Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Ludwik moved towards the window, peering inside for what seemed like an eternity.

Sammy was sprawled out on the couch in Ryan's living room, utterly still, lost in his own world.

Ludwik couldn't begin to guess what was going through his son's mind, and he hesitated to approach, fearing a violent rejection.

All he wanted was for his son to recover, to come back to him. But he had no idea how long that might take.

With a heart heavy with worries, Ludwik walked away.

As Ludwik's figure receded, Sammy's sharp gaze followed him silently.

"Even if you're throwing a fit, you could at least acknowledge your old man!" Ryan marched in, glaring at the youngster. The pressure from Ludwik was immense, and he felt compelled to persuade Sammy to give up his stubborn stay.novelbin

Kids have such simple logic, but Ryan knew he couldn't spill the beans to Sammy!

Ryan sighed, "Your dad's breaking his back trying to rescue you. You not only rebuffed him but claimed Florence is your real family. Do you have any idea how much that hurts him?"

A glimmer flashed in Sammy's eyes, "If I don't say that, would he ever realize how dangerous Florence is? The more I pretend to adore Florence, the sicker I get, the more he'll hate her."

Ryan shuddered.

Realization hit him, and he murmured, "It's hard to say whether Florence messing with you is a good or bad thing."

Sammy glared at him, "You've meddled with me too. If you don't want to end up on the bad side, you better keep me here."

Ryan was inwardly fuming, another day outwitted by a kid.

"Boss, you can't just squat at my place playing sick forever. If your dad doesn't see you getting better, I'll be the one he comes after!"

"I'm not in the mood to deal with him," Sammy stubbornly retorted. "He's a deadbeat. Just ignore him."

Ryan countered, "Your dad's desperately trying to save you. He's been scouring Emperor City for you. If he wasn't so worried about your safety, he'd have turned the city upside down by now! I can see he's treading lightly around you, filled with love and regret."

Sammy stiffened for a moment, not blind to the tenderness in Ludwik's eyes. He bit his lip, "But I've got important things to handle. If I mend fences with Ludwik, do you think Florence would fall for my act?"

Ryan understood his plan and admired the kid's guts.

He wanted to tell him the truth about Florence, that it was a lost cause, but seeing Sammy so determined, Ryan felt guilty and held his tongue, "Suit yourself. Stay as long as you like. Don't you want to secretly check on your mom? Don't you miss her?"

Sammy's eyes moistened. He did miss her, but he couldn't let all his efforts be in vain.

"Why so talkative? Weren't you going to teach me medicine? I'm kinda in the mood to learn today."

"Ah! Your Highness, just wait, I'll grab the medical texts. It'd be a waste not to use your unique talents."

Ryan was immediately sidetracked by Sammy and hurried off to the study.

As Ryan entered the study, a message from Florence popped up on his phone.

It was a code. Frowning, Ryan knew he couldn't afford to antagonize her openly. He quickly dialed her from another phone.

"Ryan, you dare betray me?" Florence's voice was thick with anger.

Ryan had his excuses ready, sobbing, "Ms, Sheldon, I had no choice. Ludwik threatened me. He cut off my daughter's finger! I know you're in a delicate condition staying with the Lipperts, you'll be safe Everything's going as expected. Even if Ludwik finds Sammy, the kid won't leave with him! There's no way Sammy would say anything against you. You're safe."

He soothed her anger, and Florence, though skeptical, asked, "Has Sammy really changed? Myra said he's completely loyal to you. Have you tested him? The kid was clever before; is he pretending?"

Of course, he's pretending!

Ryan's lips twitched, "Impossible. I've operated on him; he's become simple-minded. You won't believe it until you see him yourself, fawning over you like a puppy."

Florence finally felt a bit reassured. "You're to cure him?"

"Uh... yes..."

"Then take your time. Never cure him. Dr. Ryan, you can mediate between Ludwik and me perfectly, if you want. I warn you, keep the embryo transfer to yourself. If I go down, do you think you won't end up in jail for illegal transplantation? I'll drag you down with me."

"I wouldn't dare. I'd rather poison myself than betray you. I'll take it to my grave!"

Ryan knew her call was a warning about keeping the secret. He begged for mercy.

"Hmph. I hear Sammy's staying with you. Good, keep an eye on him for me!"

"Sure, sure..." Ryan quickly agreed, playing along with her demands.

Florence hung up, her face still tense, not a bit relaxed.

Even though Sammy seemed harmless now, what if Ludwik told Whitney?

Then Whitney would know Sammy was out of her grasp.

Her threats would be meaningless.

If Whitney didn't marry Bryce, all her plans would fall apart.

Biting her finger, Florence got up from bed.

et

Holly burst into the room, horrified, "You should be resting! After what Ludwik did this morning, the baby barely survived! Florence, Ludwik now hates you more than ever. My heart's been on a roller coaster Staying with him, you'll never have peace. The title of Ludwik's wife is too hard to secure. Can Jason protect you every time? Will he always be there when you need him?"

Florence gazed at her mother, her eyes burning with a mix of fear and ambition. "Fortune favors the bold, and as long as I can safely deliver this baby, the position as Ludwik's wife will be mine. As long as I cling to Jason's coattails, I'll be safe for these ten months at least. No matter how foul Ludwik's temper, he wouldn't dare cross his old man."

"But, Jason's no fool; he might already suspect your character. He even asked me earlier if you were keeping Whitney's child close to you as a

pawn?"

Florence hadn't expected that. On the surface, Jason seemed to value her, but behind her back, he still believed his son's words.

Her fingers tightened into fists. "What did you tell Jason?"

Holly replied with a sly smile, "I told

him it had nothing to do with you, of course! You're frail and innocent; how could you ever do such a thing? They have no proof, after all. I shifted the blame onto Whitney saying she's been whispering poison into Ludwik's ear, making up stories about you kidnapping the child. Jason doesn't like Whitney one bit. I'll keep mentioning it, and he's bound to confront Whitney eventually. That will get her to pack up and leave Emperor City, stopping her from bothering his son!"