Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 410

Elaine's mind was racing with thoughts of revenge.

The mother-daughter duo were known to be formidable opponents. Upon Whitney's return to the Sheldon family, Elaine was sure she wouldn't have an easy time.

Seeing Whitney miserable, especially if a man she fancied was snatched away by Florence, would bring Elaine great joy. And in the chaos that ensued, perhaps Elaine saw a sliver of opportunity to benefit herself...

Elaine coughed violently, struggling to speak, "I don't have any ulterior motives. You can pin the Tennyson family's grudge on the Bartels, but your mother's vendetta isn't something I'll acknowledge. I just don't want you harping on me anymore."

Whitney squinted, hardly believing her.

Elaine definitely had her reasons for sending Whitney back to the Sheldons.

But Whitney was currently engulfed in hatred. If Mrs. Sheldon was responsible for her mother's death, she was determined to investigate and wouldn't let the Sheldons off the hook.

"I'll give you another reason to go to Emperor City," Elaine said with a sly smirk, "Your son, he might be in Emperor City."

Whitney's grip tightened, turning Elaine's face purple. "You better have proof! Don't throw around Sammy's name lightly, or I'll strangle you here and now!"

"Cough cough... I have no proof, but believe what you want!" Elaine screamed, struggling.

Whitney let her go, gasping for breath. She knew she wouldn't get anything out of Elaine, who insisted on Sammy being lost and even the police were helpless.

Killing Elaine would be easy, but for Sammy's sake, she spared her life for now.

Whitney left the hospital, not heading home but driving straight to the Valentine Mansion.

It had been a while since her last visit, and the mansion's state of disrepair was shocking, but not surprising given that the Valentine Corporation had been defeated by Whitney three years prior, leading to their bankruptcy when her uncle returned.

Upstairs, Yvonne was bedridden, with no sign of Preston.

Monica, once so proud, now appeared disheveled and worn, her hands rough with calluses.

Seeing Whitney, both mother and daughter were shocked, their expressions a mix of complexity and fear.

"Whitney?"

Whitney pulled out a check for a million dollars, cutting straight to the chase with Yvonne, "I need you to remember, who provided the poison when you tried to poison my mother? Was it the Bartels from Emperor City, or someone else? And, did my mother receive any calls from Emperor City?"

Yvonne, gasping for breath, sat up at the sight of the check. Nowadays, she dared not play tricks.

"Whitney... I've seen the Bartels in the news, they don't seem to be the mysterious person who provided the poison back then. I really don't know who was behind it, but during the time your mother was ill, she did receive calls from Emperor City. She seemed very agitated, saying 'even if you kill me, he won't love you,' before becoming depressed until her death."

Whitney felt a bomb go off in her head.

Her mother's words were pointed, stirring a mix of suspicion and anger within her.

Handing the check to Monica, Whitney turned to leave.

Yvonne signaled Monica, who hurried after Whitney. Now the CEO of Skye Gem Ltd., Whitney was a billionaire, while Monica, still unmarried and destitute, needed the money from the check to better her life. She begrudgingly tried to curry favor with Whitney, "Sister, this was your bedroom. You haven't been back in three years, but I've packed your things. Do you want to check if there's anything else you need?"

"No need." Whitney was well aware of Monica's desperation to rekindle their relationship, but she hadn't forgotten their past grievances.

Monica's gaze suddenly shifted to the dresser, as if remembering something. Blocking Whitney's path, she seemed eager to please, "Sister, I have a secret about Elaine to tell you."

Whitney raised an eyebrow, stopping in her tracks.

"Do you remember, seven years ago, you brought back half of a ring?"

Monica sheepishly continued, "You left it on the dresser, and I took it because it looked pretty. You probably never noticed, but three years ago, when Elaine came to our house to join forces against you, she suddenly took that half-ring. I never understood why until I saw Elaine getting engaged to Mr. Lippert. Mr. Lippert had a benefactor who saved him years ago, and Elaine used the ring to pretend to be that person! Then it hit me, that ring came from you, so Elaine was impersonating you, wasn't she?"

Whitney froze, realizing the significance of the half-ring.

Years ago, she had saved a man suffering from hysteria in a neighboring province, hiding with him in a cave without seeing his face.

Since then, she had forgotten about the incident, and losing the ring didn't seem important.