Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 250

“Come on, how did you know she was pretty before I even mentioned it?”

There was an awkward silence before Daniel, resting an elbow on the bar, rolled his eyes.

“You think I’m a gullible three–year–old kid, huh? A kidnapper, my foot. That was clearly a

nurse with a crush on you!”

Ludwik’s lips twitched, and he shot Daniel a side–eye without a word, casually adjusting

his tie.

Felix knew that Mr. Lippert fiddling with his tie was a sign he was relaxed. Daniel, the little

goof, had not even suspected that the ‘kidnapper‘ was his mom.

With a chuckle, Felix teased, “Danny, did you forget you’re actually three and a half and

easy to fool?”

Daniel’s mature composure took a hit. His chin jutted out in both embarrassment and

defiance at the jab about his age.

For some reason, Ludwik sneezed repeatedly.

Daniel glanced over, showing slight concern with an indifferent tone, “Roll up the car

window for him, will ya? The old man’s getting weaker by the day.”

Felix shivered, thinking, “Danny, your dad just got back from an andrology check–up with

your mom. He’s pretty sensitive to the word ‘weak‘.”

Sure enough, Ludwik’s face darkened, and he gave Daniel a sharp look. “You’re awfully

chatty today. Want me to throw you overboard?”

Daniel clamped his mouth shut reluctantly.

He sensed his old man was weighed down by worries today and not in high spirits. The

sneezing had to be because someone was bad–mouthing him, right? He wanted to cheer

him

1. up.

Clearly, the father–son duo was having a tense day, and his attempts to lighten the mood

were not effective.

Daniel huffed in frustration.

Whitney parked her car, her phone buzzing with a new message.

It was from Tiana. [Whitney?]

She had called Tiana the night before using a new number, as her old number had been

terminated three years ago. Was that why Tiana was too scared to pick up?

Whitney felt an inexplicable surge of emotion and bit her lip as she read the message over

and over. Tiana’s tone seemed so casual. But could she really be unaffected by

everything?

Chapter 250

Whitney sniffled, ignoring another pressing call from Orion.

She replied with a tremor in her fingers. [It’s me, Tiana. I’m back, and I need to see you

today.]

Then, she tucked her phone into her purse and walked with furrowed brows into the

restaurant’s private dining room.

Orion lounged in his chair, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the woman walking in.

He gave her a once–over and whistled. “Looking good, I see. Who knew you’d be such a

knockout when not pregnant? My dive into the ocean three years ago to pull you aboard

was worth it.”

“Keep your sleazy eyes to yourself, Orion.”

Whitney sat down with a cool detachment.

It was almost comical how she had jumped into the sea with Sammy in her arms, only for

Orion to be out fishing on a yacht in Sea Bay at the same time. She had struggled in the

cold waves for hours, and he probably saw her much earlier but only chose to rescue her

when she was at death’s door.

When she woke up, she immediately asked why he had bothered to save her at all.

Orion had laughed with his crooked smile, revealing a long–term plan. “Keeping you alive

to use against Ludwik someday? That’s the sweetest deal ever.”

Twisted, but true.

Since Whitney’s return to the country, she had found that the Imperial Gem Corporation’s

market value had plummeted by billions.

In three years, Ludwik had driven the Lippert family to desperation. The massive

corporation Orion had stolen from him had become the laughingstock of Banyan City.

Orion was barely hanging on; without a new plan, he was headed for certain doom.

Now, Orion eyed his lifeline and slid a contract across the table. “Join Imperial Gem as a

jewelry designer. The pay’s great; just follow my orders to snatch deals, and we’re

golden.”

Whitney was not naive and scoffed. “So you want me as a human target? Just by sitting in

Imperial Gem, I could ruffle some feathers, right?”

“Smart girl. Why spell it out when you know the score? Don’t you want to crush Ludwik

with your own hands?”

Orion smirked. “You have no choice. I saved your life three years ago, and this is your

chance for payback. Ready to join me in gutting their empire?”

Whitney’s eyes narrowed; his blatant manipulation was no secret.

But why should she not play along?

