Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 653

Hugh felt as if Whitney's words had stripped him bare, exposing his true self. His teeth chattered, his volatile temper no longer containable as he sneered venomously, "You wretch, do you have any proof of your accusations? I've always held my brother in the highest esteem, how dare you slander me with just a few sentences?

A faked paternity test, that's all it is. Dad, don't believe her. You've seen her manipulations. She wants to see the Sheldon family fall apart, to destabilize the company!

As far as I know, she's never even come close to Florence. How could she possibly get her hands on Florence's hair for this test?"

Florence, tears streaming down her face, stood up, "Grandma, Grandpa, she never got my hair, yet she presents this test to smear my name. I demand my innocence be restored!"

Emma, who had always been fond of her, though doubtful, said softly, "Florence..."

Whitney, with a cold glare, scoffed, "I never got your hair? Think hard, Florence... We met two months ago.

I had everything prepared much earlier than you think."

Two months back? Florence's mind raced. Damn it, that was the only time she met Whitney, threatening her to marry Bryce Lutz.

That wretch, she had taken her hair then, without her noticing!

"As for the paternity test, that's easy to solve! The truth can't be faked, and since you deny the father-daughter relationship, why don't we just take your hair now and have Grandpa send it for a test, shall we?"

Whitney crossed her arms, her gaze challenging Hugh as if to say: Did you really think I'd invite Florence here for no reason?

Not just Florence, even Hugh went pale at that.

Jared, his emotions a whirlwind of fury teetering on the edge of collapse, demanded, "Hugh, I want you to tell me, to my face, that you have not had an affair with Holly, and that Florence is not your child. Otherwise, I'm taking hair from both of you right now to clear your brother's name!" Hugh panicked, "Dad..."

"Holly, you know the truth better than anyone. Tell me, whose daughter is Florence, Hudson's or Hugh's?"

Jared was livid, feeling played by this woman, seeing his family manipulated.

wishing her gaze could be lethal. Yet, her only move

witnessing all this, his hand slamming onto the table, exclaimed, "This is outrageous! Holly,

were you led astray by

sort! Mom, Dad, my brother's death

doing all this for the Sheldon Group's inheritance. Don't let her

pointing at Hugh with a

Holly are linked to the chairman's

he called me, intending to transfer all his shares

prepared for his signature upon his return, he

sought to kill the chairman to secure the shares for

that your so-called evidence? Ridiculous, basing

I'm framing you, you'll

and behind him, several former shareholders whom Hugh had fired, stepped forward with

"The so-called resolution of Hugh's shooting incident... the perpetrator found wasn't the

of Holly getting her brother, Hank Walker, to hire a hitman to

I've traced the connections!

about your illicit relationship with Holly, if

Hugh fired you and

I went to his villa, hoping for justice,

is your daughter, we need to silence

knowing Mr. Rufus to be a

fought back, "Mr. Rufus, firing you was

at death's door,

but adulterers. I feel so

for the right moment, I would've exposed your affair in the company

turned

his life, and yet Hugh, for Holly's sake, murdered his own brother, an unforgivable act, and