Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 285

Whitney couldn't care less about those she deemed worthless. If someone didn't bring value to the table, she wouldn't even give them the time of day.

As dusk began to settle, Bryce's SUV was parked just off the road near a deserted warehouse. Walking towards it, Whitney felt a surge of warmth. "I knew it. How could Nyx ever afford such heavy security? It had to be you." "Here's to Ms. Valentine, the powerhouse, single-handedly becoming the majority shareholder of Skye Gem Ltd.," Bryce said with a gentle, proud smile.

Nyx couldn't help but cheer. "Those leeches, they were never going to align with Ms. Valentine. Always trying to schmooze Elaine, only to backstab Whitney. Ms. Valentine today, in one word, was badass."

"Quit the flattery," Whitney laughed, feeling a stir in her arms. Looking down, she whispered, "Awake, sweetheart? Look, Uncle Bryce is here."

"Bryce," Sammy greeted politely, having had a few video calls with him and enjoying their interactions.

Bryce, surprised, looked towards Whitney for confirmation. Whitney subtly nodded, indicating that Sammy was indeed feeling better. Bryce, intrigued by the miraculous recovery, smiled warmly and extended his hand, "Sammy, may I give you a hug?"

Sammy hesitated, thinking, 'Dad hasn't even hugged me yet, not that I'm looking forward to it. But I can't let another man be the first.' Still, he was grateful to Bryce for all the help with his mom. Jumping down, Sammy took Bryce's hand, "I'm a bit of a germaphobe, hope you don't mind, Bryce."

Bryce laughed heartily, ruffling Sammy's hair, "Our Sammy, truly a prince among men."

Together, they got into Bryce's SUV. Sammy observed the gentle exchanges between Bryce and his mom, thinking they made a striking couple. Internally, he scoffed at his absentee father. 'See? You couldn't be bothered to help, and now Mom's dismissed your calls. Try a little harder, why don't you?'

Irritated beyond consolation, he was distracted as the car pulled up to their apartment building. They hadn't even had a chance to celebrate their victory with a meal, since Bryce had arranged a confidential visit to the prison for Whitney to see her uncle.

"Sammy, Bryce's staff will take you up. Mom has to visit your granduncle tonight. You'll be okay, right?"

"Of course, I will. Give my best to Granduncle, hope he gets out safe and soon," Sammy said maturely.

Whitney was touched by his words, contrasting sharply with the 'Sammy' who had clung to her legs just days before. Yet, she found herself missing the 'cold Sammy.' 'What's happening to me?'

"Are you falling for both sides of Sammy's split personality?" Bryce joked, catching her off guard.

"As his mom, I love every bit of him."

Whitney leaned back, pondering the perfection of having two such treasures.

---

In the mansion, Elaine snuck into her room to call Delphine. "Mom, buying that medicine through regular channels might leave a trail. Can you sneak some out from the Bartels Hospital? It's for Ludwik..."

She paused as she walked out, only to freeze at the sight of Danny standing in the dim hallway. The boy, resembling Whitney with his piercing gaze, stared her down.

Elaine, startled, quickly covered her phone, wondering if the kid had heard anything. Looking around and seeing no one, she snapped, "Danny, what are you doing lurking here without making a sound? Spooking people like a ghost?"

Danny, uninterested in engaging with Elaine's theatrics, coldly walked past her. Elaine was taken aback. The 'Danny' from days ago would have sassily retorted. But this colder, more aloof Danny reminded her more of the boy she used to manipulate. Feeling something was off, she followed him to his room, only to trip over a pile of clothes. "Ah... Why all these sports clothes? Danny, buying all these and not having them tidied up? Are you trying to make me trip on purpose?"

"You should watch where you're walking." Danny's irritation was palpable.

"Sorry, Elaine, I was just tidying up," a maid appeared, explaining Danny had denied purchasing the clothes, suggesting they be stored for future use. "He still prefers his suits," she added.

Elaine, puzzled by the change, scrutinized Danny, now impeccably dressed in a suit, mirroring Ludwik's sophistication. Refusing to acknowledge the sports clothes?

Elaine grew suspicious, her gaze intensifying as Danny dismissed her presence. "What are you looking at? You're not welcome here."

Elaine, sensing a shift since morning, pressed closer, feigning affection. "Danny, why the sudden coldness? You were so sweet to me just the other night."

Danny's facade faltered, remembering Sammy's recent presence. "Damn, they must have been inconsistent," he thought, attempting to salvage the situation. "I just don't like talking much!"

Elaine narrowed her eyes, sensing a deeper change. "But you were so warm to me before. Remember how sweetly you called me after the auction?"

Caught in a web of his own making, Danny struggled to maintain his high walls. At that moment, Elaine suddenly remembered something urgent. She swiftly rummaged through Danny's pockets, asking, "Can you tell Mommy why you had an inhaler with you that day? You've got a few little quirks, sure, but asthma isn't one of them. Is it one of your friends'?"

But this time, despite a thorough search, Elaine found no inhaler on him. Hearing about the inhaler, Danny paused, then suddenly remembered that Mommy mentioned Sammy needed it! That very night, Mommy had even ordered medication delivery along with dinner. Annoyed and with a hint of defiance, Danny clenched his fists and said, "What inhaler? Are you sure you weren't seeing things? I want to sleep now, can you stop bothering me? It's so annoying."

With that, he coolly climbed into bed, sitting up straight with an air of indifference, not bothering to pay her any mind. This demeanor was the old Daniel - aloof, independent, and straightforward. Not the cuddly, whimsically charming boy of the past few days, full of tricks and mischief.

Elaine stared at the little troublemaker, her brows furrowed in confusion. His behavior had been wildly different lately - one minute he's insisting on getting new sports gear, the next he's denying everything. Clearly, he had an inhaler in his pocket before, and now he's denying it. Something was off.

Noticing his evasive and slightly guilty look, Elaine was convinced there was something fishy going on. Could it be that the little rascal was up to no good? Puzzled but realizing she had more pressing issues at hand, she decided to deal with this little matter later. She hurried out the door.

The moment she left, Danny jumped off the bed, quickly shut the door, and took out his smartwatch to send a message: "Sammy, the wicked lady seems like she's up to something bad with Dad!"