Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 230

Ludwik slumped onto the sofa with an icy detachment as Felix hurried in, wincing at the sight of the

wound on Ludwik’s arm, “Mr. Lippert, you really need to take care of that cut…”

“For a guy like Bryce, she actually tried to kill me,” Ludwik’s lips curled into a frosty sneer.

Felix shook his head, thinking to himself, “Ms. Valentine’s actions couldn’t have been just about Bryce.

Any woman pushed to the brink like that might snap…”

“Ludwik, I heard you crashed Whitney’s engagement party. Is she here now? Oh my god, you’re

bleeding so much! What happened?”

At this moment, Elaine burst through the door.

Ludwik looked up, his face stiffening with surprise at her unexpected arrival.

Elaine caught the flicker of guilt in his eyes and felt a flame of jealousy ignite within her.

Last night, on the eve of their engagement, he had left her alone at the villa, deliberately induced her

period to avoid her, and she had bitten back her anger.

She had not anticipated his premeditation, that today he would have Bryce arrested and forcefully take

Whitney back.

Thinking he was still secretly keeping that bitch? Elaine seethed with rage, sensing an unprecedented

threat.

If it were not for the maid she sent as a spy, she would never have found this place.

But she could endure, her face betraying no hint of her fury as she rushed over with feigned concern.

“How did you get bitten like this?

Ludwik, sit down, let me stop the bleeding for you?

Ludwik frowned, taken aback. Her demeanor was aggrieved but calm, and she immediately showed

concern for his well–being, stirring a ripple of emotion in his heart.

“Why are you here?”

“You left me at the villa last night, and I was worried my parents would ask questions, so I kept an eye

on your whereabouts, Ludwik, I didn’t come here to cause trouble,”

Tears welled in Elaine’s eyes, a picture of hurt innocence,

“Whitney and Bryce’s engagement must have meant they had feelings for each other. And with you

plotting against Bryce, wouldn’t Whitney despise you to the core? I was worried you two might clash,

and look, you got hurt.”

Even Elaine could see the affection between Whitney and Bryce, Ludwik’s gaze turned icy.

Momentarily, he felt a wave of guilt washed over him, moved by Elaine’s appeasing manner.

Why could he not fall in love with this woman who cared for him instead of being entangled with the

heartless Whitney?

Ludwik was frustrated with himself.

Seeing the look of remorse in his eyes, Elaine knew her ‘understanding‘

had touched him.

But it was not enough. A cold smile crept into her heart; as long as that woman was back in his life, she

would make sure they never got any

closer.

Whitney had to be eliminated.

Elaine clenched her teeth; just last night, she had been searching for a way to deal with Whitney, and

now an opportunity had presented itself.

With a sorrowful look, she said, “Ludwik, what are you thinking? You’re engaged, yet you brought her

back. It’s embarrassing for me and the Bartels family. I love you, and I can tolerate it, but my parents

can’t accept this. If you truly can’t let her go, then I’ll step aside!”

“Elaine, what are you talking about?” Ludwik knew he was in the wrong.

“How could I not let go of that kind of woman? Does she deserve it? I just… I’m thinking about the baby

she’s carrying. It’s getting on in months, and I want her to have it.”

A vicious glint flashed in Elaine’s eye; the child was still tethering his heart; he could not bear to

abandon it.

She quickly put on a face of benevolence, “If it’s not about her, but just about the baby, that doesn’t

affect our marriage. I love children, too. After she gives birth, I will take care of the child as if it were my

own. Ludwik, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Her tone was forgiving and resigned, a small smile on her lips, when suddenly there came a sound of

struggle from upstairs!

Ludwik stood up sharply,

Elaine patted him reassuringly, “Your wrist has just been bandaged, and Whitney attacked you,

stabbing and biting. She doesn’t seem quite right. I’ll go upstairs and check on her to avoid provoking

her further by your sudden appearance.”

With that, she gave the maid a knowing look and quickly ascended the

stairs.

