Love beyond the mask (Whitney)

Chapter 40

Whitney scrolled through the latest entertainment news about Stella on her phone, glancing over at her

friend. “Tiana, let’s head upstairs. Can you get us a private suite?”

Tiana was off like a shot, making a beeline for the club’s manager. Securing a private suite was next to

impossible without a reservation, but with a bit of cash persuasion, she managed to wrangle a room for

an hour.

But why did Whitney want a private suite?

Whitney’s eyes were calm and unreadable as she said, “An hour will be enough.”

She took a seat, logged into a burner account, and sent a message into the digital ether,

In less than six minutes, the click–clack of high heels approached. Stella, who had claimed to be too

busy, hurried in with a smile plastered on her face. “Monica, has Kyler arrived yet?”

The moment she entered, her expression turned to stone.

Even Whitney felt a twinge of stiffness for her.

Tiana, out of breath and pale, was the first to confront her. “Stella, whose name did you just call? Since

when are you friends with Monica? Do you have any idea what she did to Whitney?”

Stella snapped back to reality, quickly putting two and two together after seeing the message.

Her demeanor chilled as she turned to Whitney. “You always were the sharpest one among us.”

“Why betray me?” Whitney’s question was straightforward.

Leaning against the wall, Stella no longer bothered to fake a smile. Annoyance flickered in her eyes.

“Why do you think, Whitney? Standing beside you now, I feel embarrassed. You’re not worthy

anymore.”

“Stella, why have you become like this?” Tiana asked, visibly upset.

“People change. I’m on the rise, and Whitney is spiraling down. There’s no such thing as forever

friends. Among the Valentine sisters, the rising star is Monica, and I’m only weighing the pros and cons.

Aligning with you would tarnish my image. Don’t blame me for making the smart choice.”

Weighing the pros and cons, huh?

Whitney’s eyes turned icy, her heart shedding the last threads of warmth. “Did you delete my files from

my computer? Did you leak my designs to Monica step by step?”

Stella stiffened, then scoffed. “Did I? You have no proof.”

“You’ve been using Whitney’s trust to sabotage her career! Now, the news is painting her as a

plagiarist. Do you want to ruin her life?” Tiana seethed, her eyes reddening with anger.

“If it wasn’t for Whitney’s trust, how could I have achieved my goals?” As they spoke, Monica entered

with a smirk.

Stella quickly sided with Monica, and their group looked down on Whitney and Tiana arrogantly.

Monica laughed. “Stella, Director Kyler will give you the lead role. You’re on your way to becoming the

next big thing in Hollywood.”

“Thank you, Monica,” Stella said with a nod. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Disgusted by Stella’s obsequious behavior, Tiana stepped forward.

“But there’s a catch,” Monica continued. “You need to prove your loyalty. Slap Whitney right here and

drive her out. The Royal One Club is no place for a washed–up has–been like her, and I believe you’ve

wanted to do that for a long time.”

Stella’s face tensed. She glanced at Whitney and reluctantly approached.

Tiana stepped in front of Whitney, and before Stella could act, she slapped her across the face.

“Stella, I can’t believe you were about to hit her. I’m so disappointed in you. From now on, our

sisterhood is

over

“You naive fool, how dare you slap me?” Stella tried to retaliate.

Whitney’s gaze was sharp as she stood up and grabbed Stella’s hair. “Touch Tiana, and I won’t hold

back.

“T’d like to see you try,” Stella spat venomously. “Is it not your fault I’ve become like this? When you

were the darling of high society, knowing my family was struggling, with a little help from you, I could

have been a star by now! But you had to talk about hard work, as if that meant anything in Hollywood.

You can’t stand to see me climb over you, so fine, I’ll step over you without a second thought.”

Tiana was furious. “You blame us for not helping enough when it was Whitney who got you into the

industry! You repay kindness with betrayal, and now you’re following Monica, thinking you’ll rise with

her?”

The situation was about to explode into a brawl when Monica, thoroughly entertained, signaled for one

of the socialites to fetch the club manager.

Monica thought spitefully. If Whitney got humiliated enough, maybe even a scandalous news story of

her causing a scene in the club, coupled with plagiarism accusations, would ruin her completely.

“Ms. Valentine, what seems to be the problem here?” The manager arrived swiftly.

Monica pointed arrogantly, “Those two rabid dogs over there, do they have a reservation? Why are

they hogging the room? I have my eye on this room for dinner.”

The manager hurriedly sent security to remove Whitney and Tiana. “They have no money, no status.

How did they even get in?”

Tiana shouted back, “I made the reservation and paid you. Are you pretending not to recognize me

now?”

In front of Monica, the manager would not dare acknowledge them. “Tiana, this is the Royal One Club.

Your family doesn’t have VIP status here. Please take your disgraced friend and leave immediately!”

Monica giggled. “Sis, even the club manager saw the news about your plagiarism scandal today.”

Whitney and Tiana were being dragged to the door. Tiana shielded Whitney’s face, fearing more bad

press. Their expressions were full of pain and humiliation.

“What’s all this commotion about?” A cold, masculine voice suddenly cut through the noise.

Whitney stiffened at the sound and then saw the imposing figure approaching. Her lips pressed tightly

together.

“Damn it,” She thought. Of all the moments for him to witness this spectacle.

The man, wearing a silver mask, exuded a cool and intimidating presence. His tailored black suit

accentuated his lean physique, and his aura was one of undeniable authority.

The manager spotted the big boss entering the room and immediately began to tremble ever so

slightly. “M–Mr. Li…

The man glanced his way.

The manager clamped his mouth shut, his fear palpable enough that the security guard holding

Whitney instinctively loosened his grip.

Monica and Stella, socialites of the highest order, were momentarily struck dumb.

The whole scene went quiet in an instant.

Parker craned his neck, peering over his glasses with a narrow ved

then turned to look at