Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

That little bit of sweetness seemed to give him the courage he needed to finally open that locked drawer. Hudson Sheldon lowered his head, unlocked it, and with all the strength he could muster, carefully took out the photograph he'd cherished for years. "Whitney, look, this is a picture of your mom and me from back when we were classmates."

It wasn't just the two of them in the photo, though.

It was a group graduation photo, with several students standing in a row.

The young Hudson was indeed dashing, handsome in a boyish way, standing at the far left with an air of youthful innocence.

Whitney Valentine scanned the faces until she found her mother. Her beauty was undeniable, with her delicate features and almond-shaped eyes that seemed to sparkle with a mix of snow and ice. When she smiled, it was as if that ice was about to melt.

Her mother wasn't looking at her father, but in the photo, her father had slightly tilted his head towards her.

"Did you fall for her first?"

"Of course," Hudson reminisced, a rare hint of bashfulness in his deep-set eyes. "Parisa was never the type to make the first move. She didn't know how."

"I chased her for ages. At first, I even tricked her into pretending to be my girlfriend. It wasn't until we graduated that she finally started to like me back."

Talking about Parisa was like talking about a treasure.

Whitney was touched by the tenderness in his eyes. Back then, her father's unrequited love must have been sweet and sincere. He was from a wealthy family, and she remembered him saying that the Tennyson family wasn't quite up to par with the Sheldon family's prominence.

Prejudices like Emma's tore them apart.

Holly Walker, with her ruthless schemes, swooped in and stole what wasn't hers...

Whitney felt a whirlwind of emotions. They had been each other's first love, such a beautiful love. Her mother had been deeply loved, surely it had been sweet.

"If only mom were still here..." she murmured, heartbroken.

Hudson blinked away the emptiness in his eyes, forcing back tears. "If I could trade my life for hers, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Dad!"

lived long enough, lived through the days without your mother. Back then, I was the suitable heir for the Sheldon family. Hugh Sheldon was disabled, and your grandmother was too traditional to let your

to the Sheldon Group that kept me going. But deep down, I'm just a hopeless romantic. Whitney, now the Sheldon Group has you. I've decided, once I officially pass it on to you, I'll head to Banyan City and buy a place by your mom's resting place. I'll stay with her." "Dad..." Whitney called him softly, feeling a pang of sadness as she saw how worn he was. "You're living too pessimistically. You should have the zest

In the soft light, she

I still middle-aged? This gunshot wound took a while to heal, but my heart's been old for a long

You need to manage it for at least another ten years,

that regard.

her fingers lovingly tracing the only photo of her parents together. Hudson had carefully framed it, but the years had faded its colors,

gone now,

she knows the truth about why you 'left her.' Maybe she sees

has already for

let it weigh you down. People can't live only in the

"I'm free now and can

devotion bordered

when she first returned to the

He had a family but took her back out of

Hudson say he wanted to divorce Holly, but couldn't because of the family. This had been his thought for

began to understand her

to her

be, but

you like this, understanding your thoughts, I suddenly wish mom could

whispered, a selfish

I said, I'd trade

back

posture. "I've lived long enough on my own. Even if

that

and weary spirit, she knew this trip down memory lane had drained him emotionally. She didn't want