Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

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Chapter 158
As Whitney’s consciousness slowly faded, she suddenly understood why Keegan had thrown away her acupuncture kit–It was
her only form of defense.
Without the antidote, her eyes fluttered as the surroundings spun around her, and she soon lost all ability to
move.
Keegan’s voice was icy as he commanded, “Drive!”
The assistant whipped the car around, and Whitney, her head swimming, realized they were not heading to the cemetery as
planned.
Panic surged within her
What was Keegan plotting?
1
After a disorienting two–hour drive, they pulled up to a secluded suburban mansion. Whitney was hauled inside and
unceremoniously dumped onto a chair. Her uncle followed, wheeling himself in.
Surveying the room, which resembled a home office, Whitney’s gaze landed on a sinister figure by the window. He turned, and
Keegan announced, “Boss, I’ve brought Whitney.”
Boss? Whitney’s brows knitted together. Who was this man?
The man smirked at her curiosity. “You’re wondering who I am? You’ll find out soon enough, Ms. Valentine. But first, you have to
do something for me.“.
Fear tightened Whitney’s chest as she looked at the sealed door. She rushed to her uncle, her voice laced with desperation as
she said, “This man doesn’t seem trustworthy, Uncle. Let’s leave. We shouldn’t be part of whatever he’s planning.”
“Whitney, you need to behave,” Keegan warned, a hint of regret in his voice. “I’d rather not use the methods we did in the car
again, especially now that you’re with child.”

Betrayal twisted in her gut. This was not about paying respects to her mother or grandfather.
When had her uncle become this person?
Keegan’s eyes flashed with fervor. “The final step in my revenge is today, Whitney, and you’re the key.”
Whitney shook her head, her voice trembling. “Uncle, enough with revenge. You might have gotten the wrong man!”
Fumbling through her bag, she pulled out the contact book and turned to a crucial page. “Last night, I found that besides Ludwik,
in the companies Grandpa once worked with, there was a Bartels family, a medical dynasty from Emperor City.”
SE SO I 3 2 2 0 9 2
Her gaze was steely. Perhaps the Bartels family had a vendetta against Grandpa, not Ludwik. Maybe Ludwik was just a

scapegoat. I’ve known him for five months. I don’t believe he is capable of the vile acts you accuse him of. Maybe there’s some
kind of a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding?” Keegan became vivid, tossing the contact book aside. “You’re defending him again! How can you doubt
your uncle? I can’t say I’m sure about much, but that mask penetrating your grandfather’s heart is the most solid evidence there
is!”
“But that mask is too suspicious. You said you weren’t involved in Grandpa’s business back then, right? You don’t know the
details. Maybe it was the Bartels family that held a grudge against Grandpa!”
“You’re defending him based on intuition?” Keegan snarled.
But Whitney stood her ground. “I’m certain he’s not the type of person to kill for money.”

Keegan’s eyes turned icy. “You’re blind, Whitney. I’m disappointed. If you won’t see reason, then I have no need to show you
compassion.”
4/2
With a swift signal, two assistants restrained Whitney, binding her to the chair. They positioned her in front of the desk where
Keegan dumped out her bag, searching for a particular item – the embossed black card Ludwik had given her.
Seeing this, anxiety started to crawl into Whitney’s heart. “Uncle, what are you planning?”
As the young man took the card from Keegan, a wicked grin spread across his face.
“Boss, is everything ready?” Keegan asked.
The man checked his watch lazily. “Eleven o’clock, perfect timing for the news.”
He made a call. “Let him jump.”
Let who jump? Whitney’s heart raced, suspecting this was related to United Realty Corporation.
Her fists clenched, she reached for her phone, but Keegan had already turned it off, his frosty gaze fixed on her. “Uncle!” She
cried out, her voice tinged with fear.
The news that an investor of the United Realty Corporation’s five–star hotel project had attempted suicide by jumping from a
building spread like wildfire. Critically injured, his fate was uncertain.
Ludwik awoke to Felix’s call, realizing he had slept unusually heavily. Descending the stairs, he listened to Felix explain the
urgent situation. Whitney was nowhere to be found.

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“Where’s Whitney?” He demanded of Taryn.
Natalie stepped forward. “She left early in the morning to visit her uncle.”
Ludwik’s worry eased a fraction. She was wearing his ring, professing her love. She would not leave him; it could not have been
a dream.
Dressed sharply, he stepped into his car, the concern returning as Félix’s anxious voice filled the space. “The man who jumped
claims you refused to pay the agreed compensation. Now, nineteen other investing companies are in turmoil, fearing you’ll also

withhold their dues!”
Ludwik’s eyes were cold slits. “Someone set a trap. Find out who bought that man’s loyalty.”
“Did he survive the fall?” After a pause, he asked, his voice devoid of warmth.
“He jumped from the fourth floor and is critically injured, but the panic he’s caused is the real issue. They’re all outside United
Realty, demanding answers!”
Ludwik remained silent, unaffected by the disaster. However, the situation was far worse than he had anticipated.
Stepping out of the car, he was immediately swarmed by journalists and protesters. They were clamoring for justice,
compensation, and answers, accusing him of valuing profits over lives. And amid the chaos, all Ludwik could think of was
Whitney, hoping she was safe from the storm he was about to confront.
Felix and his team of bodyguards were on high alert as Ludwik, his body feeling as cold as ice, strode into the corporate
headquarters. He commanded the executives with steely resolve, “Bring in the CEOs of the 19 companies. I will hold a meeting
to shut them up and tally the total penalties.”
Felix reported, “The total comes to 120 billion dollars.”
For Ludwik, it was not an unimaginably large sum, but to come up with that kind of cash on the spot might be a challenge.
Ludwik’s expression remained impassive, as unshakable as a mountain. “Begin liquidating the assets of Imperial Gem. We need
to free up as much cash as possible.”
Whitney was tied to a chair, facing a wall where a television flickered to life at Keegan’s touch. On the news, the pale outline of
Ludwik flashed before her eyes.

She looked incredulously at her uncle, realizing it was all a setup–the fall of the investor was orchestrated!
Her uncle and this young man were setting Ludwik up.
The compensation payments should have been manageable, and United Realty Corporation would not have been under such
stress. But now, one orchestrated fall, and Ludwik was in hot water.
Other investors were causing trouble, the press was on his back, and he had to come up with billions in a flash. Whitney’s heart
ached as she saw Ludwik’s fever still had not broken.
Suddenly, her uncle approached her.
Keegan’s eyes were alight with a twisted excitement, a mix of hatred and greed swirling within. He was holding a contract.
Whitney scrutinized it, recognizing the overseas partnership with United Realty Corporation that her uncle had forced her to
stamp.
Just then, the young man escorted in a blond, blue–eyed man dressed in a banker’s suit.
“Is this the bank president?” Keegan asked the young man.
The charming man nodded, casting a sly glance at Whitney, and picked up her black credit card from the table, saying, “Your
uncle says your card could bankrupt Ludwik?”
Whitney shuddered violently,
She turned to her uncle instantly.
Keegan advanced towards her, forcibly freeing her hand from the ropes.
“Uncle, what are you doing?” She asked, still in disbelief.
Chapter 159