First, she could not refuse the offer. Second, she had returned with a desire to unsettle

certain

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people, and this would be her platform to achieve just that.

A wry smile played on her lips as she signed the contract without hesitation.

Orion’s surprise turned into a boisterous laugh. He leaned in, his gesture intimate as he

lifted her chin. “I never realized you hated him so deeply. How about marrying me instead?

I must admit, my brother had an eye for stunning women; you’re practically glowing.”

Whitney jabbed his hand away with her pen, her disgust unhidden. “I have zero interest in

you. And I haven’t forgotten how you wronged my uncle.”

“Boring.” Orion retracted his hand and settled back into his seat.

Whitney’s lips twitched. Orion was indeed rotten to the core and oddly eccentric. He was,

however, not cut out for business, or he would not have fallen so hard in three years.

It wasn’t clear how much he cared for Imperial Gem, but his rakish, cavalier attitude was

evident.

Curiosity piqued, Whitney asked, “Why do you hate him so much? Why go after him like

this?”

Orion’s eyes narrowed in resignation, “Who wouldn’t want to be the carefree heir to a

fortune? But the old man didn’t like him, didn’t want him as his successor. So I had to step

up, had to make something of myself, beat him just once, right?

But fuck, I’ve never won a single round. He’s been mired in mud since childhood while I’ve

lived in luxury, yet the family elders only see his worth!”

Whitney blinked, taken aback. “Why didn’t your dad like him? Isn’t he his son too?”

Orion paused, a twisted smile forming. “Rumor has it Natalie wasn’t exactly faithful when

she married my dad. Ludwik’s parentage has always been in question. The old man and

Natalie had a terrible relationship, so naturally, he resented Ludwik by association. Guess

who benefited? Me and my mom.”

His schadenfreude was palpable, making Whitney frown.

Natalie’s name tightened something in Whitney’s chest.

But the Lippert family drama, that man’s issues, were no longer her concern.

Why should she even care?

She returned to the matter at hand with a nonchalant air, saying, “I’m willing to work at

the Imperial Gem Corporation and take on any tasks you throw my way. But I have my

terms. Skye Gem Ltd.–I want to buy it back privately, and you’re going to have to pay

through the nose for that.”

“Damn, do you have to be so cutthroat?” Orion shot her a disdainful look. “Isn’t Bryce

wrapped around your little finger? Why not have him foot the bill?”

“You just said I’m cutthroat, didn’t you? That’s only against you.” Whitney replied with a

casual lift of her lips.

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Orion’s face turned a shade of green, but then a sly smile crept across his face. “Isn’t the

auction for Skye Gem Ltd.’s assets tomorrow night? Sure, be my date, and I’ll bleed some

cash for you.”

Whitney detected the mischief in his tone–this man was up to no good.

She did not refuse, simply picking up the contract and sliding it into her purse. “Then send

the evening gown to my apartment.”

A few steps towards the door, she turned back. “Oh, and Ludwik’s refusing to have me as

his doctor. He’s likely going to try to revoke my medical license. You’ll need to find a way

to protect it.”

Orion chuckled, his interest piqued as he watched her. “Doctor or no doctor isn’t the point.

The real question is, can you reignite his passion?”

Whitney frowned.

Orion stepped closer, his voice laced with innuendo. “Isn’t your uncle facing the death

penalty? If I were you, I’d make Ludwik fall for you again, achieve your goals, infuriate

Elaine, and then ditch him hard. Let them taste the despair you’ve endured!”

Whitney paused, her gaze flickering. “Spare me your rotten ideas. I’m not selling myself

out; forget it.”

Orion shrugged it off. “You seem a bit tempted. When you hit a wall, you’ll see it’s a good

idea.”

He continued, “Remember when you had me stage those two bodies by the seaside to

throw Elaine off your trail? She bought the whole story. She probably doesn’t even know

you’re back. What kind of surprise are you planning for her?”

The mention of that woman made Whitney’s fist clench. A cold curve formed on her lips.

“It’ll have to be a big surprise.”

She and Elaine would be meeting soon enough.

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