Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 8

Tiana chuckled with a hint of gossip.

Whitney lowered her gaze, concluding from her keen observation. "He could be pretty wealthy."

Tiana squinted. "If even you're saying he's wealthy, he must be loaded. Banyan City's four big families: the Lipperts, Fullers, Perlmans, and the Lutzes... Could 'L' stand for a last name? Is it the Lutz family or the Lippert family? You’ve met both young masters of the Lutz family, and the Lippert family is more elusive, blue-blooded, with a vast lineage. You've seen their young ones too, haven't you?"

"Yep." Whitney had attended plenty of soirees and had seen her fair share of Lippert's young gentlemen.

But none matched the man she had encountered at home—in stature or demeanor.

"A black sheep? Mafia boss?" Tiana's speculation grew wilder by the second.

Uninterested in gossip, Whitney glanced down at her news feed, where the trending stories about a canceled funeral were resurfacing, growing more sensational by the minute. She smirked. "Tiana, is this your doing?"

"Of course! Isn't stirring the pot my specialty? I got money, but I’m too stingy to spend it. Instead, I love to get technical with the Valentines!"

Whitney sighed, knowing Preston had more tricks up his sleeve.

Feeling tired, she exchanged a few more words with Tiana before deciding to head to the bathroom for a shower.

Just then, the man walked in!

Whitney was startled, thinking she would get to sleep separately tonight. Warily watching the tall, distinguished figure, she asked, "Sir, why are you here?"

The man began unbuttoning his diamond-studded shirt, eyeing the feminine scent invading the chilly master bedroom with a frown. "You're too fragrant."

Whitney was speechless.

"Besides, this is my room." He raised an eyebrow.

Whitney grabbed her nightgown, ready to dart out the door.

Bending down, she accidentally opened a video from Tiana on Facebook labeled 'research material.' Thinking it was about jewelry design, she was caught off-guard by the peculiar noises that suddenly filled the air!

Her face flushed crimson as she looked down at the screen.

What on earth was Tiana up to?!

She tried to shut it off, but in her panic, she only managed to turn the volume up!

The man stood there with his hands in his pockets, casting an inquiring glance in her direction.

Whitney wished the earth would swallow her up. In a frantic motion, she shoved the phone under his pillows. She tried to muffle the enthusiastic sounds by piling on the blankets, but the awkward tension was palpable.

The man approached with a mischievous look, noting the inviting redness on her nose. His voice was deep and teasing as he inquired, "What were you watching in my bed?"

"Nothing! Just some jewelry stuff," Whitney blurted out, desperately clinging to the covers.

Her cheeks were burning, her demeanor that of a flustered quail.

His lips curved up slightly, and his eyebrows arched in amusement. "If it’s just jewelry stuff, why don’t we enjoy it together?"

She knew he was onto her! Such an evil man!

She refused.

Whitney looked up with watery, indignant eyes, trying to bluff her way out. "I doubt you’d understand jewelry, Sir..."

The mature, compelling man paused. His breathing tightened slightly, finding her earnest nonsense unexpectedly charming.

The next morning, Whitney was jolted awake by Tiana's frantic call.

Her voice sounded different. "Whitney, the Valentines found out about your pregnancy!"

Whitney’s eyes were heavy with sleep, but her mind snapped to attention. If the Valentines knew, she could imagine the headlines.

And sure enough, the news Tiana sent her indicated a complete shift in public opinion.

The Valentines threw mud with each revelation, asserting:

[Miss Whitney was two weeks pregnant, possibly violated by a kidnapper in the mountains, suffering severe psychological trauma!]

Preston revealed that Whitney had been suffering from nervous breakdowns, requiring medication, and was unfit for work duties. Hence, she had signed her will early.

The Valentines publicly displayed Whitney's handwritten will!

Whitney coldly closed her eyes. Yesterday, they had failed to imprison her; today, they defamed her, claiming her pregnancy caused mental trauma, rendering her incapable of managing Skye Gem Ltd. Her words at yesterday's funeral would now be dismissed as ramblings!

With a few more words, the photo of Monica and Simon at the city hall yesterday no longer had any meaning again.

"Whitney, is this will regarding the change of legal entity of Skye Gem Ltd., signed with your actual signature?"

Whitney zoomed in on the signature and, with a chilling recollection, admitted, "It was before the trouble started. Simon sweet-talked me into signing a blank page. I trusted them so much back then. I never would've imagined he'd use my signature to steal my company!"

"Now, the company legally belongs to Monica. She's become the second-largest shareholder, sitting pretty on the empire you built, sharing the bed with your man, and slinging mud at you, calling you a deranged widow. The Valentine family wants to run you out of town for good!" Tiana seethed with rage.

Whitney retorted with a cold, sarcastic laugh, "Think she can just waltz in and take over? It's not that easy. Today is the shareholders' meeting at Skye Gem Ltd. I'm not dead, so why would a will even come into play?"

At that, Tiana perked up, "Right! Whitney, let's crash the party!"