Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 102

Nolan's face suddenly tensed, and he awkwardly asked, "Is that what Big Bro told you?"

"Yeah," Whitney locked eyes with him, not missing the subtle shift in his expression. Her heart sank. "Isn't that the case?"

"If he said so, it must be true!" Nolan replied, his voice betraying his unease. He quickly tried to smooth things over. "Whitney, you must know, Big Bro’s totally into you. Before you came along, he never had a single girl on his mind."

Except for the girl who saved his life, but she was nowhere to be found.

Nolan convinced himself he was not lying. "You're smart. If you argue with him over Elaine, you're only hurting yourself. Besides, Big Bro is a tough nut to crack; you need to be more understanding of his temper. There's a reason for it..."

His tone grew somber, "He doesn't trust easily because of his past. To him, trust means vulnerability. You have no idea what he's been through. But he's starting to let you into his iceberg kingdom. We can all see it! Don't be fooled by his stone-cold exterior—that's just his battle armor. Inside, he's fragile. His anger means he's starting to care about you, to be emotionally involved. You can't let him down, or he'll lose it."

Nolan's heavy warning sent a chill through Whitney, who was already sensing the unusual stirrings of L's emotions, particularly his terrifying jealousy.

So, all his doubts stemmed from past hurt? The mistrust, but now he was opening up his frozen heart for her?

Could it be true?

Whitney thought she must be crazy to buy into Nolan's words.

But women are emotional creatures, and she had guessed that since L lived with Natalie, keeping her close and protected, his family background must weigh heavily on him.

Her heart softened just a bit, but she was still furious that he seemed to favor Elaine.

"Think it over. If you decide to stay with him, please try to be more patient." Nolan sighed, then hurried back to the party, playing the mediator once more.

Whitney stood rooted to the spot, unsure whether to leave or stay.

She was in the parking lot, next to the garden, where the lights were dim. Her car was just ahead when suddenly, a figure approached her.

She spun around, coming face to face with a portly man she did not recognize.

"Ms. Valentine, I'm Mr. Wendt. Were you looking for me?" Mr. Wendt slurred, his gaze on Whitney heated and urgent.

She immediately noticed the off scent on his breath.

"Why don't we find a quiet place to talk? Did you want to discuss renting a Skye Gem kiosk space in my mall?" Mr. Wendt leered, remembering how this woman seemed to flirt with him during the party. Now that his nagging wife was gone, he was itching for some excitement.

"I wasn't looking for you, Mr. Wendt. You're not well. You should see a doctor."

Whitney quickly shook off his hand and made a beeline for her car.

Suddenly, Mr. Wendt pounced from behind, clamping a chloroform-soaked cloth over Whitney's mouth and nose.

She struggled violently. "Mr. Wendt! Let go of me..."