Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Whitney's eyes shimmered with tears that slowly soaked her heart. Choking up, she said, "That morning, I tossed your breakfast away. I thought I made myself clear. Unless it's about Sammy, don't come looking for me. We can't just be friends! Ludwik, you're smothering me."

She turned, pulling Danny inside, barely giving him a chance to say goodbye to his father before she sharply closed the door, leaving Ludwik outside.

Danny, with tears in his eyes, tried to explain, "Mom, I couldn't find you, so I called Dad when you disappeared in the afternoon. You hate how he tries to control everything. He even pulled Uncle Parker's bodyguards off you and stopped sending over meals, worried it would upset you. Can't you just not be mad at him for tonight?"

Whitney looked at her son, silent for a moment, "I'm not mad at him. I just want him to stop making all the decisions for me. I can take care of myself. I'm really tired, let's go upstairs."

Ludwik stood under the porch light, his brows furrowed, overhearing her weak voice from behind the door. The light cast a long, cold shadow behind him, making him look like a sculpture of solitude. Perhaps, he had indeed pushed her too far. She felt suffocated by him?

Ludwik retraced his steps with a bitter smile upon hearing her say she was tired... He abandoned the idea of forcibly taking her to the hospital. The child should be fine, right?

He'd wait a couple of days until she calmed down, then have Parker figure out a way to coax her into getting checked at the hospital...

His heart was a tumultuous sea of unease.

Lost in his thoughts, his phone suddenly rang. Ludwik, slipping his hand into his trouser pocket, walked down the steps to his car as he answered the call.

It was Felix, sounding unusually urgent, "Mr. Lippert, we've got a major problem."

Ludwik paused, his slender fingers opening the car door as he sat inside, steadying his breath, as if expecting the news, "Go on."

"Jarvis's major project in Beloria has suffered a catastrophic accident; there was a railway explosion. Beloria's government has already announced they'll be investigating all foreign investments in their railway infrastructure, and the Lippert Group is at the top of their list!

This might be a setup by Jarvis, but it's the Lippert Group they'll be coming after, not him. You need to go to Beloria personally to calm the waters and handle this.novelbin

I've booked you on a flight tonight..."

Clutching the steering wheel, Ludwik's gaze hardened as he looked at the villa, its windows aglow. He couldn't see which room Whitney was in, knowing this trip wouldn't just be a short one.

Whitney had a stomach bug today, and he was worried.

But he had no choice, the burdens of a man were never just about the woman he loved.

"I'm on my way to the airport."

After hanging up, Ludwik immediately called Parker to delegate his responsibilities.

Meanwhile, at a café near the People's Hospital.

Dr. Bill walked in, heading to a secluded corner where a woman in a baseball cap and mask sat.

Dr. Bill took a seat next to her, scanning the surroundings before engaging in a hushed conversation.

"Ryan and Florence won't suspect I'm working for you. Everything they've done to Whitney, you're now aware of."

Beneath her mask, the woman smirked victoriously.

Lastly, the woman handed Dr. Bill a hefty bank card, asking cryptically, "Is everything taken care of?"

Dr. Bill nodded subtly.

Elaine stood up and left the café, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Florence had been plotting against Whitney relentlessly, but she

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couldn't have anticipated that Dr. Bill, onceza student at the Bartels Pharmaceutical, was now an ally against her. Despite the her. Despite the downfall of

the Bartels family, influencing a

mere doctor remained within their

reach.

Back in Emperor City, Elaine moved stealthily, avoiding Ludwik's notice, living as if on the run ever since Ludwik had her cornered in Banyan City-a predicament caused by Florence.

It was a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; Florence and Whitney were locked in a fierce battle, yet it might be Elaine who reaps the benefits in the end.

Elaine suppressed her grin as she left.

After putting Danny to bed and handing the herbal medicine to the nanny for brewing, Whitney administered acupuncture to herself and drank a bowl of medicinal soup, soothing her stomach cramps.

Then, she received a message from

Tiana on Facebook: "Don't even mention it! It must have been that lunch. Nyx and I owned the airplane bathroom. So embarrassing. Whitney, you should really check on that hotel's catering service. Would've been better off eating the Chinese food Ludwik sent over. Did you get sick too? How are you feeling?"

It seemed Tiana and Nyx had also suffered from food poisoning, confirming Whitney's suspicions about the food.

Whitney replied, "I'm feeling stable now," not wanting to worry Tiana further. After sending the message, she closed her eyes, hoping for rest.

Not long after, Whitney felt a troubling discharge. Checking in the bathroom, she discovered a faint pink stain. Confused and concerned, she monitored her condition, hoping it wasn't something serious.

The next day would bring more answers.

Ludwik's business trip to the troubled lands of Beloria was the talk of the town, all thanks to Parker's big mouth.

"Beloria? Isn't that place a hot mess with all the civil unrest in Savanterra? Why on earth would Dad head into that storm?" Danny was visibly worried about his father, going out of his way to dig up whatever info he could find on Beloria.

Whitney paused in her tracks, her chores momentarily forgotten.

Parker pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, casting a glance at her before letting out a deliberate sigh. "Seems like Jarvis has been playing dirty, setting traps for your dad. A railway explosion tangled up with local politics. He's gunning for your dad, hoping he doesn't make it out of Savanterra alive! Content belongs

Danny, your dad might be at the helm of the Lippert Group, a big shot in Harmonia, but what he's sitting on is a ticking time bomb. The dangers lurking behind him, the storms he's weathered-it's been a battlefield from the start."

Danny fidgeted anxiously, "How long does Dad have to stay in that mess?"

Parker's expression darkened, "Hard to say. It all depends if he can turn the tide in his favor."

Whitney's gaze dropped, staying out of the conversation between her son and Parker.

She took out her phone, checking the calendar. Half the month had already slipped by.

Natalie's transplant surgery was scheduled for two weeks out.

He couldn't possibly miss that, could he? His mother's critical surgery-would he make it back in time?