Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 64
Just the thought of him with that woman later made Whitney’s chest feel tight with discomfort. She cared so much about the
issue and also felt so down.
Why did I have to endure such torture? She thought.
had been avoiding it all; her life was finally on track and she was able to revenge, leading to the downfall
powerful Monica and her mother. She would make a clean sweep and start a new life when the
Valentine family’s internal strife kicked off and Yvonne’s true colors were revealed.
But there was one miscalculation: L. the jerk. He had toyed with her feelings, and now he was off to another woman. Didn’t he
feel any guilt in her case?
Her sorrow turned to anger. She wouldn’t avoid it anymore! She wasn’t going to be some weeping willow while the scoundrel had
his fun.
Blaine entered the suite, her eyes lingering fondly on the king–sized bed.
She unfolded the sexy lingerie she had bought, holding it against her body with a sly smile, “Better keep this
safe.*
Her assistant looked on in surprise, “But Elaine, didn’t you say this was just for a show?”
“For a show?” She couldn’t help but laugh, dismissing the idea. She was serious about everything today.
If she couldn’t seize this chance, she wouldn’t get the chance to touch Ludwik’s hair. So what if it was all an act? She was a
player in this drama.
Her eyes twinkled with mirth, “Someday, I’ll wear this for him. What’s the rush?”
She wasn’t in a hurry. After all these years, she knew this little setback would pass.
“Call Ludwik in, the show’s not over yet,” she gave a light smile. She was still going to enjoy the last bit of

intimate moment” between them.
At nine o’clock, Whitney burst out of her room. She had arranged their key cards, so she knew exactly which room was his.
Fueled by a towering rage, she stormed up to the suite’s door and knocked fiercely.
Elaine answered. She was wrapped in a bath towel, her alluring figure half–concealed, her cheeks flushed with
allure.
Whitney felt a sting in her heart.
In a cold voice, she asked, “Elaine, where’s L? Is he in the room?”
Elaine blocked the door and said in an annoyed tone, “What are you doing here so late? L and I were just about to rest. Don’t
waste everyone’s time.” Her eyebrows arched suggestively.
Whitney, choked with anger, demanded, “I need to speak to him! Move, Elaine.”
“And if I don’t? Know your place, you’re just the nanny!” Elaine’s whisper was laced with provocation.
Whitney pushed her aside, “Then I’ll give you a problem.”
“What are you doing? Are you getting physical as a nanny? L’s not decent so I can’t let you in...”
The more Whitney heard, the more furious she became. She charged in like bantam hen, “L, get out here!”
The two women quickly tangled into a scuffle.
The man in the study finally frowned and reluctantly stepped out.

Elaine, hearing his voice, changed her expression instantly and retreated with feigned concern, “Whitney, please, watch out for
your belly...”
Whitney was lost in anger so she couldn’t react that fast. She inadvertently knocked Elaine to the floor.
Elaine let out a pained cry as her hair was caught in Whitney’s grasp, “Whitney, my hair, my hair!”
Ludwik was standing at the door and watching the scene unfold, “Whitney, what are you doing?”
Whitney’s head buzzed with fury, “I’m here to catch a cheater! What’s it to you?”
“What did you catch? Ludwik approached and freed her hand.
Elaine’s hair was tousled as she got up, looking all pitifully aggrieved.
Whitney saw that the man didn’t wear a towel. Instead, he was dressed neatly. She was taken aback on seeing the scene.
Ludwik scanned her with a suggestive gaze and then pulled her into the study in an indifferent manner, “You’re fighting now?
Come with me.”
The door to the study didn’t close, and the man studied her dazed face for a long time.
His lips curled almost imperceptibly; his face was grim as he tossed a few packs of condoms on the table. He moved closer to
chastise her, “Look at what you’ve done. What did you buy for me? The smallest size? Don’t you know my situation?”
Whitney glanced at the packs, her face flushed with embarrassment, “Who told you to cheat inside your marriage?”

He was silent for a second, then chuckled with a touch of severity, “Did I cheat? You’re assaulting my professional assistant in
front of our business partners, humiliating your husband, and disrupting my business trip. Do you have any idea what kind of
punishment you deserve?”
Whitney was incensed, “She’s professional? And how professional have you been? Just a man and woman seeking a fling at the
spa resort.”
“Watch your mouth,” he stepped forward, lifting her effortlessly onto the desk, his arms encircling her with
irritation.
Whitney’s face was all flushed as she was jabbed by one of the small packs.
He removed it from under her with heated eyes, staring at her twisted expression for a moment before grinning, “What if I told
you there was no affair, no misconduct, and everything today was just a performance for you? What would you say?”
Whitney was stunned. Her mind was a confused mess as she was looking at him.
F
He whispered close to her, “Don’t you get it, idiot? I was deliberately provoking you, making you jealous and driving you crazy.”
“Why? Are you sick, L?” Whitney was incensed. Was he just playing with her emotions?
Her eyes, which were burning with fury, reflected his chiseled image.
Her confused look was a bit adorable.
His throat felt dry as he loosened his tie and moved his hand to her waist, pulling her in and asking in a low, magnetic voice, “So
why did you get so twisted up when you thought I had a lover? Couldn’t stand the thought of me sharing the spa and bed with
her?”
His breath warmed her ear. The heat seared into her soul and blood.
Whitney shivered, her mind and heart jolted awake.
Under his questioning, she was forced to confront the changes in her heart that had quietly taken hold.

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The had felt jealous today, so jealous that she was on the brink of crying and heartbroken. All her negative emotions were
erupting at the sight of him being intimate with another wornan.
Why was that?
Can’t figure out your feelings for me? You little fool,” L teased, lifting her chin with his deep, compelling gaze, You are jealous just
because you care about me. No more hiding, little hedgehog. If I hadn’t pushed you, you’d never admit it. You’ve got a little crush
on me and you want to keep me all to yourself!”
“L” Whitney tried to deny it, but her cheeks were burning and getting hotter by the second.
Her eyelashes fluttered nervously like the butterflies. Her heart was all disturbed.
The answer, it seemed, was shrouded in a mysterious fog, only to reveal itself in moments of clarity.
Damn it, she cared far more than she wanted to admit. She had lost her usual composure today and gritted her teeth so hard.
The last thing she wanted was to let him stray.
He suddenly leaned in and kissed her deeply; his touch on her lips set her heart ablaze,.
Whitney felt utterly spellbound by this man. Her eyes shimmered with tears as he gazed at her with a playful smile on his face,
“How about I give you a chance,” he murmured, “Shall we... take a real shot at this?”
Take a shot at what? Whitney’s heart fluttered, uncertain what his ‘shot‘ could mean.
But then, a knock at the door and Elaine’s cheerful voice cut through the tension, “Hey, you guys have left me hanging out here
for ages!”
Jolted back to reality, Whitney pushed the man away and scrambled off the table.
The study door had been left ajar, and Elaine had heard everything.
As the moment intensified, her jaw clenched, and she chose this precise moment to interrupt them.