Love beyond the mask (Whitney)

Chapter 79

In the sterile hospital room, Whitney was slowly regaining consciousness after a frantic rush of

emergency care. Grogginess gave way to awareness as her eyes fluttered open, only to settle on Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Simon standing by her bedside. Her heart sank a little; she had hoped to see L instead. Her hand

instinctively moved to her belly, seeking reassurance.

Simon looked down at her, his voice devoid of warmth. “You’re going to be alright, the baby’s fine. But

you…. you’ve taken a beating protecting your child. There are deep bruises all over, and you can’t take

any pain relief because of the pregnancy. It’s going to be a long road to recovery.”

Pain shot through her with every movement, and Whitney’s throat felt parched. “How did I get out?” she

rasped, confusion lacing her words.

Simon wasn’t entirely sure himself. He hadn’t seen Tiana, but he wanted to appear useful, maybe even

a hero. “I went back to the Perlman Mansion and pleaded with my dad for your release…”

“Was it you who saved me?” Whitney asked, puzzled. Simon, driven by his own agenda, didn’t deny it.

It wasn’t L?

But then again, he hadn’t shown up.

A bitter taste filled Whitney’s mouth, and she coughed, “What about Tiana? She wouldn’t ignore my

plight. You said she didn’t show up. Did something happen at the Lutz Mansion?”

Simon frowned, his concern growing as Whitney’s coughs seemed to wrack her body. He quickly

helped her sit up a bit more comfortably. “You focus on healing. I’ll take care of those things for you.”

“No need,” Whitney pushed him away. The sight of Simon now only left her with a chilling void. “Simon,

you don’t need to do any of this. Whatever you do holds no meaning for me anymore. The only thing I

have for you is the pain from when you tried to kill me. If you feel any guilt towards me, just give me my

grandfather’s address book and any other leads you have.”

Simon’s face stiffened with her cold rejection. The address book was his leverage, knowing that giving

it up meant severing their last tie.

However, contemplating the address book caused a shadow to darken Simon’s face, and he suddenly

asked, “Whitney, your uncle…”

She had lost contact with her uncle years ago after he cut ties with their grandfather and moved

abroad. The last time Whitney had heard anything about her uncle was when she was brought back

from a kidnapping, and Yvonne had whispered to Preston about dealing with him eventually.

“Do you have news about my uncle?” Whitney asked immediately.

“There’s a number in the address book that might reach him.” Simon watched her closely. “You should

focus on recovering first, and we can discuss these matters afterward.”

Whitney knew he was stringing her along. Just as she was about to respond, a wave of nausea hit her

hard, the feeling of impending vomit overwhelming her. “I need to throw up. Must be morning sickness,”

she said through red, tearful eyes, feeling the violent surge in her stomach, possibly exacerbated by

her injuries.

Without hesitation, Simon helped her off the bed, and only then did Whitney notice she was wearing a

man’s sweater. “Is this yours?” she asked, frowning.

“Your clothes were torn, and there wasn’t a hospital gown available. I didn’t want you to catch a cold.

But let’s not talk about that now. I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

Too weak to protest, Whitney was carried into the bathroom. She retched violently, feeling utterly

drained by her severe morning sickness, Leaning helplessly against the toilet, she longed for L’s

presence, her tears falling silently.

12:16

“What’s wrong? Is it very painful?” Simon, thinking she was hurting, reached for some tissue to help

her.

Whitney’s hands trembled as she failed to catch the tissue. Simon, pained by the sight, tried to wipe

her mouth, but she turned away. Looking down, he tried to find a smile, “Do you despise me that much,

Whitney? I know whatever I do now seems redundant to you….

“Simon, I thank you for getting me out, but…”

Suddenly, the bathroom door was violently kicked in, and a cold, menacing aura that had been lurking

outside swept in

Whitney felt a chill run down her spine; she was in too much pain to turn around.

Observing the masked man at the door, Simon’s body tensed, yet he instinctively drew Whitney closer.

In their current position, both facing away from the door, it appeared intimately compromising to an

outsider.

To Ludwik, who had just arrived, it looked like a forbidden kiss.

His eyes deepened with rage, and he overheard Whitney’s soft, vulnerable voice, “Simon, I thank you

for…”

“Bro!” Elaine burst into the room, clutching at his shirt sleeve, seemingly trying to stop him.

However, Whitney couldn’t avert her eyes from the image of Elaine seemingly entering hand in hand

with the

man.

Why were they together?

L was late, and he brought Elaine with him.

It appeared as though they were a couple.

Whitney’s tear–stained face froze, not noticing that Simon was still supporting her.

The four stood in silence, the air thick with tension.

Ludwik’s gaze fell on Simon’s hand wrapped tightly around Whitney’s waist, a sneer flickering across

his face. Overcome with fury, he yanked Whitney away and kicked Simon in the leg, “You dare touch

her, you’re courting death!”

“Don’t hurt her!” Simon’s face contorted with anger.

Whitney was badly injured; she couldn’t be treated this way!

Ludwik’s anger boiled over at Simon’s audacity. He dragged Whitney aside and without a word, began

to pummel Simon into the floor of the cramped bathroom. At first, Simon managed to fight back, but it

wasn’t long before he was overpowered, blood spilling from his mouth.

Whitney watched, horrified by L’s violence. She feared for Simon’s life and, clutching at her stomach,

intervened, “What are you doing, L? Are you trying to kill him?”

L’s cold gaze flickered to her, his eyes tinged with red, “You dare plead for this scum? You want to help

him up?” Whitney recoiled at the venom in his words, her own pain and frustration surfacing. “L, have

you lost your mind? Attacking as soon as you show up, did you even consider how I feel?”

“What kind of twisted game are you playing, Whitney? Here you are, all wrapped up in each other’s

arms, stealing kisses like a pair of love struck teenagers behind the bleachers. And oh, how grateful

you are to him, your knight in shining armor! You’re practically ready to throw yourself at him right here in this godforsaken restroom. Have you no shame? How low can you stoop? After

everything…..*

Ludwik’s chest was a pressure cooker of fury.

He had dropped everything, left a project hanging by a thread, and raced back to Banyan City, hoping against hope to be her savior.

12:16

Setting aside his status to approach the Lutz family, only to be hindered by the old man back at the

Lippert family. Bearing the pressure but determined to take her under his wing, even clashing with

Kaden. Even if she harmed his company, he still endured.

Was it all for nothing? To witness this sordid display?

His heart, usually as solid as steel, felt like it had been sucker–punched.

Had she forgotten the last time Simon had her pinned down on the couch? Back then, he’d let it slide

because she wasn’t his lady at the time.

However, now she was his!

Ludwik’s gaze was icy as it locked with hers, and in his eyes, one word was unmistakably written:

‘Despicable