Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

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Chapter 103
That damned woman, she just could not stay out of trouble. His gaze bore into Nolan, dark and stormy.
Nolan shivered, realizing every kind word he had ever spoken on Whitney’s behalf had gone to waste.
The man’s expressionless face gave nothing away as he strode forward with purposeful steps.
Nolan hurried to keep up, sensing Ludwik was about to explode, and whispered urgently, “Whitney must’ve been set up, man.
With all the riffraff around tonight, why on earth would she be talking business? She’d be fawning over you instead, the big shot
that you are. Plus, she’s pregnant. We need to get her out of there.”
Ludwik’s heart pounded with suppressed rage that quickly morphed into concern.
Hannah followed, fuming, praying her cousin would not manage to calm Ludwik down.
Elaine lagged behind, her phone vibrating silently. She slipped into a corner to answer it. Her assistant’s voice was frantic.
“Elaine, we’ve got trouble. Bryce found the place, and he’s on his way there. I don’t know if Mr. Wendt had enough time to... you
know, make Whitney lose the baby...”
Elaine’s brow furrowed.
Then, a sly smile crossed her lips, and she let out a soft, eerie chuckle. “Why is that bad news? Bryce showing up will only spice
things up.”
This was turning into a show she would not want to miss!
Mr. Wendt was nothing compared to Bryce. The murderous look Ludwik gave Bryce at the party said it all.
Plus, Whitney, drugged and with three guys? That was going to be a scene to remember!
Excited, Elaine quickly followed the others.
Ludwik rechecked his phone. Why did that damned woman not call him for help? Or was it already too late for
her to even ask?
He pushed through the crowd, arriving at the ground floor guest room. As he raised his leg to kick the door down, it swung open.

“Whitney!” Ludwik stormed in, frowning.
In the room, Mr. Wendt was already sprawled on the floor while the bed was a mess. Whitney leaned at the foot of the bed, her
body limp and trembling, her gaze barely lucid through the confusion. Blood dripped from her lips, a sight both pitiful and
seductive. Above her, a handsome young man leaned down.
His profile was refined, and his smile wry.
Bryce had removed his shirt, lifting Whitney gently. “Looks like fate has thrown us together tonight. I already gave you my jacket,
and now I’m giving you my shirt to make sure you’re okay.”
Ludwik’s eyes iced over as he listened, his handcrafted leather shoes chilling the floor beneath him.

He smirked, watching from a distance, his eyes locked on Whitney.
Whitney, coming to, heard his voice and felt her heart jolt. She looked up only to meet his frosty gaze.
Bryce followed her gaze and turned to see the imposing man at the door; his jawline was chiseled even beneath a silver mask.
The room’s temperature seemed to drop.
“Mr. Lutz, would you please let go of me...” Whitney’s voice quivered, sensing trouble.
Bryce was confused, but before he could release her, a force slammed into him, sending him stumbling.
His usually calm face turned cold. “And you are?”
15:49

The tall young man ignored him, fixing his steely gaze on the woman in the bed.
He flashed a twisted smile. “So, you cry out for him and not for me?”
“L, it’s not what it looks like,” Whitney stammered, her eyes brimming with tears,
How could she have the strength to call for help when she was drugged? Shaking, she said, “I was set up and drugged. Mr. Lutz
discovered me by accident...”
Ludwik’s hand tightened around her neck with a deceptive caress. Suddenly, his pupils shrank, and he pulled her up from the
bed and into his arms.
“Ah!” He had used so much force that Whitney’s entire body ached, her mind trembling.
The veins on Ludwik’s forehead bulged, but his tone was calm. “So, my woman needs to be saved by someone else? That’s
your excuse for being caught red–handed with him?”
Whitney was at a loss for words. “L, listen to me!”
Sensing the depth of their relationship, Bryce interjected, “Sir, I don’t know who you are, but Ms. Valentine was nearly violated. I
came to her rescue. Please, don’t delay her any further.”
Seeing how rough Ludwik was with Whitney, Bryce attempted to get Whitney out.
However, Ludwik remained unmoved. Softly pressing the fragile woman’s shoulders, he smirked like the devil. “If you don’t know
who I am, go find out. Are you interested in this woman? Unfortunately, I’ve already slept with her. Did she not tell you that before
you two started messing around? She’s got my child.”.

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“L, enough!” Whitney felt her heart penetrated by the painful humiliation. Why did he have to tear her pride apart and step on it in
front of another man?
The man’s cold gaze shifted to her. Touching her pink lips with his rough fingers, he said, “Why so nervous? Am I not telling the
truth?”
With a mocking tone, he continued, “Enough, you said? Then why aren’t you leaving?”
Whitney trembled all over. Having no idea what L might do next, she said with difficulty, “Mr. Lutz, I’m sorry that you had to
witness such an embarrassing situation after saving me.”

Her eager explanation only made Ludwik’s eyes grow even gloomier.
Then, she turned around and left.
“Stop right there,” He called out.
Walking toward her, he grabbed Bryce’s shirt, threw it on the floor, and stepped on it.
Bryce’s expression turned ugly at the sight.
With a chilling touch, Ludwik draped his coat over Whitney’s shoulders and commanded, “Felix, tie her up. We’re taking her
away.”
“Ms. Valentine, do you need help?” Bryce stepped forward; concern etched on his face.
But Ludwik’s grip was unyielding. Whitney, her eyes glistening, shook her head, her face pale.
As Felix and the bodyguards escorted her away, Elaine watched from the shadows, a cold smile on her lips.
Though Whitney had not been defiled, Ludwik was beyond furious now.
Suddenly, Whitney’s piercing gaze met hers.
Whitney clenched her fists, then was whisked away.
Ludwik surveyed the room, his eyes icy as he addressed the onlookers. “Nolan, clean this up. If a word of this gets out, heads
will roll.”

His presence silenced the crowd.
15:50
Chapter 103
Hearing such an arrogant remark, Bryce was about to chase after Whitney, but his assistant intervened with a cautionary
whisper. “Sir, you’ve been abroad for so long that you might not be aware of the legend of Mr. Lippert from the formidable Lippert
family. As a child, he was known for wearing a silver mask, rumored to be because his out–of–this–world good looks once
brought trouble upon him. I have a hunch, sir, that this man is like Mr. Lippert. Only someone of his stature and power would dare
to dismiss you so.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Bryce’s face.
Outside the banquet hall, on a secluded mountain path, Whitney was ushered into a car with a definitive click as the central
locking system engaged.
The chilling air seemed to freeze her very soul.
A tall, impeccably dressed man approached with an elegant chill, standing outside to smoke a cigarette, his gaze devouring her
through the window.
Trapped in the car, Whitney felt the oppressive fear as her tears glistened in the corner of her eyes, a mixture of indignation and
loathing filling her.
After finishing two cigarettes, he finally got in the car, and with Felix trembling at the wheel, the Bentley surged into the night.
Whitney finally burst out at the robust man beside her, unable to contain her frustration from the humiliation she had suffered.
“Are you insane? How did I ever cross paths with a tyrant like you, so overbearing and unreasonable... Hmm!”
Ludwik suddenly seized her by the back of her head, pulling her into a fierce kiss that was so intense that Whitney felt as if she
was being devoured.