Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 79
In the sterile hospital room, Whitney was slowly regaining consciousness after a frantic rush of emergency care. Grogginess
gave way to awareness as her eyes fluttered open, only to settle on Simon standing by her bedside. Her heart sank a little; she
had hoped to see L instead. Her hand instinctively moved to her belly, seeking reassurance.
Simon looked down at her, his voice devoid of warmth. “You’re going to be alright, the baby’s fine. But you.... you’ve taken a
beating protecting your child. There are deep bruises all over, and you can’t take any pain relief because of the pregnancy. It’s
going to be a long road to recovery.”
Pain shot through her with every movement, and Whitney’s throat felt parched. “How did I get out?” she rasped, confusion lacing
her words.
Simon wasn’t entirely sure himself. He hadn’t seen Tiana, but he wanted to appear useful, maybe even a hero. “I went back to
the Perlman Mansion and pleaded with my dad for your release...”
“Was it you who saved me?” Whitney asked, puzzled. Simon, driven by his own agenda, didn’t deny it.
It wasn’t L?
But then again, he hadn’t shown up.
A bitter taste filled Whitney’s mouth, and she coughed, “What about Tiana? She wouldn’t ignore my plight. You said she didn’t
show up. Did something happen at the Lutz Mansion?”
Simon frowned, his concern growing as Whitney’s coughs seemed to wrack her body. He quickly helped her sit up a bit more
comfortably. “You focus on healing. I’ll take care of those things for you.”
“No need,” Whitney pushed him away. The sight of Simon now only left her with a chilling void. “Simon, you don’t need to do any
of this. Whatever you do holds no meaning for me anymore. The only thing I have for you is the pain from when you tried to kill
me. If you feel any guilt towards me, just give me my grandfather’s address book and any other leads you have.”
Simon’s face stiffened with her cold rejection. The address book was his leverage, knowing that giving it up meant severing their
last tie.

However, contemplating the address book caused a shadow to darken Simon’s face, and he suddenly asked, “Whitney, your
uncle...”
She had lost contact with her uncle years ago after he cut ties with their grandfather and moved abroad. The last time Whitney
had heard anything about her uncle was when she was brought back from a kidnapping, and Yvonne had whispered to Preston

about dealing with him eventually.
“Do you have news about my uncle?” Whitney asked immediately.
“There’s a number in the address book that might reach him.” Simon watched her closely. “You should focus on recovering first,
and we can discuss these matters afterward.”
Whitney knew he was stringing her along. Just as she was about to respond, a wave of nausea hit her hard, the feeling of
impending vomit overwhelming her. “I need to throw up. Must be morning sickness,” she said through red, tearful eyes, feeling
the violent surge in her stomach, possibly exacerbated by her injuries.
Without hesitation, Simon helped her off the bed, and only then did Whitney notice she was wearing a man’s sweater. “Is this
yours?” she asked, frowning.
“Your clothes were torn, and there wasn’t a hospital gown available. I didn’t want you to catch a cold. But let’s not talk about that
now. I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”
Too weak to protest, Whitney was carried into the bathroom. She retched violently, feeling utterly drained by her severe morning
sickness, Leaning helplessly against the toilet, she longed for L’s presence, her tears falling silently.
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Chapter 79
“What’s wrong? Is it very painful?” Simon, thinking she was hurting, reached for some tissue to help her.
Whitney’s hands trembled as she failed to catch the tissue. Simon, pained by the sight, tried to wipe her mouth, but she turned
away. Looking down, he tried to find a smile, “Do you despise me that much, Whitney? I know whatever I do now seems
redundant to you....
“Simon, I thank you for getting me out, but...”
Suddenly, the bathroom door was violently kicked in, and a cold, menacing aura that had been lurking outside swept in
Whitney felt a chill run down her spine; she was in too much pain to turn around.
Observing the masked man at the door, Simon’s body tensed, yet he instinctively drew Whitney closer.
In their current position, both facing away from the door, it appeared intimately compromising to an outsider.
To Ludwik, who had just arrived, it looked like a forbidden kiss.
His eyes deepened with rage, and he overheard Whitney’s soft, vulnerable voice, “Simon, I thank you for...”
“Bro!” Elaine burst into the room, clutching at his shirt sleeve, seemingly trying to stop him.
However, Whitney couldn’t avert her eyes from the image of Elaine seemingly entering hand in hand with the
man.
Why were they together?

L was late, and he brought Elaine with him.
It appeared as though they were a couple.
Whitney’s tear–stained face froze, not noticing that Simon was still supporting her.
The four stood in silence, the air thick with tension.
Ludwik’s gaze fell on Simon’s hand wrapped tightly around Whitney’s waist, a sneer flickering across his face. Overcome with
fury, he yanked Whitney away and kicked Simon in the leg, “You dare touch her, you’re courting death!”
“Don’t hurt her!” Simon’s face contorted with anger.
Whitney was badly injured; she couldn’t be treated this way!
Ludwik’s anger boiled over at Simon’s audacity. He dragged Whitney aside and without a word, began to pummel Simon into the
floor of the cramped bathroom. At first, Simon managed to fight back, but it wasn’t long before he was overpowered, blood
spilling from his mouth.
Whitney watched, horrified by L’s violence. She feared for Simon’s life and, clutching at her stomach, intervened, “What are you
doing, L? Are you trying to kill him?”
L’s cold gaze flickered to her, his eyes tinged with red, “You dare plead for this scum? You want to help him up?” Whitney
recoiled at the venom in his words, her own pain and frustration surfacing. “L, have you lost your mind? Attacking as soon as you
show up, did you even consider how I feel?”
“What kind of twisted game are you playing, Whitney? Here you are, all wrapped up in each other’s arms, stealing kisses like a
pair of love struck teenagers behind the bleachers. And oh, how grateful you are to him, your knight in shining armor! You’re
practically ready to throw yourself at him right here in this godforsaken restroom. Have you no shame? How low can you stoop?
After everything.....*
Ludwik’s chest was a pressure cooker of fury.
He had dropped everything, left a project hanging by a thread, and raced back to Banyan City, hoping against hope to be her
savior.
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Chapter 79
Setting aside his status to approach the Lutz family, only to be hindered by the old man back at the Lippert family. Bearing the
pressure but determined to take her under his wing, even clashing with Kaden. Even if she harmed his company, he still
endured.
Was it all for nothing? To witness this sordid display?
His heart, usually as solid as steel, felt like it had been sucker–punched.
Had she forgotten the last time Simon had her pinned down on the couch? Back then, he’d let it slide because she wasn’t his
lady at the time.
However, now she was his!
Ludwik’s gaze was icy as it locked with hers, and in his eyes, one word was unmistakably written: ‘Despicable.