Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 761

The officer furrowed his brow, looking troubled as he glanced at Ludwik. "Mr. Lippert, this lady indeed is Audrey's mother. She came all the way from Banyan City, being the first to report to the police that her daughter contacted Whitney before she passed." "If it's convenient, we'd appreciate Ms. Valentine's cooperation to shed some light on the situation."

Whitney felt a storm brewing inside her, even though Audrey's death had nothing to do with her directly. The very person who had called her in the afternoon was now gone, leaving her with an unsettling weight on her shoulders.

She came clean, "Audrey called me, mentioned she wanted to discuss something. But I never got to see her, and then her mother burst in saying she was gone. This woman lost her daughter, her emotions are running high, I'm not going to press charges." The officer nodded, "We'll take her back to the station for a talk. Ms. Valentine, regarding Audrey's death, we might call you in for further inquiries. Please be prepared."

"I'll cooperate," Whitney said, her mind elsewhere, her brows knitted together.

After the police took the woman away, she decided to call Bryce, "Bryce, I heard about Audrey's passing. Did you know?"

"I did," came Bryce's calm yet regretful voice. "I'm at the funeral home right now. Audrey was indeed an employee at the Lutz Group, and it was my mother who strongly recommended her. I feel a responsibility as her boss, and given the good relations between the Perlman and Lutz families, I'm here to manage her affairs. It's tragic, her being so young and meeting such an unexpected end."

Unexpected?

Whitney's brows furrowed slightly, "I'm coming to the funeral home. The Perlman family reported to the police, thinking her death has something to do with me?"

"What's going on?" Bryce's tone darkened.

After Audrey's accident, he had immediately taken charge of managing the situation, not expecting someone from the Perlman family to approach Whitney. This was an unwelcome complication.

"I'll explain when I get there."

Hanging up, Whitney massaged her temples and walked out of the Sheldon Group to her car.

Suddenly, Ludwik caught up to her, taking hold of her delicate wrist. "Whitney, you seem distraught, not in the right state to drive. Where do you need to go? Let me take you," he said, concern tinting his deep-set brows.

He had overheard bits and pieces, Audrey was apparently Bryce's secretary.

can manage on

rushed over from

into his refined features, her eyes flickered, "Ludwik, thanks for protecting

I could protect you all the time," he

"But your presence here, it's inconvenient.

again, his tone

a distance, Whitney realized

she handed over her car

seat, securing her seatbelt before taking the wheel.

way, she pondered over Audrey's cause of death and the phone

they arrived

seatbelt, glancing at the handsome silhouette beside her, "Bryce is at

conscientiously returned the car keys to her, but cautioned in a

him but didn't have the heart to explain,

family, all seemingly recognizing her and shooting daggers her way with their

raised, "You're Whitney, right? If my daughter hadn't gone to see you, she might

intervened, blocking the impending slap and shielding Whitney. "Uncle, why blame my wife? Didn't the police clarify everything? The car was an electric model with a brake malfunction, leading to Audrey's fatal crash. We should be

lost control midway and crashed into a construction site's steel rods. It was a pure accident. In other words, Mr. Perlman, even if

daughter go to see your wife? If not for your wife's jealousy, unable

he sighed heavily, turning to Whitney, "This was my oversight. We had a fight last night, and Audrey came to say goodbye this morning, seeing me upset. Maybe she meant well, wanting to talk to Whitney. After all, Audrey

need his support in the future. Finn,

Whitney wondered if it was an attempt to patch things up between

Audrey never struck her as the

Audrey's voice didn't quite fit the bill

led to a fire and explosion. Her cremated remains were