Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 1019

"What were you up to? Or did Mr. Lippert think it wasn't worth mentioning to me?"

Whitney was pressing hard, cornering him with every step.

He was well aware there was no sidestepping the truth, his deep-set eyes hiding a whirlpool of secrets as he firmly grasped her delicate shoulders, his Adam's apple bobbing, "I went after Florence; she fled abroad."

"What?" Whitney was taken aback, not expecting Florence to be the subject.

Her brow furrowed, recalling the last time Florence made an appearance at the Sheldon Group, right when Bryce's plans fell apart.

After Ludwik blacklisted Bryce, Florence seemed to vanish into thin air.

Whitney guessed she must've been hiding like a rat crossing the street, but she didn't expect her to have fled the country.

"But why were you after her?" Whitney puzzled.

Ludwik's gaze shifted away, dodging the heart of the matter, "She had something important in her possession that I needed to retrieve. It was urgent, and I worried you'd be angrier knowing it involved Florence, so I didn't tell you."

Sammy, standing a little way off, listened to his dad spin this yarn, breaking out in a sweat on his behalf.

He also didn't understand why his dad continued to deceive mom.

Why not just tell her about his sister...

His small fists clenched nervously.

Whitney, digesting his explanation, subconsciously thought it must be some corporate secret?

Yet, for some reason, Elaine's insinuations about Florence stealing something valuable from her flashed through her mind.

Her heart skipped a beat, overcome by an inexplicable sense of unease.

"Did you catch Florence, then?" Whitney snapped back to reality and asked.

"She got away."

"And the 'important thing'?" Whitney probed.

"It's been taken care of." Ludwik's gaze softened as he looked into her luminous eyes, his hand sliding from her slender shoulder to clasp her waist, a move brimming with unsaid intentions. The warmth from his palm seeped through her pajamas, making her shiver slightly, then came the comforting heat.

"You…" Whitney's eyes, now misty, looked up at him.

Ludwik's gaze remained on her, the corners of his lips turning up with an unusual tenderness, "Don't move. You've lost weight, haven't you? Was it the trip to Banyan City?"

"I've been away for a few days, and in that time, a crisis struck Tiana."

"Yeah." Ludwik's voice was low, a hint of a smile in his tone, "Leaving you and our son behind was tough. But you don't need to be afraid anymore, I'm back."

Whitney, her eyes locked with his, could feel the tension dissipating.

It was as if his mere presence was enough to calm her storm, his strong frame like a protective wall against her fears and uncertainties.

Her skin felt ablaze, her heart equally aflame, and she quickly averted her gaze, her anger seemingly quenched.

"My heart's settled now that you're back. Let's go inside," she murmured, stepping aside to let him pass, her cheeks a rosy hue.