Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 325

Whitney stood frozen, unable to comprehend why he had finally changed his mind and believed her. She grabbed Tiana and bolted towards the car.

The caves in Southern Suburb were at the very end of a nature reserve, accessible only by parking at the visitor center. Whitney stumbled and sprinted up the hill through the undeveloped, pitch-black sections. Police lights flashed, and Ludwik's towering figure appeared like a deity under the night sky. His shirt and short hair were somewhat disheveled, and his handsome face was shadowed.

"He might be down in the caves," he whispered to the woman beside him.

"Is my son taken inside?" Whitney couldn't see the entrance to the cave from where they stood, only knowing they were at a significant height. Her heart raced, and she clenched her hands tightly.

Special forces were scattered around, shouting into a large cave entrance, "Attention inside, this is the police! You are surrounded. Release the hostage immediately!"

Elaine froze upon hearing the police's loud commands from above. Jarvis was also puzzled. The police? How did they arrive so quickly? This was impossible! Just half an hour ago, Jarvis's men reported that Ludwik was leading all forces in the north. "What's going on? Wasn't Ludwik supposed to be in the north? How did he manage to react so quickly?"

Elaine panicked. They had calculated that even if Ludwik did make it to Southern Suburb, it wouldn't be until the next morning. She had plenty of time to torment and kill Daniel. Now, Daniel was still not dead! Another asthma attack might have nearly finished him off, though.

Elaine and Jarvis exchanged a cold glance, knowing they had to act swiftly. They leaped deeper into the cave. Daniel, hung by the kidnappers, was too frail to endure much and nearly passed out. Jarvis quickly pushed Elaine towards the kidnappers, his eyes fierce, "Elaine, let them injure you, make it look convincing. I need to leave first; you know the stakes."

With that, he disappeared through another exit at the base of the cave. This man... Elaine, frustrated by his desertion yet understanding the necessity, quickly instructed the kidnappers to cut her in two places, then viciously grabbed Daniel, commanding, "Finish him." But just as she spoke, police officers descended from above. And from the cave entrance Jarvis had vanished through, a massive explosion echoed.

Boom!

The sound reverberated up, nearly shattering Whitney's heart. "An explosion?" Her steps faltered. Before she could react, she saw Ludwik leap towards the explosion-filled cave entrance! "Mr. Lippert, it's too dangerous! The police are already down there saving the young master!" Felix shouted anxiously. But the man seemed not to hear, descending swiftly on a rope.

Whitney watched Ludwik's figure intently, determined to follow. A police officer grabbed her, "Stay out of the way! Let us handle this first; the situation below is still unclear."

"I must save my son," Whitney insisted, tears in her eyes. As Tiana distracted the officer, Whitney seized the moment to grasp the rope and climb down.

Following a mass of special forces down, the dusty cave was in disarray.

"Danny!"

Ludwik roared, his eyes red with fury, scanning for his cub like a lion in rage. His chest heaved, sweat covering his forehead.

"Danny?" Whitney paused, was this a nickname he had for Sammy? Her thoughts became complicated as she watched him.

"Ludwik... I'm here!" Elaine's weak voice called from under a pile of rocks. Ludwik's eyes flickered, rushing over, "Elaine! Where's Danny?"

"Ludwik, the kidnappers were brutal. I tried to protect Danny, but then the explosion... I don't know if he's alive or dead," Elaine sobbed, overwhelmed with grief. Ludwik nearly lost his footing, his eyes bloodshot, "He cannot be dead..." Desperate, he ordered the special forces, "Get Elaine out." Abandoning Elaine, he began frantically removing rocks.

"Ludwik, save me..."

Elaine's leg was indeed trapped, but seeing Ludwik ignore her, her face turned pale with rage.

"Danny..." Finally, Ludwik spotted his son's bloodied head a few meters away. In that moment, his heart felt as if it was being ground against a knife, unbearable pain coursing through him. Tears formed in his eyes as his fingers bled. Disregarding the pain, he swiftly unearthed his son and held him close, checking for a breath. There was still life.

Ludwik's rigid back slumped. "Ludwik, is the child alright?" Elaine, now rescued and placed on a stretcher, asked weakly, feigning concern. Her eyes, however, were fixed on Daniel.

"There's still breath, but his mouth and nose are filled with dust," Ludwik said, his voice raspy. Elaine's heart sank, her face turning white. Disbelief that Daniel was alive. The plan was only half successful, all because Ludwik arrived too soon. She managed to get one, but not the other... Glancing at the deep parts of the cave destroyed by the explosion, that little troublemaker's asthma must have killed him by now. The entrance was sealed so tightly, no one could replace him. Once she got out, she'd immediately call Jarvis to move the body. Everything would then seem flawless.

"Officer, take Elaine up for medical treatment!" Ludwik commanded. Elaine dared not stay longer to arouse suspicion, not worried about what Daniel might say; he was easier to deal with than the other. In pain, Elaine was taken away.

"Danny, wake up? Daddy will take you to the hospital right now, hang in there!" Ludwik saw Danny slightly open his eyes and spoke gently. He started to move.

Whitney, with tears blurring her vision, rushed over, "Give me my child, Ludwik, you can't take him away alone."

Ludwik's lips were pressed tightly together, holding his son close, as he stared down Whitney with a look that was both deep and chilling. "I'm not in the mood for games. You can't protect him, and when it comes to care, you're not even in the same league as me. I'll provide him with the best medical care, something you couldn't possibly compete with!"

He moved to step around her. Whitney's arms, previously outstretched, clenched into fists, but she didn't stop him. Sammy was seriously injured and couldn't be part of their struggle. The memory of the man feverishly digging through rubble to save the child flickered through her mind, complex and flashing. He had even neglected Elaine in the process.

Perhaps this was the bond of blood, even though he and Sammy had not spent a single day together.

As Whitney looked at the son in the man's arms, filled with guilt, the little guy suddenly spoke up weakly. Danny knew his daddy was about to take him away and was frantic, desperately clinging to his daddy's sleeve, "You can't go..."

Ludwik furrowed his brows, speaking patiently, "You're too weak to talk right now."

"Daddy, can't go! And there's..." Danny's voice was urgent, tears falling, but his fading consciousness couldn't support him to finish the sentence. His hand dropped, and he lost consciousness.

Ludwik's heart skipped a beat, whispering without understanding, "And there's what?" He instinctively looked around the cave, but saw nothing unusual.