Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1314

She clenched her jaw, frustration tightening her voice. "You don't have to pretend you don't care, you know. Elaine was really tangled up with you, back in the day."

"Is it just a thing with women?" Ludwik shot back, his tone edged with impatience. "You want us to say something we don't mean, just so you can prove your own suspicions, and then get mad anyway and threaten to break up? Is that how this goes?"

Whitney fell silent. He'd boxed her in-what else could she say?

"Are you seriously calling me dramatic right now, Mr. Lippert?"

"No. Sorry. Wouldn't dare," he answered curtly.

But Whitney could practically hear the smooth-talking, the fake humility in his

words.

Her jaw tightened, like she'd just tried to punch a pillow-no resistance at all.

Ludwik, the sly old fox.

"You slap me with one hand, and toss me a sugar cube with the other. Ludwik, do you really think I'm that easy to brush off?"

Ludwik: ...

explain to him why ex-wives were so

You know, I literally gave her a kidney. What else do you want me to

like a splinter right now. That's why I have to be honest. Why waste our call talking about people who don't

she didn't really call him for sweet nothings anyway. Their calls were more

lips curling in a half smile. "So, what do you want to talk

beat. "For starters, when are

days. I want to spend some more time with

one's at home, crying for you. She hardly lets anyone from the Lippert family hold her seems like she only wants her mom."

right in the gut. Her mother's instincts

really? I thought Danny and Sammy were doing a pretty good job keeping her

her mother, are they? Valerie's still a baby. At this age, a

did he know so much? He probably binge-read

but had to admit he wasn't wrong. Professionally speaking,

one. But she wasn't about to let him boss her around. "Once I finish up here,

Ludwik continued, "Parker says

Nolan, and if all else fails