Love beyond the mask201-300

Novel Catalog

Chapter_204

Ludwik’s silence was deafening as he carried Whitney with unrelenting purpose, her earlier question hanging in the air, unanswered. The morning light had just begun to stretch across the horizon, painting the world in muted golds and silvers as they approached the old cottage. Its small windows filtered in faint light, casting long, soft shadows on the worn wooden floor.

Inside, he moved gently—almost reverently—as he laid her down on the faded couch. The contrast between his typically sharp edges and his current tenderness struck Whitney like a blow to the heart. He stepped back, hands flexing restlessly at his sides, his gaze flickering over her with a tangled mix of frustration and something else… something that looked alarmingly like concern.

“Sit here,” he said quietly, his voice stripped of its usual steel. “I need to think.”

Whitney’s chest tightened. The fever hadn’t fully lifted, and every breath was an effort, but it was the change in Ludwik that left her unsteady. This wasn’t the man who had once hurled accusations like daggers. This was someone raw and conflicted. And it terrified her more than his fury ever had.

Ludwik began to pace the small room, his movements sharp despite the closeness of the space. “You’ve been suffering. Hiding it. You never said a damn word. Why didn’t you tell me what they were doing to you?”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. So many answers fought to rise, but none of them felt right. She had spent so long surviving—navigating every moment with calculated silence—that the idea of explanation felt foreign.

“Why didn’t you just ask me?” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

He stopped dead, his eyes locking onto hers. The storm behind them was no longer anger—it was something quieter, more uncertain. For the first time, the mask cracked.

“I thought you were playing me,” he admitted, voice low and rough. “I thought you were manipulating everything. Using my mother. Using me.”

Whitney’s breath hitched. “Manipulating you?” she echoed, stunned. “Is that really what you think I’ve been doing?”

Her voice quivered with exhaustion, but it held defiance too.

“I’ve been fighting to stay alive, Ludwik. To protect people I care about. I didn’t know who to trust. I still don’t. I had no choice but to keep going—even when it meant being alone in all this.”

Ludwik ran a hand through his hair, turning away for a moment, as if unable to face the weight of her words. “I should have seen it,” he muttered. “I should’ve known something wasn’t right.”

The silence that followed felt thick enough to drown in. So much had been said without ever being spoken—and now the truth loomed between them like a wall waiting to be broken down.

Whitney watched him, her expression softening. Despite the fatigue, she felt something stir—hope, maybe. Or just the distant memory of it.

“Ludwik,” she said quietly, sitting up a little straighter despite the pain it caused. “I never wanted any of this. I never meant to hurt your mother. I didn’t choose this chaos—I was dragged into it. Keegan, Elaine… they were always in control. I just did what I had to do to survive.”

Ludwik didn’t move. His eyes searched hers, desperate for something he couldn’t quite name.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” he said finally, voice low and hollow. “But I want to understand. I need to.”

Whitney’s heart beat harder at the admission. This—this moment—was what she’d been waiting for. A crack in his armor. A sliver of possibility.

“I’ll tell you everything,” she said. “But I need something from you first.”

His brow creased, a flicker of old impatience surfacing. “What?”

“That you’ll listen,” she said. “Really listen. And that you’ll believe me—even if the truth isn’t easy.”

He stared at her for a long moment, then gave a short, hesitant nod. “I’m listening.”

Whitney took a slow breath, gathering the scattered pieces of her story. She was tired, frayed at every edge—but there was strength in her voice now. This was her chance. To clear the shadows. To reclaim the truth.

“I’ll start with the night of the kidnapping,” she said, voice steady despite the ache in her bones. “And I’ll tell you everything, Ludwik. No more hiding. No more lies.”

She met his gaze head-on, and for the first time, it felt like they were standing on the same side of the line.

Next Chapter