Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

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Chapter 156
Tears streamed down Whitney’s cheeks as she numbly slid the engagement ring onto her ring finger, only to jerk it off as if it
burned her skin.
Over and over, she repeated the torturous ritual until her finger bled, but she could not feel the pain; the pain in her heart was
much more immense.
“Whitney? A deep, mellow voice called from outside the door, accompanied by a gentle knocking.
Startled, she clasped a trembling hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs.
“Is the baby okay?” He asked with concern.
Biting her lip, Whitney shook her head, remaining silent.
“Why are you locking yourself in there? Is that ring bothering you that much? Are you so against accepting me because of
Elaine?” He rested his weight against the door, his heavy frame almost causing it to creak.
Inside, Whitney vigorously shook her head; it was not about Elaine; it was something else entirely.
He sighed, his voice turning cold, a chill that seemed to echo the death of his hope.
After a while, he walked away.
Clutching the ring to her chest, Whitney collapsed against the door. If she told him everything, what would he do to Uncle
Keegan?
In the end, he would probably throw her into the abyss alongside him. After all, she had unwittingly been complicit in hurting him
twice.
Whitney did not know how long she stayed in the bathroom, staring at her ghostly reflection, her face as pale as a specter.
Natalie knocked on the door, her voice laced with worry, “Whitney, are you still feeling unwell? I’m about to call the family doctor.”
“I’m fine, Mom...” Whitney quickly stood, splashing her face with cold water to reduce the swelling around her eyes before hastily
opening the door.

Natalie looked at her daughter–in–law’s swollen belly and lovingly stroked it. “Little baby is being so good.”
Whitney’s gaze flickered to the empty dining table, her voice barely above a whisper, “Did he leave?”
Natalie shook her head, gesturing towards the living room. “When you locked yourself in the bathroom with that ring and wouldn’t
answer him, he started drinking. He’s been sick since yesterday, you know. Three bottles of red wine in, and now he’s practically
comatose.”
Whitney saw the slumped silhouette on the couch, his brow furrowed in distress.
The crisis at United Realty Corporation had been enough to trouble him, but her behavior had only added to his gloom.

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“Whitney, dear...” Natalie led her to the dining table to talk, looking at her closely. “I might be forgetful, but I’m not blind I see the
love you have for him. Are you rejecting his proposal because of his difficult nature?”
“No, Mom, it’s not that...”
Natalie glanced at her son with a pained expression. “You don’t know what he’s been through. He has a half–brother from his
father’s side who was always the golden boy. I was ill, so I couldn’t stand up for him. He was often mistreated by his stepmother,
going hungry, and locked in the basement.
A wealthy heir with nothing to his name, he once stole money for my medication and got beaten by the servants publicly, even
taken to the police. He was just eight years old when he developed mental issues and was constantly irritable, and his father had
him committed to a psychiatric ward for two years.
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Chapter 156
When he came out, he was different, cald. I blame myself, my illness made his life miserable. But he fought hard, stood his
ground, and outshone all the other family members, earning his father’s respect.
I’ve watched him struggle every step of the way. My memory may fail me sometimes, but I vividly remember his hardships.”
Whitney felt a twinge in her heart; she had heard whispers about the Lippert family patriarch favoring the younger son, but she
had not realized how much Ludwik had suffered.
Seeing her lost in thought, Natalie patted her hand and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m telling you this so you can understand why he’s
so easily angry. But that’s all in the past, and he’s healthy now. He never let the darkness of his childhood affect his business
dealings. Whitney, your man has integrity. His nobility is in his bones, and he’s worthy of you.
If he were a man who would use any means necessary to reach his goal, he would not just be the tycoon he is today but even
more powerful.”
Natalie smiled reassuringly.
Whitney was taken aback. Natalie, of course, knew her son best, and she said he had integrity and was not the type to use any
means necessary to reach his goal.
Yesterday, he had refused to take advantage of Braxton, willingly giving up a lucrative deal. His principles and restraint had
struck her.
Such a uniquely noble man, had he truly been so villainous when he started from nothing, seizing the Tennyson family’s assets?
Whitney questioned herself silently.

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Her nerves taut, she asked, “Mom, in all his years in business, has he ever done anything reprehensible?”
“Never. Even at his lowest, he got through it with honesty.”

Natalie stated confidently, pride shining in her eyes, “So, Whitney, you can’t give up on him.”
She led Whitney to the sofa, her voice heavy with emotion, “If there’s anyone he truly despises and hates, it’s his brother who
took everything from him. Despite my detachment from worldly matters, I’ve heard people praise your beauty and intelligence.
You should stand by his side; don’t let him fight alone anymore.”
Natalie placed Whitney’s hand gently on the man’s shoulder.
Sensing her touch, Ludwik gripped it tightly. His drunken eyes, clouded with alcohol, seemed to swallow her whole.
“Whitney...” he mumbled in his drunken stupor, “I’m sick; did you know?”
His voice was hoarse, breaking her heart, his features flushed with fever.
Whitney could no longer bear it. She touched his forehead, which was burning up.
Taryn could not stand to see him suffer and urged, “He’s fallen severely ill and refuses to take his medicine. Please, Madam, tell
him to go upstairs to rest.”
Whitney followed Taryn’s advice with a heavy heart, helping him to the bedroom.
In the bedroom, the tall man collapsed onto the bed.
Whitney placed a thermometer under his arm, but he squirmed, his brow furrowed in discomfort, exhaling hot, fevered breaths as
if he could scorch the air.
Whitney sighed and looked down at him, his face uncovered due to their struggle, revealing his strikingly handsome features.
He was Ludwik, the man Natalie claimed had never stooped to dishonorable means in business.. Whitney looked at this
extraordinary man, remembering how he had risked his life to save her.
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Could that have been an act? Was he the conniving man her uncle had depicted, a ruthless predator, a murderer?
But she refused to believe it. In their five months together, he had always been a well–mannered and graceful gentleman. He
might be temperamental, sure, but she could not sense any maliciousness in him.
So, where had everything gone wrong?
There was one more thing. If Ludwik was the man who killed her grandfather and mother, how could he not realize that her uncle
was the very culprit who had caused his deal to go sour? Instead, he still thought Elaine was why she wanted to leave him.
Whitney’s heart hammered against her chest, a relentless drumbeat echoing her turmoil. Could it be possible that Keegan had
accused the wrong person all along? But then, there was the broken half of that mask...
Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice that the man before her had stirred awake.
His eyes were as enigmatic as ever.
Spotting the delicate figure hovering above him, Ludwik suddenly pulled her into his embrace and captured her lips with a fierce,
domineering kiss that carried a tumult of sorrow and rage.
Overwhelmed by the scent of alcohol, Whitney struggled for air, her emotions shattering like a jar of mixed
spices.
She pushed him away.
His gaze, deep as a forest pool, seemed to drown her. “Can’t I? Have you grown so distant from me?”