Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 198

“I’ve told you before, it was her who deliberately leaked our divorce news to the male bosses there.

Just look into it and you’ll know!” Whitney felt a pang of disappointment in him.

He didn’t investigate; he just took Elaine’s word for it without question.

Elaine’s grip tightened for a moment as a thought struck her, then she relaxed, sneering at Whitney,

“Ludwik, I admit I was at fault. I did talk to Ashton that day, and I might have accidentally mentioned

your divorce settlement. Perhaps he…”

Ludwik got it.

He whipped out his phone and dialed Ashton’s number on speakerphone.

With Whitney watching, Ashton picked up, and Ludwik asked with a cold edge, “Did Elaine tell you

about my signing the divorce papers that day? Did you tell anyone else afterward?”

Ashton hesitated, then said, “Maybe I blabbed after a few drinks? You can’t blame Elaine for this; I was

loud, and a few people passing by might have overheard.”

Ludwik hung up, shooting Whitney a frosty look, “Satisfied? It wasn’t Elaine who spread the word about

our divorce; it was Ashton. Stop trying to pin this on her!”

Whitney really began to question his intelligence.

He was so ruthless in business, yet so blind to these shady tactics.

It was clear as day that Ashton was Elaine’s lapdog; he’d take the fall for her.

Elaine was cunning, leaking it to Ashton first as a smokescreen. That night, everyone knew about their

divorce. These things don’t spread so quickly without someone behind it.

Elaine looked triumphantly at Whitney, her voice dripping with feigned distress, “Ludwik, Ms. Valentine

keeps coming at me, maybe she hasn’t given up yet. I wanted to talk to you about my birthday at the

end of February. My parents called again today, hoping we could move up our engagement.”

“They’re worried, in case I don’t have much time left.”

“Elaine, that won’t happen,” Ludwik frowned, trying to soothe her.

Elaine’s eyes welled up, pleading, “Ludwik, my future is uncertain, and I’d love to be engaged to you on

my birthday. Can you grant me that wish? I’ve given you everything, I hope it wasn’t for nothing. Can’t

you pity me?”

Her teary emotional blackmail made Ludwik think of all she had done for him, four years ago, and now.

Ludwik’s brow furrowed, his vision blurred, his steely gaze almost instinctively flicking to Whitney.

He actually cared about her reaction. He wanted her to shake her head fiercely, to come over and cling

to him, insisting she didn’t agree.

He longed to see even a trace of her being worried about him.

But Whitney had been frozen out by Elaine’s words, momentarily paralyzed, unable to react.

Chapter 198

Her heart was so cold, she glanced at Ludwik, seeing that he hadn’t refused.

The next second, she plummeted into an abyss. She finally understood why Elaine had summoned her

today. The real knife was waiting here.

Ludwik waited, but Whitney offered no resistance. She remained indifferent, as if she didn’t care.

Hmm, fine.

Ludwik’s head dropped, his voice laced with sarcasm, “Fine, we’ll get engaged on your birthday.

Consider it a birthday present.”

Elaine grasped his hand in disbelief, her heart leaping with joy, “Ludwik, you really agreed?”

Ludwik glanced coldly at Whitney, smiling, “Elaine, didn’t I promise you we’d go see a movie on

Valentine’s Day? Shall we?”

“Ludwik, you really spoil me!” Elaine reveled in his reaction, knowing it was a dig at Whitney.

She snuggled against Ludwik in a show of demure affection, taunting the stunned Whitney, “Ms.

Valentine, would you mind fetching my heels?”

Whitney didn’t move. Ludwik’s irritation grew, his voice frigid, “Aren’t you going to get them?”

His tone, commanding like a master to a servant, stabbed Whitney’s ears, but she felt nothing.

Her heart was already shattered by his words about the engagement as a birthday present to Elaine.

The pain engulfed her.

It seemed he truly wanted the divorce. Whitney, do you still want to save this?

He might be beyond waking up, as Bryce said. Perhaps you’re no longer in his heart.

Despair struck Whitney, her tears hidden, refusing to show.

She numbly picked up the heels, and holding her slightly aching belly, she tossed them at Elaine’s feet

and silently walked away.

“Stop!” Ludwik watched her retreating figure, the slumped shoulders, the indifferent profile, and he felt a

suffocating annoyance, “Did I say you could leave?”

Elaine’s eyes gleamed with malice, pretending to be considerate, “Ludwik, why don’t we take Ms.

Valentine to the movies with us? After all, she has medical knowledge; she could look after me if I feel

unwell, right, Ms. Valentine?”

Even Felix frowned at the humiliating command. He was about to speak up for the young mistress

when Ludwik, for some unfathomable reason, snapped, “Let her serve you!”

Felix rubbed his forehead in disbelief. Mr. Lippert, that’s not what you’re thinking, is it? Why do this to

her? And the poor lady, she turned as pale as a sheet.

“Ludwik, you do spoil me,” Elaine cooed, leaning weakly against him.

Ludwik escorted her out of the hospital room, driving to the cinema himself.

Felix had no choice but to bring Whitney along.

Inside the movie theater, Ludwik waved his hand, directing Felix to book the entire room.

Elaine’s eyes sparkled with delight; the scenes she’d fantasized about countless times were coming

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true.

Whitney probably never even watched a movie with Ludwik!

Delighted with the thought, she was bubbling with triumph as they approached the entrance, but Felix

hesitated, “The waiting area outside is cold; there are no heating. Mr. Lippert, with Ms. Valentine

pregnant, maybe she should come in to watch the movie.”

“No need,” the usually distant Whitney spoke up.

Ludwik’s steely gaze stiffened for a moment, but if she were to gracefully accept Felix’s offer, he wasn’t

entirely opposed to the idea.

He also noticed the draft in the lobby was chilling, and she had started to shiver.

This ungrateful wench.

His eyes frosted over, a cold smirk on his lips, “Elaine, let’s head inside. We don’t need any riffraff

disturbing us.”

Whitney dug her nails into her palms until crescents of crimson marked her skin.

As she watched him wrap his arm around Elaine and head into the theater, her world turned upside

down.

< F

They had never managed to watch a movie together during their happiest times. It wasn’t for a lack of

longing on her part; she had thought there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Opportunities there were, indeed, only the person by his side had changed.

End of the month, huh? Their engagement was set.

It was as though an invisible force was pushing her back into a corner of the wall. Felix, seeing her

unstable, quickly reached out to steady her.

But he could see the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

Felix felt a blockage in his chest, “Madam, Mr. Lippert has agreed to the engagement, though it seems

to be out of spite. He’s acting on impulse right now, his resentment might fade with time.”

Would time be the healer? Would her suffering and submissiveness bring him back?

A LO S Suo

Whitney wasn’t so sure anymore.

She forced a smile, “I’m fine. I just need some fresh air.”

Once outside the cinema, taking a moment to clear her head, she remembered the real reason she had

come out tonight, and it wasn’t to wait on Elaine.

She quickly sent off a text on her phone.

Desperate about Natalie’s health, she reached out to the only person she thought could help.