Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Jake growled, "I never messed with your head, man. Now you're acting all dazed and confused, treating Florence like she's your queen. What's going on?

Your dad's here to rescue you. This is your shot at freedom. You're not gonna go with him? You wanna stay locked up?"

Sammy turned his head, his deep, insightful eyes staring at the wall. Soon, his eyes were moist with tears, and he choked out, "Dr. Jake, I miss my mom."

Jake was taken aback, fighting the urge to scream, "If you miss your mom and you're not really out of your mind, then get moving! Staying here is just causing me trouble, you know. I could end up in a world of hurt because of you!"

But Sammy turned his gaze sharply, a cold and lonely smile on his face. "Because I love her, I want to protect her. You and Florence, you've done something to my mom's health! Unless you tell me what it is, and Florence reveals her secrets, I'm not going anywhere. You can keep your mouth shut forever, but I'll find out myself."

Jake's face stiffened. That secret, he would take to his grave, especially from Whitney's son! The secret of the embryo transplant was meant for the grave.

"Good Lord! Your mom's fine. She's not sick, and no one's stealing her organs. What are you fussing about? Just go with your dad!" Jake was desperate, his face a picture of misery.

Sammy wasn't buying it. The more Jake refused to spill, the more sinister Sammy believed the secret to be. His determination to stay close to Florence and uncover what she had done to his mom solidified. He glanced outside the window, his lips pressed tightly together. He didn't trust his worthless dad. He couldn't leave his mom's safety in his hands.

In the morning at the Lippert Resort.

Florence had been over the moon all night because of the news that Whitney had been forced to publicly admit her relationship and marriage to Bryce. The embryo had successfully implanted, and she began feeling sleepy. She slept until mid-morning when a frantic call from Myra woke her up like a bucket of cold water.

Myra's words painted a vivid picture of panic, "Ms. Sheldon, something terrible has happened. Ken's attempt to move Sammy last night was tracked by Ludwik. I found out it was Jake, the traitor, who turned against us and led Ludwik right to Sammy. Luckily, Ken only took Sammy to the sanatorium, not anywhere near the lab. And there's a silver lining: Ludwik didn't manage to rescue Sammy. That kid, completely fooled by us, resisted Ludwik, seeing him as the villain and you as the hero. He's determined to stay by your side."

Florence felt like she'd been hit over the head, her face going through a kaleidoscope of colors at Myra's words.

"Either way, Ludwik's bound to come for you. You need to be ready..."

Knock, knock!

The knocking snapped Florence back to reality, her face pale as she turned. The Lippert family's maid called from outside, "Ms. Sheldon, Ludwik's home. He's in the foyer and heading to your bedroom."

Florence's breath hitched, swiftly hanging up on Myra and erasing the call log. Her mind was a mess, but she forced herself to calm down and get dressed, her eyes flickering with panic. Outside her bedroom, the air turned chilly, the tension palpable even from a distance.

Florence, nervously fumbling with her dress, slowly opened the door-

There, in the grand European-style living room, sat Ludwik comfortably on a luxurious sofa, his legs crossed, sipping on a cup of coffee. The aroma of black coffee, both fragrant and bitter, filled the air. Although Ludwik's gaze was obscured by the steam, Florence could still see the intense red in the corners of his eyes.

He must have been up all night.

What had he done to Jake to make him betray his own interests to help him? As Florence pondered, she saw the dark intentions in Ludwik's eyes.

With his methods, he had countless ways to torment Jake into

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submission. Realizing Ludwik had found Sammy, she felt a chill run down her spine, her hand instinctively touching her belly.

Swallowing hard under his intense gaze, she approached as if nothing was amiss, "Ludwik, the maid said you were looking for me. What's up so early in the morning?"

Ludwik, unflustered, set down his coffee cup and slowly stood up. His gaze on Florence was calculating, as if pondering the best way to tear her apart.

Florence's heart raced at his silent questioning, "What have you done to Sammy?"

Trying to keep her composure, she denied any wrongdoing, "Ludwik, what could I possibly have done to him? These past days, I've merely had the boy over as a guest, treating him well, making sure nothing goes wrong."

Her defiant smile only provoked him further. Ludwik's hand shot out, gripping her neck in a vice. His lips curled into a sinister smile as he dragged her towards the bedroom.

"Ludwik!"

Her screams echoed as he dragged her to the bedroom window, forcing her legs out over the edge of the second-floor window.

"Stop! I'm pregnant, Ludwik, with your child! Even if I've had Sammy stay as a guest, that's no reason to kill me!"

"What did you do to him? His brain, his consciousness, how did you manipulate him?"

Ludwik kicked at her waist, pushing her further out the window. Florence's eyes widened in terror. With Jason in the house, Ludwik dared to lay hands on her, disregarding the child in her womb! Looking down, she knew a fall from this height would mean the end for her unborn child. This was her last ace up her sleeve, and she couldn't afford to lose it.

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"The brain! But, honestly, I have no clue about the specifics. Jake was the one handling the surgery, not me! I never wanted Sammy to end up like this... It was his asthma attack that led to meningitis. Jake had no choice but to perform brain surgery. Whether Jake botched the surgery or had some ulterior motive, I'm in the dark here. After Sammy woke up, he had amnesia. It's all Jake's doing, not mine!"

Given Jake's betrayal, Florence was quick to shift all the blame onto him. As long as she wasn't caught red-handed, Ludwik had no evidence to pin her down.

Ludwik yanked her hair fiercely,

scoffing, "Do you think I'm an idiot?

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Sammy doesn't recognize his own family, and it's not just simple amnesia. He looks to you as his master, speaking of you as if you're his family. Doesn't that sound like you've turned him into your little lap dog? He's all 'Ms. Sheldon this and 'Ms. Sheldon' that, very affectionate towards you. You brainwashed him, didn't you? You've ruined a kid. Guess how I'm going to deal with you?"

Florence's face turned pale instantly. Sammy being affectionate towards her? That couldn't be right.