Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 53

In the lavish estate of Valentine Manor, nestled atop the rolling hills of a prestigious neighborhood.

The engagement party preparations were a testament to opulence, with friends and family filling every seat.

Yvonne and Monica had scrambled out of the award ceremony, bruised and battered, fleeing back to the sanctuary of the Valentine family. The sight of the romantic engagement feast ignited Monica's fury, and she nearly crushed the invitation in her clenched fist.

The reporters she had invited had already watched the live broadcast of the ceremony, and they were now converging on Monica with pressing questions.

Preston descended the stairs from the second-floor conference room. Seeing his wife and daughter return, he asked excitedly, "Did you bring home the grand prize? Then let's get the engagement party started! Where's Simon? And Phebe, and the elders of the Perlman clan—"

Monica trembled violently, hiding behind Yvonne.

Yvonne saw the unusual excitement on Preston's face. She knew how much he valued his reputation. With today's engagement ruined, she dared not tell the truth. Glancing nervously at the gathered relatives and friends, she said hesitantly, "Honey, come here first. There's something I need to discuss with you."

"It's not the time for discussions!" Preston's face was flushed with anticipation, though a frown soon creased his brow. "I've waited all morning. Where are those investors who said they'd support Valentine Corp days ago? My daughter is about to marry into the Perlman family. They wouldn't dare snub us! I'll give them a push."

"Darling!" Yvonne couldn't let him make that call!

But Preston had already picked up the phone, his voice commanding as he dialed, "Mr. Wendt, Monica's back with the grand prize. Why haven’t you come for the engagement ceremony?"

Silence met him from the other end of the line.

After a long pause, a mocking voice came through, "Preston, have you been offline? Your daughter had made such a fool of herself at the awards. You still expect us to invest? Haven't you heard? Phebe had called off the engagement!"

"What?" Preston froze. He turned with a fierce glare at Yvonne.

"Darling, listen to me, it was all Whitney's wrong."

Preston shoved her aside, reaching for his smartphone to check the news.

Every headline screamed Monica's plagiarism, her attempt to bribe Imperial Gem Corporation exposed by Mr. Lippert, her broken engagement with the Perlman family, and Preston's failure to raise his daughter—scandal upon scandal for Valentine Corp.

Preston's veins throbbed with anger, humiliation engulfing him.

"Darling!" Yvonne shrieked as Preston dragged her down the stairs.

Monica watched from the doorway, shivering. She knew her father's temper and his obsession with fame. Her mother had just kept the truth from him, and now Preston was furious. Before Monica could escape, Preston grabbed her.

Blinded by rage and thinking of Valentine Corp's tarnished reputation, the humiliation from the investors, and feeling played for a fool by his wife and daughter, he lashed out.

He threw them to the ground and slapped Yvonne, ignoring the relatives and reporters, "You brought such disgrace upon us and you thought you could conceal it from me? I was waiting for those investors, fool! Do you know how much I've borrowed from the banks these days? Now look, Monica's engagement is off. You can't even raise a daughter right. If I had known how useless you both were, I should have locked you up after the last charity ball!"

Preston's dissatisfaction with Yvonne had been brewing. She had repeatedly failed against Whitney, not to mention her scandalous past.

Today's humiliation was the last straw, and he vented all his anger on her.

Yvonne's face swelled from the slap. With so many eyes upon them, Monica had never felt such humiliation. Furious, she yelled, "Dad, how can you talk to mom like this? She's given everything for the Valentine family. Why didn’t you find us useless when we made you proud? How can you be so heartless, caring only for your precious Valentine Corp?"

"You dare talk back after what you've done?" Preston swung again. "You're just a worthless daughter."

"You just resent me for not giving you a son, Preston. You're feudalistic and hypocritical!" Yvonne had wanted to, but her wild youth had taken its toll. She couldn't conceive again.

"Shut up!" Preston roared in fury.