Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 479

Whitney's assistant suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth in shock, but Whitney seemed not to hear her. However, once Whitney got into her car and drove off, the vehicle quickly picked up speed, causing Sandy to worry immensely. Under the cover of night, Whitney's car pulled up in front of a bar.

"Whitney?"

"Yeah, I need a drink. You shouldn't drink; head on back," Whitney said, forcing a strained smile though she looked pale.

Sandy glanced at her own burn injury and shook her head, "It's okay, I'll drink less. I'll keep you company!"

Together, they walked into the dimly lit booth of the bar.

-

At the airport, Florence arrived at the VIP lounge and sneaked into the restroom to send Holly a text, "Mom, Ludwik is leaving Emperor City for at least two days. Whitney's vulnerable now, maybe tonight's the time to tell Uncle about it..." After sending the text, she methodically deleted the message, her eyes narrowing fiercely.

-

Soon, the outside sky was pitch black. The bar was alight with dazzling lights, and Whitney, after two cocktails, was still relatively sober. She leaned half over the table, the dim lighting hiding her tears which she shed unabashedly. Sandy remained silent for a while before finally asking, "Whitney, do you and Ludwik have some sort of private issue?"

Whitney forced a

I heard you crying in the restroom, and Ludwik wasn't at the banquet. Plus, today, seeing you upset over him pulling strings for Florence,

eyes froze over as she drank and confessed, "It's more than just issues, we have a child

eyes widened in

woman, wedging herself between you two. I know her type; she's scheming, probably after Ludwik's influence. So, you're back in the Sheldon family to compete for the inheritance of the

really do understand her

conversation got cut off last time. Today, tell me more about

"I just happened to see her involved in some lab stuff. She's very secretive, and no one in the Sheldon family has caught on. I think she's pretending

looking into hypnosis?" Danny had once barged into Florence's

maid but does a lot for her, and a guy named Drew. She used to travel abroad often, supposedly for treatment, but who knows what she was really up to. Moreover, she's got everyone in the Sheldon family wrapped around her finger, like Uncle Hugh, who's especially fond of her. I've always thought her illness was a ruse to conceal her ambitions and gain sympathy, waiting for Uncle to hand over

she

illness to center herself within the Sheldon

jewel of the Sheldon family, with an impeccable reputation in Emperor City. She appears uninterested on the surface but desires everything behind the scenes. Sienna may be known for her jealousy and tyranny, but

enchanted by Florence, compromising his principles for her! Returning to her initial point,

drink anymore," Sandy said, her tongue burnt by the strong alcohol, staggering toward the restroom. Whitney, slow to react initially, remembered they were

a man! And that man was Shane! Shane, tall and imposing, pressed Sandy against the

could Shane and Sandy, supposedly strangers, be entangled like this? Whitney had asked Sandy about Shane before, and Sandy had seemed unfamiliar with him. As an illegitimate daughter, it seemed unlikely she'd have connections with someone like Shane, a top-tier heir. What was going on? In Whitney's confused mind, a wave of anger began to rise. She realized something: Shane's pursuit might not have been