Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

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Chapter 111
I swear, maybe I was not clear enough, but Whitney, why the backstabbing?” Elaine frowned innocently.
Whitney shot her a frosty look, eyeing the real backstabber. At the café earlier, she had not realized Elaine was playing the long
game, so she had not recorded anything. Now, she was left empty handed.
Elaine’s eyes brimmed with mist, bitterness lacing her gaze as she looked at Ludwik. “The Lotus Clubhouse, i genuinely heard it
was a great place to eat. If Bro thinks I had ulterior motives, then I’ve got nothing more to Say”
You’re so innocent. Your tweets must be, too,” Whitney scoffed as she opened Twitter, finding only a few sparse posts from
Elaine – the incriminating one already deleted.
Whitney’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Slyly provoking me and then hastily deleting the evidence. But you know, the picture you
took was quite atmospheric. Surely you won’t mind if I show L.”
Tiana had sent the picture to her.
Whitney handed her phone to the man.
He took it and glanced at the selfie where Elaine was snuggled up close to him. It could be misinterpreted. But Nolan and Parker
were also in the frame.
Ludwik gave Whitney a look that said she was overreacting.
Just then, Elaine caught Ludwik’s expression and immediately covered her eyes, starting to sob pitifully. “Whitney, when you’re
out to get someone, any excuse will do. Don’t I even have the freedom to tweet about work anymore? Yes, I deleted it. I’d had a
drink that day, was not thinking straight, and then I worried you’d see Bro at the bar and get the wrong idea about him. I’m so
considerate towards you, yet why do you always target
me?”
She played the part of a saint perfectly, her tone a mixture of innocence and vulnerability, almost pitiable.
Whitney’s smirk froze over.

The doctor, unaware of the full situation and seeing Elaine’s ‘bullied‘ demeanor paired with Whitney’s more dominant presence,
guessed what was happening and could not help but feel for the beautiful but seemingly wronged woman. “I’ve come to update
you on Natalie’s condition. Thanks to Elaine’s timely acupuncture, her epilepsy has improved significantly, and she’s resting in
the neurology department.”
Whitney’s eyes flashed dangerously.
Elaine looked at her, the triumph in the depths of her eyes unmistakable.

Whitney knew that look all too well; Monica had worn it often.
It had been Whitney who had given Natalie the acupuncture treatment yesterday.
Yet today, Elaine was being lauded for it, having already informed the doctor, while Natalie’s memory was too muddled to
remember.
Elaine was adept at reaping where she had not sown, clearly having come prepared for this very moment.
Suddenly, Whitney’s gaze shifted.
True to form, Elaine turned her doe eyes on the man, deftly avoiding the topic of Whitney’s accusations. With feigned concern,
she said, “Bro, I only brought your mother for a check–up to ease your mind because you were injured. I did not want her to
worry, so I kept her from your room. It’s just a coincidence that I walked in on Whitney’s misunderstanding. I’ll get out of your hair
and leave...”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she walked away, looking forlorn.
Ludwik rubbed his temples and frowned slightly at Whitney, not uttering a word.

Chapter 11
While Whitney had been busy trying to expose Elaine, Elaine had been caring for his mother. In fact, the servants had reported
that Elaine had rushed to the villa overnight.
She had cured his mother’s epilepsy with acupuncture.
Despite Whitney’s suspicions, Ludwik had no reason to doubt Elaine, who had always shown nothing but dedication to him and
his family. On the other hand, Whitney seemed to be throwing yet another tantrum.
He said softly. “You’re too prejudiced against Elaine. She might be a bit scheming, but she would not dare cross you. She knows
how I handle things like that. Let’s not let her come between us, okay?”
Whitney looked at him, speechless. She had saved Natalie, but now, in the man’s eyes, Elaine was the hero.
Clenching her fist, Whitney realized Elaine had come far too prepared.
Their silent gaze lingered until Whitney muttered, “I need some air.”
Ludwik’s frown deepened, and he instructed Felix, ‘Make sure the bodyguards follow her.”
In the car outside the hospital, Elaine chuckled maliciously, almost savoring Whitney’s name, wishing she could tear her apart.
She had almost predicted every word Whitney would say to Ludwik. Knowing they had reconciled and anticipating Whitney’s
influence, Elaine had spent the previous night scheming ways to dispel Ludwik’s doubts. using Natalie to her advantage. It had
worked–any suspicions had been quashed.

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But Whitney’s medical skills were undeniable. Elaine wondered why Whitney had not clarified that she was the one who had
saved Natalie. Did Ludwik not know Whitney was skilled in medicine?

If he did not, that was all the better. Elaine pulled a half–ring from her bag, her trump card for when the time
was right.
But that time had not come just yet.
Whitney met up with Tiana at a coffee shop near the hospital.
“I can’t dig up dirt on the banquet that fast,” Tiana teased as she walked in with her laptop, only to find Whitne
looking pale as a ghost. She sat down immediately. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you and L cozying up in the hospital?”
Whitney let out a humorless chuckle at Tiana’s ribbing, her smile faint. She quickly spilled the morning’s
events.
Tiana clenched her fists after hearing it all. “Damn it, I’ve always said these stealthy types are the worst. She’s been silently
competing with you, and now she’s showing her claws this viciously? A wolf in sheep’s clothing, and L... He’s just as bad, falling
for her act time and again. Can’t he see she’s out to get you?”
Whitney shook her head, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions as she squinted, a cool edge to her voice. “I rushed things today. I
confronted Elaine without any solid proof, just empty words relying on what I thought knew about her after all these years/Then
she goes and tugs at his heartstrings by playing the devoted caretaker to Natalie. My suspicions seemed like wild guesses to L–
he did not buy it. He thinks I’m just being petty and jealous.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a classic tale, right? Some guys just can’t spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Tiana spat disdainfull
Whitney’s gaze deepened. “But it’s not all a loss. Today made one thing crystal clear: that woman’s tricks are anything but
amateur. She’s a master at this game.”
Elaine was a pro at playing the good Samaritan, always retreating in such a way that allowed her to advance, solidifying deep
trust with L through her silent sacrifices and tender image.
Chapter 111.

In such a situation, Elaine’s every sneaky move against Whitney could lead to Whitney being labeled as irrational and hysterical
if she did not handle things carefully.
The suppliers and the time L stumbled upon her working with Bryce were all Elaine’s doing, all serving to paint Whitney as the
one in the wrong.
The more Whitney analyzed, the narrower her eyes became.
Elaine had come prepared while she had been caught off guard.
After a couple of such surprises, Whitney started to see the pattern. “I know her tactics now. Moreover, I suspect she’s been
watching me for a long time. Back when L and I had our sham marriage, Elaine appeared on my radar at Alpine Springs Resort.
She crafted this image of being our matchmaker, ensuring he trusted her from the get–go. She’s calculated every move, playing
the innocent while sowing seeds of discord and setting traps for me.”
Tiana listened, her heart pounding with fear. “This is like some kind of extreme martyr complex.”
A chill flickered through Whitney’s gaze. “Now that I see through her charade, I won’t be defeated again because of lack of
evidence. Guys like L, who are high on the ladder and value reason, only believe in hard proof. So that’s what I’ll give him. I’ll
find the evidence, and the facts will leave him speechless.”