Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

“Who’s this nemesis of yours?” He took a sip.

“Imperial Gem Corporation’s obnoxious boss!”

His eyes darkened, “What beef does he have with you?”

“It’s an old family feud, a cutthroat business rivalry! You into business? If not, you wouldn’t understand,”

The assistant behind the boss stifled a laugh. The lady sure spoke her mind.

His eyes playful, L asked coldly, “Does your nemesis even take you seriously?”

“He said I have a small chest. That’s a grudge I won’t even let go!”

His gaze trailed down to the base of her neck. He frowned, failing to remember, and slowly said, “So he did, but haven’t you grown bigger?”

Whitney suddenly crossed her arms, her face turning red, “L, Whose side are you on?”

The assistant thought, “What an extremely interesting question.”

Elegantly taking a bite of spaghetti, he crossed his legs. “Don’t worry about the painting.”

“Why not?”

“Imperial Gem’s Mr. Lippert isn’t fond of landscape paintings.”

Whitney’s eyes sparkled. “You’re guessing? That’s what I thought, too! A man that handsome couldn’t possibly have such an old soul as to like landscape paintings, right? I’ll let you in on a secret. That creep likes young girls!”

The assistant twitched, glancing at the boss.

Noticing the man’s suddenly grim expression, Whitney was puzzled, “What’s the matter, Mr. L?”

He narrowed his cool eyes, “You could try a different approach to win him over.”

དེ་རི

Chapter 28

“How so?”

Your sign–in rewar. Come to claim your free coins.

“Come here.” He beckoned with a finger.

Suspicious, Whitney approached, her clean, soft nightgown revealing a slender waist as he pulled her into his

embrace.

She gasped, landing on his lap, his muscular physique solid and powerful.

Suddenly close in his arms, Whitney squirmed uncomfortably. He held down her struggling hands, his voice sinfully low, “There are a few ways a woman can please a man. Which do you think?”

Whitney caught on, her brows furrowed, “You mean I should seduce my nemesis? He can get lost; besides, I wouldn’t betray you.”

He raised an eyebrow. Whether he was pleased or cold was unknown. “You are quite loyal to me.”

“We have an agreement.”

“Shall we practice?” He suggested, seducing the young woman with his mature charm.

“Practice what?”

“Charm a man,” he murmured, his breath warming the delicate skin below her earlobe.

Whitney’s cheeks flushed a deep pink as his gaze darkened like ink, his large hand settling firmly on the small of her waist. He coached in a low voice, “To charm a man, you need to be soft–soft in your demeanor, tone, and movements.”

“How do I… be soft?” Whitney felt as if she were intoxicated, not by wine but by his intoxicating presence. How else could she explain following his lead so willingly?

The next moment, she felt weightless, gently lifted and placed on the tabletop.

Chapter 29

The plates were just beside her, and towering above was a man of statuesque stature.

that seemed

brushed against her hair, hovering just an inch from her

running out of breath, her face blushing furiously as

the matter?” He noticed her rising temperature

felt like a little cotton

his eyes revealing

his teasing, Whitney refused to be outdone. She straightened her back, deliberately draping her hands

leaned toward the man’s chiseled jaw, her lips

as she drew near, she did not kiss him, maintaining a

breathing grew heavier, and she heard

curved her red lips, her eyes provocatively challenging him, “So, Sir, are you feeling a

chin with his large hand, his gaze burning, breath heavy. His chest heaved with a

of her chin and brought his lips down

G B F

went blank, struggling

his lips over hers, not letting

his eyes were tinged with red, staring at her flushed face for a moment before he turned irritably

the sound of running water in the

time to set her

her crimson face,

calm herself, but her heartbeat was still skipping beats, the air thick with innuendo. And then she wondered, why had

Could it be…

flushed even

her twice before, and both

this man’s flirting game a

lucky stars he had not entered

next day, Whitney woke up with

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15:01

tie, Madein?”

he gone blind at

to tie

widened as she walked over to him. His towering height required her to stand on tiptoes, and she looped the tie around his neck, knotting it tightly, her voice soft. “Like this, Sir. Is

glanced down at the knot, effortlessly untied it, and headed downstairs, muttering, “I have to travel for work. I’ll deal with you

the sight, and Whitney’s face turned even redder as she ducked back into her

inviting her down for breakfast,

that she was pregnant. Whitney opened the curtains to see

in the car, waiting

obscuring her face, but her silhouette was unmistakably voluptuous. She wore a tight red dress that was both understated and

tie Whitney had playfully knotted, the woman easily

He did not refuse.

drove off

on the drapes, the previous tenderness on her

she his secretary? Unlikely, a secretary would not act

Who was she?

yet also felt

man were married only by agreement because of the

not normal for him

the deal was just for a year. Maybe when it

was what Whitney thought, but her

he flirt with her last night if

the game, with many

felt like she had been doused with

he was a good person just because he had saved her

her been enough?

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15:01

for his tie. He glanced at her with an air of noble indifference. He

but was caught in the act. He curved his lips and said, “What do we have here? A little

business, Whitney snapped

to care, tossing his tie into her hands and standing tall before her, “Hanging around to tie my

“Has he gone

and she looped the tie around his neck, knotting it tightly, her voice soft. “Like this, Sir. Is this

the knot, effortlessly untied it, and headed downstairs, muttering, “I have to travel for work. I’ll deal with you when I get

the sight, and Whitney’s face turned even redder as she ducked back into her

called out to her, inviting her down for breakfast, but she refused

now that she was pregnant. Whitney opened the curtains to see if the man had left; she would head

Whitney’s eye in the car, waiting

a mass of curly hair obscuring her face, but her silhouette was unmistakably voluptuous. She wore a tight