Ludwik took a step forward, but the maid immediately stepped up, pointing out the injury on his wrist,

“Mr. Lippert, this still needs attention.”

He stopped, his gaze locked on the staircase.

As Elaine turned to close the door behind her, she caught his watchful

eye, and a scheming glint passed through hers.

17:19

She entered the bedroom, where two bodyguards were restraining Whitney from struggling.

Elaine said with a smile, “Let her go. I’ll take a look at her.”

Whitney turned her head sharply, her eyes widening in disbelief at Elaine’s presence.

The bodyguards stepped back to the door,

Elaine leaned in close to Whitney, whispering with a venomous smirk, “Surprised to see me here?

Ludwik sent me! Do you think he took you back because he still has feelings for you? Naive. He’s

agreed to let you have the baby for me to raise. He’s considerate, doesn’t want me to suffer pregnancy

with a single kidney.”

The maid had secretly conveyed Ludwik’s harsh words to Elaine, and

she wielded them like a knife.

Seeing the shift in Whitney’s devastated eyes, Elaine whispered in her ear, her lips curling, “I pretended

to agree to take good care of the baby. Once you give birth and leave, guess what I’ll do to it? Babies

can’t fight back. I could drown it, strangle it, poison it, torment it slowly. Ludwik trusts me so much, he

would just think it died of sickness…”

Whitney’s pupils dilated with horror.

Threaten anything else, and she could bear it, but not her unborn child. She became like a mother hen

protecting her chicks, her mental defenses shattering.

Her eyes burned with fury as she clutched her belly, knowing she should not fall for Elaine’s trap but

still collapsing into a rage. She grabbed Elaine’s hair as if she were harming her child right then, filled

with terror and despair, biting and clawing at Elaine. “If you so much as touch a hair on my child’s head,

I’ll make sure you pay! I will never let my baby fall into the hands of a vile woman like you, never!”

Her screams echoed as she repeated herself over and over, the room

filled with the sounds of struggle.

Ludwik pushed the maid aside and rushed upstairs, “Whitney, what are you doing!”

Hearing his voice, Elaine’s eyes narrowed, and she quickly smashed Whitney’s hand against her own

forehead.

Whitney, already exhausted, collapsed onto the floor. Unconcerned with Elaine’s ploy, she simply

sneered in response.

The moment Ludwik burst through the door, he was met with the harrowing sight of Elaine crumpled on

the floor, her forehead smeared with blood from Whitney’s vicious scratch.

Clumps of hair were scattered across the ground. Elaine bit back tears. “Ludwik, something’s off with

Whitney, but don’t hold it against her, please.”

“Whitney, this is enough!” Ludwik’s voice thundered as he swiftly helped Elaine to her feet. “Elaine

came here with good intentions to check on you. Why did you have to do this to her?”

Half–sprawled on the floor, Whitney looked up at them with a mix of disgust and disbelief, chilling her to

the core. In a weak yet furious roar, she lashed out, “Ludwik, if you dare let her harm our child, I will

fight you with my last breath. Our baby doesn’t need a heartless father like you! If you two don’t release

me today, I swear I’ll end us all. We’ll all be doomed!”

Her words were wild, those of a woman driven to the edge of despair.

Ludwik was momentarily taken aback.

“Ludwik, step outside with me. I need to talk to you,” Elaine said,

tugging at his arm with a hesitant expression.

Once outside, Elaine let out a weary sigh.

“You saw what happened back there. She’s incredibly aggressive and

dangerous. Ludwik, I’m a nurse, and I have reason to believe that Whitney might be suffering from

antenatal depression. It’s a severe condition. Far worse than the usual prenatal anxiety because she’s

so

volatile. She could harm the unborn child.

Medical studies have shown that antenatal depression can lead to fetal abnormalities, even stillbirth in

severe cases. Moreover, I’m afraid that if she continues to stay here, under these circumstances, she

might snap and do the unthinkable to her own child.”

Ludwik’s face paled at the revelation.