Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 235

Elaine squinted her eyes, a sly grin on her lips. She had once used a bout of depression as a cover,

bribing the doctors to administer drugs covertly, plotting the demise of the

unsuspecting.

But now Whitney was prepared to burn her bridges? Tonight would mark her end.

“Director,” Elaine’s voice was smooth as ice, “delay sending the surveillance footage of Tiana breaking

in to Ludwik. Wait for my say–so. And make sure any trace of me here is wiped clean.”

The Director, considering the lucrative deal promised by Bartels Hospital and the future Mrs. Lippert,

had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Whitney huddled in the car, gasping for air.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Tiana asked, her hands shaking as she started the car.

“Drive… fast.” Whitney clutched her belly, pain in her voice. “They injected me with something to induce

premature birth. The baby might have been affected.”

“That damned Elaine,” Tiana cursed as she floored the accelerator. “We’ll meet up with the girl, grab

the evidence, and then confront that scumbag Ludwik!”

The car sped down the mountainside.

Valerie’s call came through. “Tiana, did you get Whitney? Bad news–I heard Ludwik’s gone on an

unexpected business trip down south. Something about a company emergency. What do we do now?”

Tiana paused, a frown creasing her forehead.

“Don’t worry,” Whitney said, trying to keep calm despite her distress. “It might be better that he’s not in

Banyan City. We’ll take the girl and go south.”

They both knew Elaine could sabotage their plans at any turn.

“You shouldn’t be traveling in your condition,” Tiana said as they drove. “I’ve hidden the girl nearby, just

in case… in case something happened to you.”

Half an hour later, they arrived at a quaint lodge nestled at the mountain’s base. The girl was hiding in

one of the cottages.

Tiana helped Whitney out of the car and hurried to unlock the door. Inside stood a frail–looking girl, her

fear evident as she stood up. “Ms. Melford.”

“Come on, we need to leave. Now.”

The girl ran to them, and the three women burst out into the night, racing towards the car–only

to be blinded by flashlight beams converging from all directions. Elaine’s mocking silhouette. emerged

from the glare. “Ms. Valentine, Ms. Melford, where did you think you could run?”

“Elaine?” Tiana gasped, Instinctively shielding Whitney.

A swarm of menacing thugs quickly surrounded them.

The women barely had time to resist before they were bound and dragged into the cottage. The door

slammed shut behind them.

Elaine leaned against the door, her gaze fixed on Whitney’s pallid face. She walked over and grasped

her chin. “I told you, your pregnancy is your greatest vulnerability. You uncovered my secret and

thought you could expose me to Ludwik with this ‘evidence‘? You think that once he finds out I’m the

reason Natalie is a vegetable, all his misunderstanding toward you will become evidence to doubt me?

Wishful thinking. Tonight, you’re trapped, and all of you will be silenced.”

“Elaine, you viper!” Tiana roared. “If you hurt Whitney, you’ll pay when Ludwik finds out about the

miscarriage drugs!”

Elaine kicked Tiana hard and laughed coldly. “Do you know where you failed tonight? You were too

desperate to save Whitney, worried about the baby, right? Such a pity. Alone and helpless, no one to

come to your aid.”

Tiana pounded the floor in frustration. Whitney’s baby could die any second in that wretched hospital.

She had to save Whitney first, then inform Ludwik and confront him with the girl as proof!

“You’re too passive,” Elaine taunted. “Now that you’re in my hands, your fate is sealed.” She yanked

Tiana’s hair and signaled a thug with a malevolent glare.

The thug struck the frail girl on the head with a heavy blow. She screamed, blood gushing, and

collapsed, twitching, then lay still, no longer breathing.

“Elaine!” Whitney was instantly soaked in cold sweat, her eyes filled with fear and rage.

Tiana was silenced by shock.

Their hard–won evidence, the girl they had found, was dead just like that?

Whitney’s hands trembled. How innocent she was and how utterly cruel Elaine could be.

“The high society ladies like me, this is how we play the game. Have you learned nothing? And Tiana,

ever since Gunner and Stella conspired to abduct you, I’ve been waiting for my chance. Monica’s

failings have let you slip through the cracks, helping Whitney at every turn against

1. me.

But tonight, you’re paying for it all. You hid the girl and discovered the payments to Dr. Horatio, didn’t

you?”

Elaine swiftly pulled several bank statements and medical records from Tiana’s pocket,

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scanning them with contempt before moving to Whitney and extracting all evidence from her coat.

Holding the papers, she sneered at them, tearing everything to shreds right before their eyes.

“Elaine, go to hell!”

As their painstakingly gathered evidence of her sham donation crumbled, Tiana lunged at Elaine, fury

in her eyes.

Elaine glanced at Whitney and ordered with a smirk, “Your turn, Tiana. You almost let Whitney’s secret

slip, so you’re evidence, too. What should I do with you? Maybe let some thugs have their way with

you? After all, you’re the only one among the three who’s still ‘pure.‘ How devastated Whitney would be

to see you ruined, don’t you think?”

Whitney felt despair swell within her, her eyes bloodshot with anger. “Elaine, if you have a grudge, take

it out on me, not Tiana! Aren’t you afraid Ludwik will find out about all this?”

“You think you can lay hands on me? Nolan and Parker are still in Banyan City tonight, and even if

Ludwik is away, word will get out. Once they find out what you’ve done, the person you killed just now,

they won’t let you off the hook!” Tiana screamed in desperation.

Elaine was not intimidated, though. With a meaningful, icy laugh, she retorted, “Really? You’re clueless

that Ludwik purposely left Banyan City to avoid Whitney’s drama?

Parker? Ha, these thugs are Parker’s men. I’m Ludwik’s favorite, and Nolan and Parker are on my

side.”

“No way, Parker would never help you torment us,” Tiana shook her head in disbelief.

Elaine scoffed, eyeing Whitney. “Why not? Ludwik thinks you’ve lost your mind. After I went back today,

he already told me he doesn’t want the baby anymore because I had the doctor tell him it’ll certainly be

born with autism. He hates complications.”

“You’re lying!” Whitney felt the defenses around her heart being torn away, tears shimmering at the

corners of her eyes, “He’s a rational adult. Why would he believe your nonsense?”

“Maybe because he never wanted the kid in the first place. Remember how he pressured you into

getting an abortion? You know it, don’t you?”

Elaine pressed on relentlessly.

“Whitney, don’t listen to her. She’s trying to break you with lies. Ludwik does want the child. Don’t

believe her!”

Already emotionally fragile from being committed to a sanatorium by Ludwik himself, Whitney was on

the verge of breaking down.

“Bodyguards, slip her some pills, take her to those thugs‘ rooms at the club. Let her enjoy a wild night,

turn her into a tramp just like Whitney, unfit to marry off,” Elaine ordered with venom, forcibly feeding

Tiana several pills.

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“Stop it, Elaine! Don’t hurt Tiana. If you touch her, I swear I’ll kill you!!”