Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 359

"I think..." His lips parted slightly, his eyes deep like the ocean, gazing at her. The air was thick with heat and sweat, an intoxicating mix that made one's head throb. Whitney's heart was beating erratically, out of control. What was he thinking, looking at her with such intensity?

I want to be with you, Whitney.

Ludwik almost blurted out, his eyes misting over, but the last shred of rationality held him back. He couldn't just skip the wedding tomorrow. There were things that could no longer be said, paths that could no longer be taken. With a bitter smile, he closed his eyes, "Whitney, why did it have to come to this? If three years ago, you hadn't sided with your uncle to betray me, to betray me over and over again... We wouldn't have ended up like this."

Whitney's heart stopped, and the blush on her cheeks slowly faded to pale. Three years ago, a taboo, never to be mentioned. Turning her head, she saw that he seemed to have fallen asleep. Once again, Whitney took out a silver pin and gently pricked his neck with it. He slumped to one side. Rubbing her almost crushed limbs, Whitney forced herself to quickly get out of bed. Looking at the clothes and sheets scattered all over the floor, she had no choice but to pick up the oversized men's shirt and put it on. She tiptoed out of the room in haste.

The CEO's office door was locked from the inside. Around her, the silence was so profound that Whitney could only hear her own heartbeat, growing louder as she approached the desk drawer. She put on her gloves again, opened the drawer, and saw 'that document' hastily shoved in, peeking out from a corner. Whitney hid it under other documents, making sure he would never find it. But her heart ached sharply. Ludwik's words of pain and regret echoed in her mind: if you hadn't helped your uncle betray me... we wouldn't have ended up like this. Three years ago, she had sabotaged his company, an act most despicable. Three years later... she was doing it again. If he really ended up in jail, would their two sons suffer?

Whitney's eyelashes fluttered as if trembling, her fingers whitened from the tight grip, her mind torn. After a moment, she closed the drawer, rearranged the documents in the folder, and quickly left the desk. She quietly returned to the dressing room, intending to take the damaged clothes away. But the man had woken up! He was rubbing his numb neck, taking a call. It was clear who was on the other side, as his demeanor suddenly sobered, sitting up straight. His muscular arms, covered in scratches, searched for his watch, "Elaine... don't cry."

Ludwik's head was pounding as he rubbed his temples and stood up. The phone was on speaker, and Whitney heard the voice of a woman sobbing, "Ludwik, did you forget your promise to come home early tonight? I understand you might be having cold feet, but our wedding invitations have been sent out, the whole country is watching. If you leave me, I'll become the nation's laughingstock. Everyone in the aristocracy will look down on me. I... know you can't be intimate with me, and I hate myself for it. Why do you reject me? If you seek Whitney after our marriage, sob, I can endure it. I'll remain chaste for you, that's how much I love you! Ludwik, you promised to protect me, to give me the best of everything. Please, keep your promise."

"Stop," Ludwik froze, realizing where he was and what had happened with Whitney. Guilt filled his eyes. The woman was pleading, humbly promising to remain chaste for him, and here he was, betraying her trust on the eve of their wedding. Swallowing hard, Ludwik closed his eyes, "Wait for me, I'll come home to try on the tux."

"Okay, I'll wait for you... husband," Elaine's voice was soft and shy.

Whitney leaned against the door frame, her face losing all its color. The man turned, and his eyes darkened upon seeing her, all the emotions quenched by a single phone call. Ludwik knew he was in the wrong. He pulled out a card, his gaze cold and deep, and approached her, offering it with a low, detached voice, "Let's not speak of tonight. Whitney, we're both adults. Let's pretend tonight was stolen. Sorry. But I won't sleep with you for free. Take this card, it has no limit."

Whitney looked at him, a cold smile playing on her lips. Her heart felt pierced, throbbing painfully with each beat. A chill rose from her feet. 'I actually don't want to get married anymore, believe me?' Ha. She almost softened at his pleading look, the moment he tried to coax her. Falling for his lies, indeed. A man's tenderness in bed is just to woo you, to sleep with you. All lies. Turning to Elaine, he was infinitely affectionate. Sleep with you then push money your way, trying to buy peace of mind? Such a charming move.

Whitney took the card, her cold gaze turning to laughter, and then she flung it back at his handsome face, mocking, "I donate this to you. Don't mention it. After all, post-marriage, you'll only have Elaine to 'remain chaste' for." The card fluttered down from his chiseled face. Ludwik bore her fury and mockery silently. He moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing, his gaze cold and deep as he watched her walk away. Whitney, before leaving, glanced once more at the desk drawer... remembering the physical pain, all endured in vain. Biting her lip, feeling his gaze on her back, she coldly grabbed her documents and left.

Exiting Skyfaith, she hadn't driven far when Orion's car pulled up alongside hers, his gaze fixed on her, "Did you really mix that document in?" Whitney was silent for a moment before glancing at him, "What else?" Orion, incredulous, took the document bag she threw at him, sighing, "Women's hearts are indeed the most poisonous. If it were me, I might have backed out at the last moment, not wanting to see my dear brother end up in jail."

Whitney's gaze dropped, not focusing on any word in particular, remaining silent. Finally, she scoffed, "You, who embezzled four billion from him back in the day, have the nerve to call yourself kind?" "I'm not kind. But Jarvis, of the Emperor City's Lippert family, isn't someone you mess with lightly. Just you wait, when he pulls the strings tomorrow, Ludwik is done for." "What do I care?" After a moment of silence, Whitney snorted.

The next day, a grand wedding took place at a seven-star hotel in Banyan City. Whitney rolled out of bed and decided to go for a subtle, no-fuss makeup look today. She grabbed her phone and texted Tiana, "Hey Tiana, you all set for the wedding?" But the response she got from Tiana was totally unexpected, "Whitney, I'm really sorry, but I can't make it to the wedding with you today. Cherry and I got busted by Barclay! He showed up at my apartment with a crew to look for us..." "What?" Whitney's heart skipped a beat, and it took her a moment to connect the dots, "Barclay, as in Parker's older brother? Cherry's dad?" "Yeah," came Tiana's reply, mingled with a bitter chuckle. "How on earth did he find you guys?" Whitney was both curious and concerned, her morning suddenly taking an unexpected turn.