Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

hapter 1

On the eve of her wedding, Whitney Valentine and her younger stepsister were kidnapped, but her fiancé only

rescued her sister.

The kidnapper lunged at her with a sneer, tearing at her clothes with a vicious rip.

Still in disbelief. Whitney waited foolishly, yelling, “No! Please wait more… Simon Perlman said he’d pay the ransom.”

With a mocking laugh, the kidnapper dialed a number and barked, “Monica Valentine, your elder sister sure is a fool!”

Whitney froze.

Her sister’s mocking voice came through the phone. “You really believed that knight–in–shining–armor crap? Let me tell you the truth: I’m carrying Simon’s baby!”

Whitney’s face turned ashen. “When… When did you two get together?”

“Simon’s always loved me. He only used you to start his business! Now that he’s CEO, guess why you’re the one kidnapped?”

Chills crawled up Whitney’s arms as she shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t believe it. Put Simon on the phone!”

Then a man’s voice that came through was cold and remorseless. “Whitney, you’re no longer of any value to me. Take care on your ‘journey.”

Boom!

Whitney’s world collapsed into a pallor of despair.

Eight years of love, all just a ploy? He wanted her dead so he could take over the company!

Whitney’s tears fell down her cheeks.

Monica’s twisted laugh cut through. “He wanted to leave you a pretty corpse, but I’ll make sure you die ugly. Have your fun with her, then leave her to the wolves!”

“Monica, I treated you like my own sister. Why are you doing this? Mom and Dad won’t let you get away with

this!”

“Do you think Mom and Dad really loved you?” Monica sneered coldly.

by that? Before she could

with sinister grins. Whitney trembled with fear, unwilling to accept

fate.

she really going to be a pawn in Simon and Monica’s scheme, toyed

could not let it end

saw a car parked strangely with its door ajar on the dark roadside below the

back seat, his large silhouette vague,

tension.

an unknown strength, she broke free from her captors and tumbled down the hill toward the car, desperately pleading, “Sir, could you please let me in to

“Get lost.”

man’s icy gaze half–closed, his breath

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were

clung to his leg, crawling into the car and

against the man’s slacks,

wide, and the man’s Adam’s apple bobbed,

shook her head frantically,

sent you, since you’ve come,” the man’s voice was a dark, cold chuckle. “Don’t regret it.” In

Whitney slowly came to, the man was still asleep; dawn

clothes and

With a wretched wipe of her eyes, Whitney did not dare linger.

barely alive, finally made it back to the

her name, she endured hunger and cold, clinging to

clenched her fist. In ten days, she hadn’t seen a single piece of news about her father searching for

never loved her. Recalling the injustices of her childhood, Whitney bit her lip

it, so she returned

of the Valentine Mansion, Whitney entered with a cold gaze. Before she could step further, she

rest until we find the body!”

you’re worried about her haunting us, let’s arrange a ‘ghost marriage‘ for her! We’ll make a profit and bind her spirit. She

That was her father,

slumped to the floor, her expressionless face stripped bare by the cold, and her fantasies of a concerned and remorseful

to squeeze value out of her even in death, discussing

Monica from misfortune, a life cheaper than dirt! Besides, we know what happened to her mother.

doesn’t leave here today,” Preston’s voice

company. Her grandfather’s legacy, her uncle… All will be

and

lip to keep from storming