tearfully, she jumped off his lap, turning her back to him with a cold demeanor. Rejecting his attempts to console her. Ludwik, left holding the tissue, felt a wave of loneliness as his expression stiffened, "Do we have to be this distant?"

"What choice do I have? For Florence, our past and even Danny's origins must be buried."

her

he disposed of the tissue. Then, noticing

In its place, Ludwik draped his own coat around her, cold yet

cheeks flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. She gave up trying to toss the coat aside, instead turning to glare at him

to Sammy, couldn't help but ask, "Have you

"Of course, I have.

was irrelevant;

black car

was steady, but his concern was palpable. His people were tirelessly searching, a

air, his tone reassuring,

wise..." Whitney clenched her teeth, holding onto faith. Sammy's asthma was her main worry; had he been able to keep his

a link between them, and in that moment of shared concern, Ludwik drove them to the Lippert

Danny to me; if he's

him will answer to me," Ludwik replied tersely, his silhouette

-

the Bentley, her face visibly

better about the situation, Florence smiled and asked, "Sister, did Ludwik not let you in?

of this charade? You orchestrated a fiancé for me today, all to provoke Ludwik. You got what you

Whitney's directness, realizing her vigilance was stronger than anticipated. Feigning innocence, Florence blinked,

Whitney's sarcasm was biting as she stared down Florence's frail appearance. Since returning to the Sheldon family, this was their first private confrontation. If Florence wanted to play games, Whitney was ready to call her bluff, "Florence, I know what you're after: the Sheldon Group and the wealthy Ludwik. Your sickly appearance hides big ambitions. My return must be a

cloaking her gaze, all to unsettle