Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



"But I saw it... Sammy was standing guard in the hospital room, even asking the doctors about the situation.

Maybe the baby girl was born sick, or else Ludwik wouldn't have rushed her to the hospital."

"Something's not right here; the logic just doesn't add up...'

"I still believe it's not Florence's love child," Tiana tried to soothe Whitney, whose heart was on the verge of breaking.

Tears rolled down Whitney's cheeks as she forced a painful smile. "Then tell me, if it's not Florence's, which woman gave him a child?"

Tiana fell silent.

She furrowed her brow, thinking hard. There hadn't been any other woman around Ludwik.

Pregnancy...

A sudden thought flashed in Tiana's mind, and she blurted out, "Speaking of pregnancy, remember when Ludwik was obsessed with the idea that you were pregnant? He was hysterical and took you to the hospital for a check-up!

He was out of his mind, Whitney..."

"Whitney!" A deep, chilling male voice cut through the noise of the bar like a knife.

Whitney, holding her phone, slowly looked up, turning around.

Her tear-filled eyes met the tall, imposing figure of Ludwik standing at the entrance.

Her pupils trembled, and a fresh wave of cold tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision of his stern and deceitful features.

Whitney stood frozen, her gaze sharp and unyielding like a blade.

Ludwik's Adam's apple bobbed as he took a deep breath. He had turned back halfway and contacted the police to help find her.

It took two hours to track her to the bar.

He knew she must have lost control; otherwise, with her temperament, she wouldn't have come to drown her sorrows in a bar.

With a heavy sigh, he strode towards her, his presence so commanding that people naturally stepped aside.

The lively bar suddenly became quiet around Whitney, as people moved away, leaving a clear space.

The dim lights cast shadows over Ludwik's chiseled face, highlighting the deep, cold sheen in his dark eyes, burdened with worry and pain. "Whitney, whatever you think you saw, it's not the truth. Please don't be upset."

Whitney remained unresponsive for a long time, slowly thawing under his imposing presence.

Realizing what was happening, she quickly averted her gaze and stood up. The alcohol made her sway as if her heart was being tossed around in hell. She gritted her teeth and called to the bartender, "Check, please, right now!"

"Don't move, just listen to me," Ludwik said, his long legs closing the distance between them.

Whitney quickly stepped aside, moving so fast that she almost fell.

She was drunk.

Ludwik narrowed his eyes, frowning deeply, and immediately reached out to steady her pale arm. Her slender wrist was instantly secured in the warmth of his firm grip as he leaned closer. "Careful..."

"Get away from me!" Whitney recoiled as if burned, her cold, desperate eyes seeing him as filthy and repulsive. "Don't touch me." "Whitney-"

"You and Florence, have your happy life and leave me out of it!"

"Calm down."

"I am calm."

Ludwik sighed, his voice low and steady. "You're saying the opposite. I can tell your eyes are swollen from crying. Please, just let me explain. That child—"

"Florence's child, yours don't bother denying it! Don't try to fool me! I'm not blind; the timing of the pregnancy and birth matches up perfectly." She struggled fiercely, pushing him away with all her might.

Ludwik's grip tightened as he pulled her closer, trying to soothe her. "It's not true."

"Everything matches! You've even turned my own son against me, bringing him together with your daughter and making me look like a fool. Are you proud of yourself?!"

She screamed in rage and despair, unable to control the humiliation burning within her soul.

Ludwik held her trembling shoulders,

his cold hands lifting her chin, trying to sober her up. His eyes were deep and dark, like a stormy sea. "I'm not proud; I'm tormented day and night! Whitney, listen to me—"

"Because you're guilty! You're tormented because you allowed Florence and her child into your life!"

"She's not a love child, Whitney. You can't say that about her.

The only thing I'm guilty of is keeping the truth about your pregnancy from you. That's the only thing."noveldrama

Seeing her slipping from his grasp, Ludwik's eyes darkened, his voice turning cold and commanding.

His words froze Whitney in place.

She struggled to find her voice, her mind a bewildered mix of disbelief and irony. "What pregnancy? Now you're just making things up—" "That child is yours! The baby carries your genes; she's the life you brought into this world!

She's our daughter."

Ludwik's voice was filled with anger and sadness as he spelled it out, his eyes a bright red.

Whitney stopped breathing, her body going numb as if all warmth had vanished.

Her lips trembled. "...What?"

"That poor little girl is our daughter," Ludwik said, his large hand cupping her pale, beautiful face, his lips close to her ear, each word heavy with

sorrow.

Whitney's mind went blank, filled with shock and disbelief, staring at him with wide eyes!

"I don't understand what you're saying." She bit her lip fiercely, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of utter bewilderment and panic.

At the airport, eight o'clock at night.

Parker joined up with the Lippert family's dozen bodyguards. He squinted, watching Bryce's car parked and his figure disappearing into the arrivals

hall.

He quickly set up a security detail at

several exits. "One person at each point. Bryce is slippery, and we don't know which way he'll try to sneak out with whoever he's meeting.

But he'll definitely find a way to get them out smoothly.

So, keep your eyes peeled, and report any suspicious activity immediately."

"Yes, Mr. Doonan," the bodyguards scattered swiftly.

Parker gestured to the remaining seven or eight people. "You come with me."

He narrowed his cold, sharp eyes.

"Tonight's not going to be quiet. Bryce probably knows I'm on his tail, who knows what tricks he'll pull, but remember, every move Ludwik Lippert asked for has to be

countered!"

Tonight, come hell or high water, I'm going to find out who Bryce is picking up.

If all goes well, I'll snatch this 'mystery guest' right out from under his nose and deliver them straight to Ludwik. That would be ideal!

Parker knew the weight of his mission. With Ludwik not around, it was all on him.

He had to be extra cautious, analyzing any tricks Bryce might have up his sleeve.

"Mr. Doonan, Bryce seems to be heading toward the VIP lounge."

"Let's move," Parker said, striding swiftly like a man on a mission, clutching an airport map in his hand. "The tarmac's massive, split into commercial and private flight zones.

The fact that Bryce is waiting in the VIP lounge suggests this mystery person is likely arriving on a private jet.

There's only one exit for private flights, and that's through the VIP lounge.

We'll surround the place from the outside, keep a tight watch on him!

Once they land, there's no way Bryce isn't bringing them out. The car's parked outside; they'll have to use it to leave!"