Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1175
Otherwise, after Bryce was taken down the first time, he wouldn't have bounced back so quickly from just a single photo of
Parisa. That guy always lands on his feet-he's a master at looking out for number one.
"My guess is, Bryce must have tipped off one of our board members," Parisa said, thinking out loud. "Whoever that is, they've
probably been waiting for a chance to turn on me for ages. And now, with me stuck here in Harmonia recovering from my
injuries, it's the perfect opportunity for them."
Whitney frowned, not quite following. "Even if a board member wanted to betray you, why side with Bryce? News back home
already broke that he's a wanted man! What good is a broke, washed-up cripple to them? How's he supposed to help their
cause?"
Ludwik paused, considering, then shook his head with a cold little laugh. "That's exactly where Bryce's cunning comes in. When

he reached out to that board member, who knows what kind of tall tales he spun? There's always a lag between news at home
and abroad. Maybe he exaggerated how he managed to get Ms. Tennyson out of the picture, or maybe he made up some story
about having dirt on her-enough to make the board think he's their secret weapon. They want every edge they can get."
"Mr. Lippert's right," Parisa agreed, nodding. "Whitney, the fact that they went to such lengths to kidnap Bryce shows they still
think he's valuable. And Bryce, desperate to dodge Mr. Lippert's people, was willing to lose a leg just to stay alive. Whether he
makes it or not isn't even the point. What matters is, those board members who want to oust me are willing to risk embarrassing
the president of Harmonia just to get their hands on Bryce.
"I suspect they think my staying in Harmonia means I'm plotting something- maybe trying to cozy up to the president. That
changes the whole game. Now, it's not just a corporate power struggle, it's an international mess. If they get Germinia's
intelligence agency involved and start accusing me of selling out the country, I could be stuck here for good-never able to get
back to the company, never able to take control again.”
The idea hit Whitney like a brick. This was bigger than she'd thought. Bryce's kidnapping was just one small piece of the puzzle.
Because her mother was stuck in Harmonia after being gravely injured, the old foxes back at headquarters might be playing a
much bigger game-one designed to push Parisa out of power for good.
Whitney's expression tightened.
"Come to think of it, it was Bryce and Florence who got you stranded here

in the first place! Mom, if those. board members really do use whatever Bryce knows against you how do we fight back?"
Parisa fell silent, her face calm and collected.
Ludwik spoke up, voice icy. "Best case, Bryce's injuries catch up with him and he dies. But if he lives and spills everything to the
traitors, we'll have to discredit him-make sure the board believes he's just a small-time con artist, spinning lies to save his own
skin."
At last, Parisa managed a thin smile, clearly impressed. "Mr. Lippert, you see the board's game for what it is You're right. Since
this whole mess started with Bryce, it has to end with Bryce. Whitney, don't worry about me I'm not as outmatched as they think.
"I've run this company for a decade. I still have loyal people on the inside. As soon
as I'm a little stronger, I'll reach out to each of them and get the real story on what's happening.
"Actually, I got a call this afternoon from Mr. Phineas, one of the directors. He assured me he's still got my back. But he also
hinted that the president isn't going to get involved any further.
"So I can't count on presidential protection. If Germinia's intelligence agency starts sniffing around, things could get ugly fast.
I need to figure out a way to get out of Harmonia and back to Germinia before any of that happens."