Love Beyond the Mask

Chapter 6

Simon raised his palm, and Whitney glared coldly at the despicable jerk before her.

Still, his betrayal pierced her frozen heart like a dagger.

Their tender eight years together–he had claimed to be the bastard of the Perlman family, placing extra

importance on family values.

He had talked about having a whole brood of kids with her.

Now, he had traded her for Monica.

“We’ll see what kind of spawn you two produce. Hell’s got a special place for you both!” Whitney

wrenched her hand away and stormed off.

Simon frowned, instinctively following her retreating figure, lithe and indifferent.

Monica caught his gaze, her expression darkening suddenly.

“Damn it,” she thought, “I can’t let that wench take back the company and lure Simon in again!”

Outside the towering skyscraper of Skye Gem Ltd.

Tiana saw Whitney emerge, her demeanor icy, and quickly asked, “How did it go? Did any

shareholders back you up?”

Whitney shook her head. “Business folks chase profit; no one’s dumb enough to cross the Valentines

right now. But I did sabotage Simon’s deal today and goaded Monica into making a bet.”

“Nice! What’s the bet?”

“A provincial jewelry contest next month. If I win, I take over as General Manager.”

“No way! You struck a nerve. Simon and Monica, those two must be rattled!”

“I don’t know if they’re rattled, but the shareholders at Skye Gem sure don’t believe in me. They’re all

backing Monica, mocking me openly.”

Tiana clenched her teeth, a cold smirk crossing her face as she booted up her computer. “They have

no clue about your skills, do they? We’ve got to win this! Let’s see, the regional contest starts in

October, and it’s hosted by Imperial Gem Corporation, the top judges…”

She suddenly fell silent.

Whitney’s face turned rigid with anger as she spun around. “What did you just say? Which jewelry

company?”

Swallowing hard, Tiana muttered, “The jewelry monarch, your arch–nemesis–Imperial Gem

Corporation. They’re running the show.”

Silence filled the car.

Tiana turned to see Whitney’s face ablaze with fury, her eyes smoldering.

“Isn’t Imperial Gem Corporation’s CEO the same guy who emailed you mocking your breasts?”

“And I cursed him with a hidden ailment!”

“That evens it out, right?” Tiana’s lips twitched. “Imperial Gem’s the industry leader, but the boss is a

mystery. Rumor has it he’s from the Lippert family, third son or something? And you’ve got him as your

rival, head–to–head with his firm.”

“You don’t get it. Our families have a history. A Lippert stole my grandfather’s deal! And every bid Skye

Gem made, Imperial Gem tried to snatch it. A few years back, I lost a huge contract to them in a

neighboring state because I stopped to help some guy with hysteria. I’ll remember that for life.”

14:56

“Whatever,” Tiana muttered, watching Whitney rant.

She thought that if Mr. Lippert was a young man, this could be quite the feud–a pair made in adversary

heaven.

Sighing, she said, “You’ve never even seen Mr. Lippert’s face, and you’re holding a grudge. But we

can’t let Monica win this contest. We need to get cozy with Mr. Lippert. He’s the judge!”

Tiana hacked the system. “Look, Mr. Lippert has a business appointment at the Southern Elegance

Club tomorrow at 3 PM.”

Whitney was taken aback. “Send me the address.”

Tiana’s grin was sly. “You’re going to suck up to your mortal enemy?”

“Mind your own business,” Whitney snapped.

In the current predicament, she had no choice but to make nice with her foe.

Her emotions were a complex web.

The following day, in the afternoon, Whitney arrived promptly at the Southern Elegance Club.

After mentally bracing herself, she approached the establishment, only to be condescendingly stopped

by a security guard. “Ms. Valentine, do you have an appointment?”

F < F @

This was a playground for the rich and powerful, a place Whitney used to enter at will. But now, with

her accounts frozen and penniless, she was about to be turned away when-

“What’s going on here? Let her be!” A roguish male voice suddenly called out.

Whitney turned, surprised. There stood a man with phoenix eyes, young and with a rakish charm.

The man was equally startled upon seeing her. “Isn’t that Whitney?” He wondered.

He approached her, eyeing her curiously yet warmly, “Ms. Valentine, I own this club. Who are you

looking for?” She sized him up, a man of leisure, seemingly harmless.

“I’m here to see Mr. Lippert of Imperial Gem Corporation. I hear he’s here today. Could I trouble you to

introduce me?”

“Isn’t the boss of Imperial Gem Corporation Ludwik?” The man thought.

The man’s amusement was evident as he teased, “Oh, you want to see him? But Mr. Lippert isn’t Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

someone you can just meet.”

Seeing his hesitation, Whitney asked, “What will it take?”

Iü

He looked at her pointedly, “You’ll have to cater to his tastes. Go change into something appropriate

first!” Eager for a chance, Whitney did not hesitate and followed a manager into the changing room.

But once changed, she was stunned/A super short white blouse, a deep neckline, a pleated skirt–this

was… a schoolgirl look. What was this man planning? She was fuming.

Yet the man tempted her, “He’s in room 2022, just ahead.”

Reluctantly, Whitney followed him into the room

The man glanced at the empty bed, then pushed Whitney towards the bathroom, smirking

mischievously. “Wait here, and I guarantee you’ll meet him!”

After he swiftly exited and locked the door, Whitney’s head spun. “Hey, why are you locking the door?”

Her defenses went up.

14:56

Outside.

“Nolan, what are you sneaking around for, dude? You know full well that Ludwik’s been struggling with

insomnia like crazy. If you mess with him now, you’re asking for a world of hurt.”

“Isn’t Ludwik just hitched, bro? I snuck in a killer wedding gift! A freshly woken man seeing that – he’s

gonna lose his mind! Heh heh.“.

Nolan Fuller said with a cheeky grin, “Ludwik’s gonna thank me big time!”

Inside the room.

Whitney surveyed the posh bedroom, feeling out of place and thinking about making an exit when the

bathroom door suddenly swung open!

She stood right by the door, and with a natural reflex, her delicate frame lurched forward, crashing into

a towering wall of flesh.

“Oof!”

The man instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and Whitney’s head shot up, her

eyes widening, completely stunned.

What a sight the Adonis fresh from the shower!

The guy in front of her was about six–foot–two, strikingly tall and proud, and she had to tilt her head

back just to get a glimpse of his face.

The thought flashed through her mind: A vision of endless charm.

This man’s features were exquisitely defined, with deep–set eyes, a high–bridge nose, and thin lips –

he was a total knockout, surpassing any of the high–class hunks Whitney had ever encountered.

Such perfection in a face, Whitney caught her breath.

And the moment the man saw Whitney, he subconsciously touched his face, his eyes narrowing

sharply.