Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 223
“You can shack up with Elaine or get engaged for all I care. I’m divorced, and still, you think you can control me?” Whitney
thought.
Remembering how he had allowed Elaine to mock her as ‘second–hand good‘, Whitney’s heart throbbed. What was she to him?
Did her feelings not matter at all?
Clutching her fists, she said coolly, “Are you done, Mr. Lippert? If so, please step aside.”
“I don’t have the patience to repeat myself!”
His fury pressed down on her like a suffocating cloud.
Whitney looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “The only reason I’m engaged is because you pushed me into it. We
have nothing to do with each other anymore, and you have no right to dictate what I do or don’t do.”
We have nothing to do with each other...
Those words seared through the man’s gaze.
“When did I ever force you?” he scoffed coldly, “Force you into another man’s bed, into eagerly jumping into his arms? Whitney,
you’re even more shameless than I thought.
Even if I cast a shameless woman like you aside like an old shoe, I won’t allow any other man to touch you, to tarnish my
reputation, got it?”
Whitney was floored by his unabashed audacity. It seemed he just kept humiliating her further.
Her nails dug into her palm as she realized that what he discarded could be trampled underfoot but must not tarnish his pride.
A man so arrogant, how could he bear the thought of his ex–wife remarrying? It seemed unrelated to whether he loved her or
not.
She felt as if pricked by ice needles and could not help but laugh mockingly. “Mr. Lippert, you’re worried about losing face?
Maybe you should reflect on how quickly you got engaged to Elaine after kicking your wife to the curb. You might already be
wearing the cap of a scoundrel.”

“Elaine has sacrificed everything for me. What right do you have to speak about her and me? As for you and Bryce, a viper and a
schemer, you’re well matched,”
His eyes narrowed in scorn as he grabbed her arm, drilling his gaze into her, “Do you even know what he’s done behind your
back?”
“What do you mean?” Whitney struggled, bewildered.
Ludwik scrutinized her expression. “He’s cunning, not as simple as you think! He plays dirty, using media manipulation to trap
you in a ploy, and The Lutz Group isn’t unstable at all. Are you naive or just willing? Take today, for instance. He deliberately
brought you here; you think it’s for what? It’s just to provoke me.”
The smirk Bryce had given him earlier was not lost on Ludwik.
Yet this woman stood by him, feigning affection, and the thought of him claiming his fatherly rights in front of Ludwik made his
blood boil. “I’m warning you, whether I want it or not, the child in your belly is still mine. If I see Bryce overstepping with you
again, you’ll both regret it.”
The way Bryce looked at her waist was something Ludwik could not forget.
His rage surged, and his eyes reddened with fury as if he wanted to strangle her. “Do you understand what kind of man he is
now? Leave him, cancel the engagement!”
Whitney snapped out of her daze, a flicker of calm and coolness settling over her, “Ludwik, I don’t know what misconceptions
you have about him. To me, he’s been a help in difficult times. Without him, Skye Gem would’ve been driven to the ground by
you.

You say he’s manipulating the media, deceiving me? Sorry, your bluster doesn’t convince me. Just to get to me, he’d neglect The
Lutz Group and ruin his own reputation? He’s a businessman; that doesn’t make sense.
He brought me to this bridal shop because a friend recommended it. Bryce is gentle by nature; you’re overthinking it, or maybe
you just can’t stand seeing me with him...”
Despite her lengthy explanation, she saw his expression grow colder. Whitney knew all too well his paranoid nature, his belief
that he was above all.
His eyes darkened with chilling firmness, gripping her until it hurt. “He’s all good, and you don’t believe me, right?”
Whitney frowned, enduring the pain in her wrist, her voice strained yet clear. “I just think you shouldn’t gauge the heart of a
gentleman with your own mean measure. You’ve chosen Elaine, so stop trying to control whether I get engaged or create false
stories about Bryce to pressure me into calling off my engagement.
No one can have the best of both worlds. I’d rather die than be your mistress. I’m not that cheap, and you can forget about it.”
Ludwik let out a low, prolonged sneer.
Gauging Bryce with his mean measure? In her eyes, was he really like that?
Or was she so protective of Bryce that she forgot their past?
A heartless, blind woman.
A pang of pain struck Ludwik’s heart as his gaze returned to an icy glacier, abruptly releasing her, his features sharpening with
cold. “So you’re unrepentant and guarding him, huh? You’ll pay for every word you say today. Dreaming of a happy life with him,
Whitney, you’re living in a fantasy.”

He flung her off with disgust, his pupils void of emotion, and though his look was indifferent, it sent shivers down her spine.
Whitney leaned against the wall, nursing her sore wrist, watching him walk away coldly.
What did his words mean? What price would she pay? How had she offended him?
Why did he seem angrier than the day he found the video?
A wave of alarm washed over her.
It was only when Bryce arrived, finding her in the restroom, that Whitney snapped back to reality. “Did Claire leave?”
“I saw my mother off. Come on, let’s continue with the dresses,” Bryce casually suggested, hand in pocket.
Suddenly, the bridal shop manager came rushing over, looking apologetically at Bryce, “I’m sorry, Mr. Lutz, Mr. Lippert from
Skyfaith Electronic Tech has reserved the place. He’s bought all the dresses at full price. You’ll have to leave immediately.”
Whitney paused, a sense of relief washing over her as she looked up at Bryce.
Bryce seemed unfazed, his demeanor still calm, his lips pressed into a thin line as he met Whitney’s gaze. “What do you think?”
“Let’s go to another shop.”
“It doesn’t matter. There are plenty of other places,” Bryce said nonchalantly as he escorted Whitney past the VIP sofa area,
where Elaine was twirling in a dazzling dress, showing it off to Ludwik, who seemed captivated by her, holding a glass of red
wine and not sparing a glance in
their direction.
Bryce smiled softly. “Mr. Lippert is really spoiling Elaine. I should take a leaf out of his book. Whitney, I’ll spoil you too.”
Whitney averted her gaze briefly, uncertain if Bryce’s words were a show of support for her or if he had some other agenda.
Once they left the bridal boutique and got into the car, Whitney pondered for a moment before turning to ask, “Bryce, you didn’t
deliberately bring me to this particular shop, did you?”
The man’s hand, firmly on the steering wheel, paused as he turned and gave her a smile tinged with amusement. “Of course not.
What did you think? That I’d be so childish as to drag you here just to get under Ludwik’s skin? Silly girl, I’m not so immature.”

Whitney furrowed her brows and studied him for a while, eventually deciding to suppress the doubts festering in her mind.
Ludwik had misunderstood; surely, Bryce would not stoop to provocation.
Back in the shop, a wine glass nearly shattered in the man’s grip as he dealt with Elaine with strained politeness.
Rising to stand by the floor–to–ceiling window, Ludwik watched the Cayenne pull away. He pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Felix, I want you to set up a grand scheme. I’m preparing a
special engagement gift for Bryce.”
Coming to the bridal boutique to taunt, show off, and brainwash that foolish woman? The thought that someone might take what
was his, especially her, with his child still growing inside her, made Ludwik’s gaze turn icy cold.