Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 317

"It was Lyra who told me; otherwise, | wouldn't have known you went to see Whitney... Oh, Ludwik, \nYou could

have gone to the hospital, but you chose to see her instead.\nHave you forgotten? You and she are about to

finalize your divorce. Next month, I'm supposed to be your wife!\nAnd there | was, foolishly staying up all night,

taking care of Danny, while you were out with his mom. It broke my heart.\"\n"I'm so sorry, Elaine!\" Ludwik's

voice was heavy with regret. He had learned from the housekeeper about Danny's feverish night under Elaine's

care, making his guilt even deeper. At that moment, he had been lost in a moment with Whitney...InElaine looked

at him with a mix of anger and sadness. Couldn't he do more than apologize? Couldn't he cover, hold her,

comfort her? Why was he keeping his distance?\nWith a heart heavy and chaotic, Elaine moved closer, seeking

solace in his embrace, ["Ludwik, please, no more giving her chances, okay?\nlt's clear as day she's trying to

seduce you, to humiliate me. You can't fall for it.\"\nLudwik's gaze was troubled, recalling Whitney's dismissive

words about their last encounter, causing his heart to tighten. InLooking down at Elaine in such a state, he

couldn't help but feel pity for her.InHe knew he was at fault, as Parker had pointed out, he was acting

terribly.\nHe didn't understand how things got to this point; he was supposed to marry Elaine with a clear heart,

but Whitney's return had thrown everything off balance. In\"There won't be a next time, Elaine. I'm sorry about

last night,\" Ludwik said, gently wiping away her tears.\nElaine, harboring a deep resentment yet trying to

salvage the situation, responded, "It's partly Lyra's fault for spiking your drink, but | blmyself too.InLudwik,

I'm so unsettled! Let's try for a child, or perhaps consider IVF?\nWe could even aim for twins. You've always

regretted Danny being an only child. If | get pregnant, we could align it with our wedding next month...\"\nShe

was trying to secure a promise from him.\nBut this time, Ludwik did not indulge her, especially after hearing

about the bullying Danny faced under her watch. InWith another child, she might care even less for Danny,

whom Ludwik adored dearly.\n\"We can talk about children later. If it makes you feel better, | promise to

announce our engagement soon, let the whole town know. You can start looking at wedding dresses,\" Ludwik

said, hoping to appease her. InElaine paused, sensing a change. Could he be reluctant to have children with her

now?\nHe couldn't possibly know about 'Sammy,' could he? She couldn't let him find out!\nWith a mind full of

turmoil, Elaine knew she had to act fast to eliminate any risk before they caught on.\nFor now, she simply

nodded in agreement, \"Then I'll pick out the best dress, and I'll personally oversee the wedding planning and

the ring selection.\"\n\"As you wish,\" Ludwik replied, his mind clearly elsewhere. Marriage was a promise he

intended to keep to Elaine.\nAs for Whitney, that woman seemed carefree and unbothered, which only made him

feel colder.\n\"Ludwik, Whitney splashed dirty water on me. | need to change. Can we head back to Banyan City

today?\" Elaine asked, trying to garner sympathy.\n\"She did what?\" Ludwik seized on the detail, his expression

cooling.\n\"Yes, right at her doorstep this morning. She was unreasonable, even bringing up last night's details to

humiliatein public. | just can't take it anymore.\"\nElaine looked at him, wounded.In\"Go change," Ludwik

instructed, signaling a servant to assist her. In Turning away, he couldn't help but make a call.\nWhitney, at that

moment, was wrapping up a successful meeting with a supplier, free from Ludwik's interference.\nExpecting the

call to be from Tiana, she answered without looking, "Hello?\"\n"Are you still hurting?\" cLudwik's deep,

magnetic voice. INWhitney paused, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realized who it was and what

he was referring to.\nHer frustration mixed with a strange sense of turmoil, \"Mr. Lippert, I'm in pain, so how

about you just... go cool off for a while?\"\nThere was a tense silence on the line. InWhy did he even bother with

concern now, when he had been so indifferent in the morning?\nWhitney was both infuriated and bemused, ["Mr.

Lippert, did you leave your brain behind? Why would | go out of my way to trouble her, right at my own

doorstep?\nMaybe you should invest in sself-defense classes for Elaine instead of pinching pennies. If she

can't handle me, is it my fault for fighting back?\nAll she does is run to you, crying. Get lost! You cto me,

then send her after- what, do | owe you something?\"\nWith that, Whitney hung up, leaving Ludwik staring at

the disconnected call, a storm brewing within him. InWas she really daring to hang up on him? Three years ago,

she would've never dared. Now, she was all sharp edges and quick retorts.\nAs Ludwik stood there, clenching his

phone, Felix arrived, brandishing a bag of ointment, \"Mr. Lippert, the ointment you asked for!\"\nWithout a

second glance, Ludwik dismissed him, "Toss it!" His mind was a whirlwind of emotions, all centered around the

woman who just hung up on him.\n\"Wait, wasn't this for Ms. Valentine?\" Felix was in on the gossip. Everyone

heard about how Mr. Lippert got drugged last night and ended up in a scandal with Ms. Valentine.\nHe had

scoured the pharmacy to find these ointments. In\"Who said it was for her?" Ludwik snapped, his expression

sour.\n\"Con, you specifically asked for women's products." Everyone's an adult here, it's obvious you care

about Ms. Valentine.In The chill in someone's gaze was palpable, \"Get your mind out of the gutter. Don't you

dare associate her with this!\"\n\"...\"\nFelix was speechless. Talk about being contradictory and oddly jealous, to

the point of getting worked up over the mention of ‘women's products.\nMr. Lippert was truly acting like a

possessive CEO.InSo, was he going to give her the medicine or not?\n-\nWhitney met up with her son Sammy in

Tiana's room. In Tiana was bustling about, packing her bags. "Whitney, I'm heading back to Banyan City with

Cherry first, to avoid any complications!\"\nWhitney still had sloose ends to tie up at the conference,

including a discussion with Orion.InShe understood Tiana's worries. The hotel was massive, and as long as the

kids stayed indoors, running into Parker was unlikely.\nBesides, Parker might have already left, right?"