Love beyond the mask101-200

Novel Catalog

Chapter_120

Elaine’s fingers trembled slightly as she answered the call from Monica. The panic in Monica’s voice hit her like a wave, her words rushed and disjointed.

“Elaine… they… they kidnapped us!” Monica gasped, her breath ragged. “It was Whitney. She… she has us at some warehouse. We’re trapped. What… what are we supposed to do?”

Elaine’s heart skipped a beat, but she masked her panic. This wasn’t what she had planned. Monica was supposed to be a tool in her game, not a loose end to be handled in such a way.

“Monica, listen to me carefully,” Elaine’s voice was icy, controlled. “You need to stay calm. I’ll get you out of there, but you have to trust me. Do not do anything foolish. Do you understand?”

“I… I don’t know if I can take much more of this,” Monica whimpered, clearly distraught.

Elaine’s patience was thin, but she couldn’t afford to show it. “Listen, I told you this was a high-stakes game. You’re just a pawn in a much bigger picture. Now, stop panicking and stay in control. I will make this right. Just give me some time.”

Monica sobbed, the noise cutting through the phone, but Elaine didn’t let it affect her. She had too much at stake.

“Elaine, they know about everything. They have everything on tape. They’re going to expose us,” Monica’s voice trembled.

Elaine gritted her teeth, her mind racing. Monica had revealed too much, and now there were loose ends that would only lead back to her. Whitney, you really thought you could trap me? Elaine thought bitterly.

“Don’t worry about the tape,” Elaine replied with chilling calm. “Leave it to me. I’ll handle it. Just stay quiet and let me work my magic. We’re not done yet.”

Her mind was already working overdrive, plotting her next move. She couldn’t afford to let Whitney’s trap succeed, especially not with her reputation on the line. If there was one thing Elaine had learned, it was that she was never helpless, no matter the situation.

As she hung up, Elaine walked briskly to the window, her eyes scanning the horizon as she processed the chaos around her. Whitney thinks she has the upper hand, she mused. But she doesn’t know me at all.

Elaine’s phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was Jaxon.

“Elaine, there’s something you need to see. I’ve found something in the security footage… it’s not what you think.”

Elaine’s eyes narrowed, and she instinctively picked up the phone. “What is it?”

Jaxon hesitated for a moment before responding. “There’s something in the footage with Monica… and someone else. It’s strange, Elaine. It’s almost like there’s a third party involved. Someone who’s been following you.”

Elaine’s heart dropped into her stomach. A third party? What the hell was Jaxon talking about? She didn’t have time for this, but she knew she couldn’t ignore it.

“I need that footage now,” she ordered, her voice steel.

Jaxon didn’t waste any more time. Within minutes, the footage came through. Elaine’s eyes flickered across the screen as she watched the grainy video of Monica and her mother being taken. At first, everything seemed normal—until the figure appeared in the background.

It was unmistakable. Someone had been tracking her movements, someone she had never expected.

Whitney… Elaine’s mind spun with disbelief and fury.

She’d been playing her own game, but she hadn’t accounted for one thing—Whitney’s resourcefulness. If the woman had orchestrated this abduction, then there was more at stake than Elaine had realized.

Elaine felt the icy chill of betrayal creep up her spine. Whitney had played her just as much as she had played Monica and the others.

Her hand clenched around the phone. The game had changed.

Back in the warehouse, Monica sat nervously on the cold concrete floor, her mind racing. She had no idea what Whitney intended to do with her and Yvonne, but the sense of dread gnawed at her. She was no longer in control, and the fear of what would come next was overwhelming. She had crossed too many lines, manipulated too many people, and now, she was at the mercy of someone who was far more dangerous than she had ever given credit.

Her mother sat next to her, equally terrified, her mind spinning with possibilities. She had been a pawn in Elaine’s game for so long, and now that game was about to unravel.

Yvonne leaned in, her voice shaking but determined. “Monica, we’ve got to get out of here. If we don’t, everything we’ve done will be for nothing.”

Monica’s lip trembled as she nodded. “I just want this to end. I want Elaine to help me. Why isn’t she here?”

Yvonne’s eyes darkened with bitterness. “Elaine’s only ever helped herself. She never cared about us. We were just tools to her.”

Monica’s eyes widened. She had always thought that Elaine would be there for her, that she was the only one who could save her. Now, everything felt like a lie.

A cold voice interrupted her thoughts. “It looks like the truth is finally catching up to you.”

Monica snapped her head up, her heart hammering in her chest. Whitney stood at the door, a cruel smile on her face.

“We’ll have a little chat about everything, won’t we?” Whitney’s voice was laced with amusement.

Monica tried to steady herself, but fear gripped her like a vice. “What do you want from me, Whitney?”

Whitney’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with cold satisfaction. “I want the truth, Monica. And I’m going to make sure you give it to me.”

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