Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1296

There was something unreadable in Ludwik's eyes. He stepped aside, his long legs halting as he answered his phone, voice low and tense. "Parker, what's up?"

"Is Whitney with you?" Parker's voice came sharp, no small talk, straight to the point.

Ludwik heard the urgency and guessed what was coming. "What happened? Is it Ashton—”

“Valerie might die!" Parker cut him off, his words hitting like a slap.

For a moment, Ludwik's normally stoic face flickered.

He didn't respond right away.

Parker's voice pressed on, cold and fast. "When I got back to Riverbend, Tiana told me Elaine was after Valerie's kid. Ashton wasn't even there, useless as ever. Valerie's a mom—she sensed something was off. Stopped Elaine in time. But they couldn't prove anything to Ashton. No evidence."

Ludwik's jaw tensed.

Parker continued, "A couple days later, Valerie just... couldn't take it. She tried to confront Elaine about it, alone. Now she's missing. Elaine's gone too. Ashton finally realized what was happening. We're searching everywhere. Someone spotted two women heading towards the old dam out by the lake...”

His voice dropped. “That place is dangerous, Ludwik. Valerie might be trying to end it all with Elaine, just to make Ashton see the truth. If Elaine's gone, maybe Ashton will finally get his kid the help she needs. Valerie's lost it, man. Driven mad by Elaine."

home. Valerie might not make

face unreadable

had said enough. Ludwik kept

you, too. She's

"Yeah."

his knuckles white where

he turned, heading up the stairs

thin as a willow, her delicate face haloed by the glow, long lashes casting shadows.

feeding their daughter, cradling the bottle

milk flow slow

She didn't

see the weight of

words in

steady, heart tight, and made a

it was him, her expression softened, warmth still lingering

leaned on the door frame, hands behind

away, suddenly shy. “What are you