Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 32
The man’s brows were a cold shade of ash as he scanned her. “You know how much she’s been longing for a grandchild, yet do
you even care about this baby? Whitney!”
Whitney froze, at a loss for words.
The baby had come so unexpectedly, and she was forced into this situation. Thus, she truly did not feel very strongly about it.
“What are you getting all riled up for, kiddo? Look at Whitney. Her eyes are all red from you yelling at her,” Natalie’s voice came
from the bed as she opened her eyes.
Whitney rushed over, holding Natalie’s hand, her nose tingling with guilt. “Mom, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking it through. I’ve worried
you.”
“Ah, my blood pressure spikes, and I tend to faint, but it’s not as serious as that brat made it sound. Don’t listen
to him!” Natalie caressed her face.
She had always cherished Whitney, holding her close, and Whitney felt incredibly guilty. Since her mother’s death, she had not
felt such warmth from anyone. She had not realized her lie would send Natalie rushing to the hospital. She did not know how frail
Natalie really was until now, and she seemed more fragile than she had thought.
The man watched her anxious little face, his eyes cold.
“Son, come here, help me up.”
After the old lady got up, she pushed Whitney’s hand into the man’s arm. She seemed fine. Apart from high blood pressure, her
spirit was still strong. She shuffled out with Taryn, “I’m heading to the restroom. You go charm your wife. She’s carrying my
golden grandchild, so no fighting!”
With that final roar, Natalie even had Xandra shut the door behind her.
The hospital room’s light was a soft white, and silence fell.
The man let go of Whitney’s hand and walked to the window, his tall figure standing coldly.

The chill lingered.
Whitney understood why he was so angry now; she had indeed caused his mother great distress.
Him comforting her? That was impossible.
“L, I’m really sorry...” she said, biting her lip.
Her presence diminished instantly.
It took a moment for him to look back at her, his gaze hard as he stared at her pitiful expression. “What exactly are you sorry
for?”
Whitney sincerely said, “I was so caught up in my vendetta that I neglected how Mom would feel.”
“What else?” He eyed her coldly.
Whitney’s eyes welled up, but she shook her head after a moment of thought,
When you’re wrong, admit it; when you’re not, there’s nothing to say.
Her righteous indignation made the man laugh in spite.
L’s tall frame closed in on her, cornering her against the wall, his voice dark with accusation. “Why didn’t you answer my calls or
reply to my messages?”
Whitney’s face stiffened, her gaze turning away. “My phone was broken.”
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He scoffed.
Suddenly, he wrapped his hand around her waist and, before she could react, snatched the phone from her pocket.
“L! Give that back!”
He immediately turned on the screen; the phone was intact, and Tiana’s Facebook page was still open, his eyes clouding over.
“So you deliberately ignored my calls and messages? What’s that about?”
Whitney stood on her toes to reach, but he was too tall and strong. Amid her struggle, his chest began to heave, and he steadied
her restless little body, his eyes narrowed and voice husky. “Are you craving some kind of attention, perhaps a special
punishment, hmm?”
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
Whitney suddenly realized what was happening. His body was burning up. She quickly backed away, flushing, and said coolly, “I
haven’t done anything wrong, so why should I be punished? Please don’t joke with me like that; we have a business relationship,
and overstepping boundaries would only complicate things. I don’t care which women have been sitting on your lap, and I
certainly won’t be one of them!”
He watched her, then leaned in with a half–smirk. “Why do I detect a whiff of jealousy? Are you feeling envious for no apparent
reason?”
Jealous? She was nothing of the sort. Whitney denied it immediately. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “How many
women have sat on my lap? Wouldn’t you know if you tried?” He raised an eyebrow, grasping her wrists, his anger seeming to

fade slightly.
Whitney felt her cheeks burn at his suggestive words. “I’m not sitting on your lap! I told you we need to keep things professional.”
“Alright, you’re quite the accountant. So, should I assume that since I rescued you today, you owe me something in return,
Madam?”
His words were always so bold. She realized she was no match for him!
Annoyed, Whitney pushed against his chest, but he pulled her into his arms, inhaling her soft scent. His Adam’s apple bobbed
slightly as he said, “You’ve done something wrong, yet you dare to talk back to me. It seems you’re asking for it.”
He pinned her hands behind her back, Whitney forced to arch her back, and his lips descended.
“Don’t!” She had said they needed clear boundaries.
But he did not give her a chance to struggle, kissing her while watching her eyes flicker with fear and resistance, her cheeks
flushing further, tempting him to taste more.
Whitney’s eyes widened, trapped against his broad chest, her legs growing weaker, her hands instinctively clutching at his
expensive shirt, his belt.
He held onto her ‘little cat paws, pressing them to the end of his belt, his voice sultry. “You like this? Then hold on tight!”
His voice made Whitney blush furiously; she did not like it! She did not know how things had gotten to this point again.
Frustrated, she bit him,
He slowly released her, touching his lips with a frown. “Is that all you’ve got? Turning into a wildcat?”
“Who told you to bully me!”
“Do you even know what bullying is?” He asked, looking down, his eyes growing darker.
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“I know! I know. Whitney feared being burned by his gaze, and her fists pressed against his solid chest.
He took a deep breath, his arms still around her, but his eyes turned sharp as he warned, “Remember, even if our agreement is
only for a year, you are now the lady of the house. I won’t let you off easily if today’s incident happens again”
Whitney nodded. ‘Til fulfill my role for this year‘
“Can you let go of me now?” Whitney said, irritated, “You’re acting like a thug, pressuring an innocent girl.”
“Innocent?” He scoffed, hand in pocket, about to let her go when the door swung open, and someone walked in, “Bro, what the
hell are you dilly–dallying for?”
Bang!
Nolan froze, immediately covering his eyes with his hands, peeking through a crack, and yelled, “Yo... you getting ready for a
wall slam? Ms. Natalie, your son’s got game. I didn’t see a thing!”
“Let me have a look,” Natalie said, shuffling over with a chuckle.
“Out,” L said, swiftly shielding Whitney with his body, throwing a cold glance at Nolan.
“Alright, alright, I’m out.”
The door slammed shut, and Whitney’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson while the man remained as cool as a cucumber. After
releasing her, he glanced mischievously at the bathroom, “Shall you take the first shower, or shall 1?”
Whitney eyed him warily, her large eyes narrowed.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in his voice. “Don’t you need to freshen up after coming back from another hotel?”
Oh.
“And what, pray tell, has our little lady’s ears turned such a lovely pink shade?” He teased, pinching her earlobe gently as he
passed by her.
With long strides, he entered the bathroom.

Whitney bit her lip, deciding it was best not to engage in a war of words with him.
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