Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 14

He did not seem like the type to indulge in frivolity.

Whitney rose with a chill in her voice, "Let's go, Sir. Ignore the barking mutt."

"She involved me, so now she'll have to howl in misery."

Roselyn did not grasp the man's meaning, only noticing how his thin lips curled into an irresistible charm, saying, "What are you spacing out for? Order, come on."

"Fine, order whatever you want!" Roselyn tossed down her black card.

The man elegantly summoned the manager, who shivered under his gaze, dutifully saying, "Please place your order, Sir."

"Bring me all of your menus," the man said.

Roselyn figured there was only a menu or two at most.

But the manager presented twenty menus, each listing 20 dishes!

The man's voice was cool as he said, "Serve everything."

"What in the world are you doing?" Roselyn gasped.

"Didn't you want to treat me to a meal?"

Once the words were out, with the alumni chat live-streaming, Roselyn steeled herself, "Alright then, the credit limit on Monica’s black card is quite substantial!"

After serving four hundred dishes, the total came to three million dollars.

Roselyn's lips trembled with fear. The man's lips curved, "Go settle the bill, and I'll follow you."

Roselyn just wanted to sleep with him, and the prize was seemingly within grasp. Thus, she eagerly went to pay.

But at the front desk, the black card suddenly did not work!

The manager stated flatly, "I’m sorry, but this card has been canceled. It’s not sufficient for a Southern Elegance Club membership. Please pay in cash, or it’s considered dining and dashing, and we will notify the police. You're committing a crime."

Roselyn was dumbstruck; how could the card be void?

"Check again, please. This black card was issued by the Perlman family's second son, Simon!"

The manager sneered, dismissing Simon as insignificant.

He called over security, who escorted Roselyn right back to Whitney's table.

The manager laid it out for her, "You've offended my guest. Apologize on your knees, or it's off to the police station!"

Roselyn looked at Whitney, unable to believe that Whitney and the thug were the manager's guests. Her eyes blazed, her face ashen with rage.

But she did not have the funds. She had only relied on Monica’s card to trample over Whitney.

"Will you kneel or not?" The manager urged, watching his esteemed guest's expression.

Roselyn could only swallow her pride and kneel.

The man lifted his gaze lazily, his face cold, and said to Whitney, "Give me your phone."

Whitney was stunned by this turn of events but figured it was his play. She handed over her phone.

The man opened her Facebook, snapped a photo of kneeling Roselyn, and shared it in the buzzing alumni chat.

Everyone was waiting for the follow-up on Whitney's supposed dine-and-dash.

Suddenly, they saw Roselyn kneeling at Whitney's table, with Whitney half in the frame.

Whitney had posted the photo!

The chat went eerily quiet.

Whitney glanced at the man, who must have heard her phone ringing incessantly.

His brows were deep-set, his look detached and proud. Roselyn must be blind to mistake him for a thug.

Whitney raised an eyebrow, then typed a message. [Having someone kneel while you dine adds a touch of excitement, doesn't it?]

She had been silent until now, even when the chat was at its liveliest.

Now, her comment was met with a strange silence.

Then, the man glanced at Roselyn. "Where's your apology?"

Her hands shaking, Roselyn opened the Facebook group and saw her humiliating image. Not wanting to go to the police station, she typed with shivering hands, [Whitney, I'm sorry.]

As soon as she sent the message, the chat went completely silent, the collective gasp almost audible.

Within seconds, one of the young men who had been bidding for Whitney's attention stepped forward. [Whitney, I'm sorry about earlier.]

Though they did not understand the situation, Whitney seemed to have some powerful backing, given how Roselyn ended up.

Better not to offend her.

“Alright, go on then. I’ll come and check on you once I’m done here.”

Monica quickly dismissed him, ending the call, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Roselyn looked over with concern. “Monica, the baby...”

To persuade Simon to kidnap Whitney, Monica resorted to fabricating a pregnancy.

The further along she faked it, the harder it became to conceal. She had considered actually getting pregnant during this time, but she had already lost two pregnancies that belonged to others.

Damn it!

Her eyes flickered with a sudden thought, and she sneered at Roselyn. “You said you wanted me to get back at her for you? Then find out where Whitney is.”

Framing Whitney would be the perfect move. Simon cherished the idea of a child so much that he would go after that woman with a vengeance.

And Monica would no longer have to worry about Whitney being alive to threaten her.

Roselyn understood instantly and smiled, heading off to take care of it.

...

At the hotel.

Whitney slipped out of the guest room—she was there to get a handle on one of Skye Gem Ltd.’s minor shareholders. The guy was greedy and lustful, making him easy to manipulate. If she wanted to take down Monica in the upcoming jewelry contest, she needed an insider, and Whitney had her eye on him.

“Tsk, the old guy's still got it, playing with two at a time.” Tiana’s voice came through disdainfully in the earpiece.

Whitney sat in the lounge, about to remove the tiny camera hidden in her blouse, when Tiana mentioned the signal was poor and told her to wait a moment.

So, Whitney picked up a glass of water to take a sip.

Then, the sound of high heels clicked from behind.

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence, Sis.”

Monica sashayed over and took a seat. “I was just next door at the clinic for a prenatal checkup. The baby I’m having with Simon is growing wonderfully. Take a look.”

She produced an ultrasound printout, hoping to catch a glimpse of jealousy on Whitney’s face, but Whitney did not even glance at her.

A shadow crossed Monica’s eyes, and she bit her lip, feigning contrition. “Sis, actually... I came here to apologize to you!”

Whitney looked up with an icy smile. “What could you possibly have to apologize for?”