Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1019

"What were you up to? Or did Mr. Lippert think it wasn't worth mentioning to me?"

Whitney was pressing hard, cornering him with every step.

He was well aware there was no sidestepping the truth, his deep-set eyes hiding a whirlpool of secrets as he firmly grasped her delicate shoulders, his Adam's apple bobbing, "I went after Florence; she fled abroad." "What?" Whitney was taken aback, not expecting Florence to be the subject.

Her brow furrowed, recalling the last time Florence made an appearance at the Sheldon Group, right when Bryce's plans fell apart.

After Ludwik blacklisted Bryce, Florence seemed to vanish into thin air.

Whitney guessed she must've been hiding like a rat crossing the street, but she didn't expect her to have fled the country.

"But why were you after her?" Whitney puzzled.

Ludwik's gaze shifted away, dodging the heart of the matter, "She had something important in her possession that I needed to retrieve. It was urgent, and I worried you'd be angrier knowing it involved Florence, so I didn't tell you." Sammy, standing a little way off, listened to his dad spin this yarn, breaking out in a sweat on his behalf.

He also didn't understand why his dad continued to deceive mom.

Why not just tell her about his sister...

His small fists clenched nervously.

Whitney, digesting his explanation, subconsciously thought it must be some corporate secret?

Yet, for some reason, Elaine's insinuations about Florence stealing something valuable from her flashed through her mind.

Her heart skipped a beat, overcome by an inexplicable sense of unease.

catch Florence, then?" Whitney

"She got away."

'important

her slender shoulder to clasp her waist, a move brimming with unsaid intentions. The warmth from his

now misty, looked up at

on her, the corners of his lips turning up with an unusual tenderness,

days, and in that

hint of a smile in his tone, "Leaving you and

locked with his, could feel the

was enough to calm her storm, his strong frame like a protective wall against

and she quickly averted her gaze, her anger

murmured, stepping aside to let him pass, her cheeks

watch on his wrist, its face cracked, and the veins on the back of his hand standing out, a testament to his strength - and to his injuries. Coupled with... Whitney lifted her gaze once more to his

was crumpled, an unusual

you run into trouble in Eurovoria?" she couldn't help

slightly, his lips parting in a nonchalant smile, "There's always someone who doesn't know better to stay out of my way. Just a

"You also look unrested."

I had to rush back after wrapping up some business, all to see you

and Whitney found herself at a loss for

then, that absence made the heart grow fonder, even

nonsense, she thought, chastising herself for

conversation back to Florence, Danny barged in, "Hey! Can

back and this is

left, or is it

know? Sammy, do you get what I'm feeling? The