Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 180

Whitney knew the bitter truth – Ludwik didn’t trust her anymore. Her belated affection was lighter than

air in

his eyes.

“Elaine, come in!” Ludwik called from the living room doorway.

“Ludwik, wait, let me have a word with Ms. Valentine,” Elaine said, approaching Whitney with a

hypocritical

smile,

The living room door closed with a click, and Elaine’s facade immediately darkened, her voice dripping

with malice in the dead of night.

“You see, Ludwik swallows every word I say, while he can’t stand the sight of you. Did you hear that?

We’re getting engaged! That’s why he’s in a rush to divorce you and kick you out. Don’t you get it?

Clutching at straws to win him back even though you’re staring down a police investigation for that

kidnapping? Maybe a few years behind bars will teach you to stay in your lane.”

As Elaine reached for her phone to make good on her threat, Whitney slapped it out of her hand and

followed with a stinging slap across Elaine’s face.

No more words were wasted.

Elaine, caught off–guard, clutched her reddening cheek, unprepared for Whitney’s sudden lash out.

“How dare you hit me? You wretch!”



Whitney replied calmly, “I’d think twice about framing me. The deeper the police dig into that

kidnapping, the more your dirty secrets will come to light.”

Elaine’s face turned ashen.

Whitney’s smirk grew colder. “You’d best make sure the police keep me out of it.”

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“This slap is for the night you stepped on my child, causing it distress!”

As for the rest, Whitney would repay in time.

She lingered for two reasons: to clear her name and to reveal Elaine’s venomous nature to Ludwik.

Only then could she hope to win back his heart.

Whitney, with a hidden agenda, narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get in my way, Elaine. If Ludwik’s condition

worsens because you can’t treat him, your true colors will show, won’t they?”

Elaine’s face was a stormy canvas.

Whitney’s comeback had hit a nerve. Despite Elaine’s efforts, including secretly consulting top foreign

psychiatrists, Ludwik’s insomnia persisted.

Spotting the fear in Elaine’s eyes, Whitney revealed a vial of medicine. “This will help him sleep. Looks

like you’ll have to tolerate my presence.”

Elaine sneered, hatred flickering in her eyes. “But Ludwik loathes you. He won’t let you in.”

“I’ve taken your place as the lady of the house. As long as you can endure me sharing his bed every

night while you’re left out in the cold with your bastard child, I’m not bothered. Oh, and Ludwik wants

that child gone!”

Another slap echoed, Whitney’s hand marking Elaine’s other cheek.



“Have you lost your mind?” Elaine gasped, her face a mix of disbelief and brewing storms. Then,

feigning tears, she whimpered, “Ludwik_”

Whitney’s smile was a sharp blade. “Sure, play the victim. I don’t mind adding to my list of sins. Cry too

much, and you’ll lose your ‘compassionate‘ appeal.”

Elaine’s hand froze on her reddened cheek.

Ludwik was not in a forgiving mood. A smart woman wouldn’t whine.

Clutching her hand, Elaine glowered. “You’ll see how I deal with you. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

Whitney, unfazed, replied, “Do your worst. A barefoot person has nothing to lose.”

“Enjoy the cold night then. There’s a storm coming.”

Elaine’s mocking laughter trailed behind her as she entered the house, leaving Whitney alone outside.

The lights of the mansion came alive, warm and bright as before, but none of it belonged to Whitney

any longer.

At ten o’clock, Whitney saw the light in their former master bedroom switch on. Through the sheer

curtains, she saw Ludwik’s tall silhouette, and beside him, the delicate shadow of another almost

embracing.

“Ludwik and L, sharing the same bed night after night…

Whitney’s fingernails dug into her palms.

Could it be? Was Ludwik really with her tonight?

Fear engulfed Whitney as she watched.



Inside the master bedroom.

Ludwik stood by the window, his gaze as cold and deep as the ocean floor.

Elaine, perceiving Whitney’s stare from below, deliberately stood close behind Ludwik, their shadows

merging.

A vicious satisfaction flickered within her.

As the servants cleared Whitney’s belongings, Elaine feigned sympathy. “Ludwik, I had no idea this

was your sanctuary with her. I liked the room, but if it’s too much, I’ll take the quest room next door.”

Knowing Elaine’s affluent background and her need for medical equipment, Ludwik said, “They say you

need extra care at night. Stay here.”

“But these are memories of you and her,” Elaine prodded.

Ludwik gaze darkened. “What use are such memories? They’re a farce!”

Taryn, instruct the staff to throw her things out.”

Taryn, witnessing the cold command, felt a pang of regret. How had things between the young mistress

and sir turned so sour?

As the last of Whitney’s belongings were dumped at the front door, she recognized her mother’s

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sketchbook peeking out from a bag.

They were throwing out her life with Ludwik, erasing the sweet memories they shared.

Whitney stumbled back, the chill of the night slicing through her as if she could no longer stand.



Leaning against a lamppost, she stood alone, determined to endure the cold, the pain, refusing to

leave.

Eventually, the light in the master bedroom went out, and the study remained dark.

Whitney wondered, if he wasn’t in the study, which room could he be in?

The moon had dipped below the horizon, and a fierce wind kicked up, sending the temperature

plummeting, a bone–chilling gust nearly knocking Whitney off her feet.

She pulled out her phone, and sure enough, Elaine had been right. A storm was brewing.

Soon, the sky drummed with the onset of rain, which abruptly turned into a torrential downpour!

Whitney had been standing for far too long: her legs had gone numb, leaving her immobile like a

marionette. an instant, she was soaked to the bone, the heavy raindrops stinging her eyes shut, the

cold seeping into her very core and causing a sharp pain in her abdomen.

She had been on her feet for five or six hours; it was too much for the baby.

It couldn’t afford to catch a cold, to get hurt.

Leaning against a lamppost for support, Whitney waited until the numbness in her legs subsided a bit

and then hurried over to her suitcase, pulling out the only coat she had.

She curled up on the ground, clutching the coat tightly around her protruding belly, desperately trying to

r the last bit of warmth.

retain

But the wind was relentless, and even as she used the suitcase to shield herself from the rain, it still

managed to blow her over several times.



Her consciousness began to fade.

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