Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 720

Just as Whitney turned around in shock, Bryce's eyes shifted from a cold glare to anger and hurt. "How could you go behind my back and still contact him?"

He strode over, yanked Whitney toward him, and glared at Ludwik.

Ludwik, with a cool and indifferent gaze, slightly squinted and replied, "Which eye of yours saw it was her contacting me? What's wrong if I'm the one reaching out to her?" Whitney's face paled slightly under Bryce's accusation.

But she quickly regained her composure, her gaze turning icy as she slipped her hand from Bryce's grasp. She looked up, struggling to say, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have contacted him. But only Ludwik knows where that old factory is. Before this, I did call you first, asking you to look into it. But you kept saying you couldn't find it, and then suddenly you had a meeting..."

Bryce's expression darkened, realizing he had shot himself in the foot.

He masked his anger with a sigh, "Whitney, you have to understand! I didn't intentionally avoid helping you. Emperor City is huge, with countless factories. I honestly didn't know where it was. The meeting came up all of a sudden, and I rushed over as soon as I heard from Audrey."

Whitney pondered, looking at his earnest face.

"Bryce, maybe you're busy, and I'm not doubting your excuses, but with your resources, can you really not find the factory? Maybe Tiana wasn't even at the factory. Nyx mentioned she was seen at the Velvet Lounge, busy with something else, investigating someone. Bryce, do you know the Velvet Lounge? Could you find out who Tiana was looking into there?"

Whitney's questions were sharp, her gaze fixed on Bryce.

A shiver ran through Bryce at her knowledge of the Velvet Lounge. Her questioning seemed to imply something more.

needed

"Ms. Melford is missing? She was investigating someone? I have no idea about that. As for the Velvet Lounge, it's known as a den of vice, but the Lutz Group never entertains there, so I wouldn't know." Whitney mulled this over. Shane had investigated and said Bryce, even when socializing, never took

if he really had never been to the Velvet

listened to the conversation,

The Velvet Lounge?

aware of the place, recently acquired by Jarvis, notorious for its vices, a playground

be thick as thieves. His denial of knowing the

genuinely not know the Velvet Lounge, or

I mean it.

looked

no boyfriend, it's not far-fetched to assume she might be looking into Mr. Lutz. What could Mr. Lutz possibly be hiding to make Tiana investigate him? Maybe he's not as innocent as he claims, avoiding giving you the factory's location." Ludwik turned his piercing gaze towards Bryce: "Bryce, what are you so afraid of?

Ludwik was

speculation. Indeed, for a moment, she wondered if Tiana might have

and thus deliberately

You were just too impatient and went to him instead. If we were to follow his logic, then detectives would be out of a job. Oh, Ms. Melford went to the lounge to check on a friend's man? Ludwik, just say she was investigating me. I have nothing to hide, Whitney, if you have

eyes showing a tumult of

playing the victim, exclaimed, "Whitney, if you're swayed by his few words of suspicion towards me, then I have nothing more to say. I'm disappointed... After everything I've done for you these past three years. If you think Ms. Melford's case has anything to do with me, fine! Officer, call

officer, caught between Bryce and his loyalty to Ludwik

the chief rushed over, ignoring Ludwik and approaching Bryce with a subservient attitude, "Mr. Lutz, how can I assist

couldn't help but be disillusioned by