Love beyond the mask (Whitney)

Chapter 119

Valene’s lips twisted into a wry smile, her gaze icy, “Nolan, who do you think Ashton is with right now? Isn

’t it obvious?”

Nolan and Parker’s expressions darkened.

Whitney, ever perceptive, caught on that Ashton, Valerie’s husband, might be keeping company with anot

her woman at this very moment..

And this woman might be someone Nolan and Parker both knew.

Was Valerie’s marriage unhappy?

Whitney pressed her lips slightly.

Furious, Nolan blurted out, “That bastard Ashton, I’ll take you to him.”

Valerie shook her head with a dark chuckle. “Forget it. I’m not in the mood to walk in on a steamy scene.

That woman can turn it around on me even if I’m not involved. After all these

years, if I can’t confront her, I can at least avoid her

Whitney’s head snapped towards Valerie.

Parker stood up, forcefully pulling Nolan with him. “Stop meddling in women’s affairs. It’s about time we b

rothers caught up.”

As Nolan left, his piercing gaze lingered on Valerie’s delicate face.

The three women sat down, and Tiana’s gossip–

loving soul took over, staring at Valerie, “Valerie, I’ve noticed Nolan seems pretty concerned about you. N

olan and Ashton are brothers, right… Oh my God, I just remembered When I first met you, you said you

had just moved out of the Fuller Mansion. You

lived there for a decade, right? Jesus, the day you told me your husband was Ashton, it did not click in m

y dumb head. I was so surprised, but thinking about it now, you and Ashton, it was meant to be.”

Tiana’s eyes widened in shock, and so did Whitney’s. Valerie had such a connection with one of the top f

amilies, the Fullers?

Whitney knew Valerie even later than Tiana and was unfamiliar with her family background.

Suddenly, Whitney remembered something. Did Valerie just mention ‘Elaine?

A revelation hit her like a lightning bolt. The surname “Bartels‘ was not uncommon, but it had never occur

red to her that Valerie and Elaine could share it.

Whitney could not help frowning. “Valerie, you and Elaine, could you possibly be…

Valerie turned her head, nodding with a distant look, “The Bartels of Emperor City are my kin, but Elaine i

s the legitimate heiress. I’m just from a side branch, not closely related. I was fostered with the Fullers in

Banyan City as a child…”

So, Valerie’s entanglement with Ashton was far more complicated than just an Elaine issue.

Ashton and Nolan were half–

brothers. When Valerie was a child, her parents did business in Banyan City and were close with the Full

ers.

Valerie remembered her mother as kind and gentle, but one day, they claimed her mother and Ashton’s f

ather had an affair, which Ashton’s mother, Matilda, discovered. Convinced of their guilt, Matilda dragged

Valerie’s parents to a confrontation…

That fateful car

ride also carried Valerie’s younger brother, and it ended in a devastating crash. Valerie’s parents died, an

d her brother went missing.

Matilda was left crippled.

Ashton’s father, feeling guilty, took Valerie from Emperor City to the Fullers to raise her.

Young Valerie understood nothing, and Ashton back then was not the cold–

hearted man he was now. He knew Valerie was innocent, so he pampered her as a sister, In contrast, No

lan was hostile towards her.

Rumors spread that Ashton had a sister who was always with him, like a little shadow.

Valerie thought that although she had lost her parents, at least she still had Ashton’s warmth.

That all changed when Elaine from Emperor City entered the picture.

On that icy day by the lake, young Valerie nearly lost her life saving a teenage Ashton, asking her distant

sister. Blaine, to look after him while she changed clothes.

But when she returned, she found a young Ashton blushing with gratitude towards Elaine.

The hero who saved Ashton had become Elaine.

As Elaine visited Banyan City yearly, Ashton’s warmth towards Valerie turned to disdain and misundersta

nding. He fell into love, blind to the malice and hypocrisy of a true manipulator.

Meanwhile, Nolan, who had always disliked her, became unexpectedly kinder.

As these memories surged, Valerie’s face twisted with pain and bitterness, her slender fingers clenching t

he glass, a wry laugh escaping her lips.

Whitney, piecing things together, quickly pulled up a photo on her phone. “Valerie, the Bartels heiress in

Emperor City, Elaine, is this her?”

Valerie glanced at the photo, recognizing the saintly facade of Elaine. “I’d know her even if she turned to

ashes. Do you know her too?”

Tiana and Whitney exchanged a look.

Almost blurting out, Whitney questioned, “Is she also the person Ashton invited international judges to he

lp?” “Exactly,” Valerie confirmed without a doubt. “He called Elaine after landing, mentioning that favor. T

here’s no one else he’d go out of his way for like that.”

A realization struck Whitney’s heart, an answer falling into place.

It was Elaine who revived Monica in the competition, Elaine who was the powerful force behind Yvonne!

Although Whitney had suspicions, Valerie’s confirmation solidified the truth, a sharp chill sweeping throug

h her.

Supporting Monica was undoubtedly a move against her, and Elaine had laid her plans far too early, long

before Whitney had any clue.

Whitney had suspected something was off when Monica framed her, leading to her wrongful imprisonme

nt over counterfeit gems. The scale of the deceit suggested to Whitney that someone with clout bore a gr

udge against her, but she could not pinpoint who it might be. Now, as recent events came together in her

mind, a chill ran down her spine. Perhaps the inmates who had attacked her in jail were not acting on M

onica’s orders after all.

From the moment Elaine showed up, she seemed hell–

bent on causing Whitney to miscarry. Clenching her fists tightly, Whitney braced herself for the storm ahe

ad.

Tiana was seething with rage. “I can’t believe this bitch! Not only did she try to steal Whitney’s husband, b

Valerie let out a lazy, scornful laugh. “No, I’m the one who snatched Ashton away from her, and now I’m re

My sister has always been an expert at playing the innocent while plotting behind the scenes. She loves t

take what’s not hers, and her malice is beyond your wildest imagination and tough to tackle. Isn’t my deca

long misunderstanding with Ashton proof enough? She doesn’t even love him but relishes having a string Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Valerie’s words were tinged with relish, and Whitney suddenly understood–

Elaine’s true affection was reserved for L.

As anger and thoughts of revenge surged in her heart, Whitney’s face remained calm, but her eyes glinted

Leaving such a woman near L was like waiting for a disaster. If Elaine was willing to go to such lengths to

It was time to strike back.

After parting ways with Valerie, Whitney set out to gather evidence. Monica was the obvious starting point

A smirk played on Whitney’s lips as she checked the date–

the submission deadline for the jewelry competition semifinals was just around the corner.

The timing was perfect.

She instructed Tiana, “Spread some rumors about the competition online, push it to trending topics. Say th

lose her cool.”

And that was precisely Whitney’s intent.

If Monica panicked, she would slip up.

Since L was staying at this hospital and Elaine could not seem to stay away in her attempts to get close to

Once the rumors hit the trending charts, Monica indeed became frantic.

Whitney timed her move perfectly, heading to Monica’s hospital room just as Elaine was due to arrive with