Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 339

"He... he's the kid from the supermarket downstairs,\" Whitney explained guiltily, giving Sammy a warning look before handing him a bill, \"Alright, kiddo, you better head home now!\" \"Uncle, you're so cool! Tall and strong, way cooler than my deadbeat dad,\" Sammy, looking up at Ludwik, chimed in.

Whitney felt a wave of panic wash over her.

\"Deadbeat dad?\" Ludwik frowned, puzzled. For some reason, he found himself not disliking the masked boy in front of him. There was a strange connection, perhaps because he and Danny were of similar age and height.

"Yeah, my dad's the worst! Cheated on my mom while she was pregnant, sent her to a psychiatric ward, and then caused her to have a premature birth. Took off with me to escape it all. And guess what? He's still lost in his affair, refusing to see sense. Tell me, uncle, isn't he the worst?\"

Ludwik's brow furrowed deeper, sensing an odd parallel between the boy's story and his own life with Whitney. But he was determined not to be that kind of man.

He cleared his throat, \"A guy like that, you're better off without.\"

Whitney and Danny exchanged glances.

Sammy, unimpressed, added, \"Right, I also think Mom's better off without him. Unless he comes crawling back, begging for forgiveness, maybe after hitting rock bottom, like, ninety-nine times.\"

Ludwik responded with a noncommittal grunt, choosing not to comment further.

Whitney couldn't help but pull a face.

"Wow, seeing you three together makes me so jealous. Ma'am, can I stay and play for a bit?\" Sammy asked cautiously.

Whitney felt like she was about to implode. 'Ma'am'? When did she get promoted?

Before she could respond, Ludwik, struck by the phrase 'a family of three,' gave Whitney and Danny a long, thoughtful look. A pang of something like hope or perhaps a fleeting dream hit him. \"Sure," he said cheerfully. \"Danny, why don't you show our guest to the living room?\" Ludwik commanded, taking on the role of the man of the house.

Who do you think you are?

Whitney watched, a mix of amusement and despair, as the two boys ran off hand in hand to the living room.

\"Isn't your dinner ready?\" Ludwik turned, his noble posture imposing.

Whitney, at a mere five feet five, seemed almost diminutive in front of him. She rolled her eyes, ignoring him, and walked into the kitchen, soon returning with a hearty spread. "Danny, dinner's ready!\" she called out.

Ludwik, lured by the aroma, felt his stomach grumble. He took his seat with a dignified air.

"Kid, why don't you take off your mask and join us for dinner?\" he inquired, looking at Sammy.

Whitney tensed...

But Sammy shook his head, \"No, uncle, I can't take it off.\"

\"Why not?\" Ludwik asked, intrigued.

"I've got a contagious disease, afraid I might infect you!\" Sammy replied with a wry smile, even pretending to reach for his mask.

Whitney's face twitched in irritation, trying to calm her breathing. Such a little actor!

\"No, that's fine!\" Ludwik quickly objected, his face darkening. As someone with a strong penchant for cleanliness, he immediately distanced Danny further from Sammy, dropping the subject. Danny couldn't help but snicker, exchanging glances with Sammy.

Too clever, Sammy. You're about to break Dad.

Sammy responded with a subtle lift of his eyebrows.

\"Alright, Danny, let's eat,\" Whitney admonished the two mischief-makers, sitting down to serve her son.

As for Sammy, he was already well-fed; she didn't need to worry about him.

"What about my dinner?\" Ludwik finally noticed the lack of a place setting before him, his patience wearing thin.

"Oh, Mr. Lippert, you haven't eaten?\" Whitney feigned surprise, \"Can't you fend for yourself?\"

She continued to pick out ribs for her son.

Ludwik's expression darkened further. He stared at the succulent ribs in Danny's bowl, the rich aroma wafting up. He had to admit, Whitney's cooking skills had indeed improved over the years. But this blatant favoritism was just too much.

Annoyed, he stood and made his way to the kitchen to serve himself, only to replace the rice cooker empty...

Ludwik's face turned stormy as he marched back, \"Whitney. Where's my dinner?\"

Whitney looked up, her lips curled in a slight smile, \"Mr. Lippert's dinner is surely at his own house. Oh, my cooking is far inferior to your fiancée's, I wouldn't dare offer it. You should head home for dinner!\" Ludwik's face grew colder, a sharp edge to his voice, \"You really know how to hold a grudge, overhearing conversations between me and my son.\"

"Who told you to badmouth me in front of Danny? You think I'm still the woman who could only make spaghetti with tomato sauce?\" Whitney retorted.

The mention of spaghetti with tomato sauce silenced them both, stirring up sweet memories and complex emotions.

Ludwik's voice softened, almost involuntarily, \"Make me a bowl of spaghetti.\"

"Are you paying?\" Whitney hid her discomfort.

Ludwik coldly slapped a check for a million dollars on the table.

Whitney took it and headed to the kitchen, only to return with a bowl of plain spaghetti.

Ludwik said nothing, starting on the spaghetti with elegance, all the while eyeing the ribs on Danny's plate.

Whitney tenderly cared for her son, removing bones from the fish and feeding him. Danny ate with complete satisfaction, barely lifting a finger.

Her gentle nurturing mirrored his own behavior, tender and dainty.

Ludwik's gaze swept across the table, including Sammy, the stand-in for their lost 'Jacky.'

They looked like a perfect family of four... A pang of heartache hit him. That fleeting sense of happiness was out of reach; Jacky was gone, and their broken family couldn't be mended.

With a heavy heart, Ludwik left the table for the balcony to smoke in solitude.

"What's wrong with Daddy?\" Danny asked, his mouth full of sweet and sour sauce.

\"Maybe seeing us like this made him think of what could have been, a family of four,\" Sammy said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

Danny fell silent. \"I think Dad's always believed Sammy was gone. I heard from Taryn he got a plot at the cemetery, but he never talks about it with me. Sometimes, he just goes there, alone.\" Whitney's hands paused for a moment. Sammy was right in front of her, but he had no idea...

He had mourned for Sammy and even bought a cemetery plot for him? But he was the one who heartlessly abandoned his child in the first place.

Whitney told herself, she must not soften. The pain and despair of her leap into the sea, he must feel it too.

Taking a deep breath, she ruffled both her sons' hair, \"Enough about him. You two have made enough mischief. Sammy, go to your uncle's place!\"

"I don't wanna. Seeing Danny and you all together as a family makes me want to join in,\" Sammy whined, a rare plea.

Whitney certainly understood Sammy's feelings. He disliked his deadbeat dad but deep down, yearned for the warmth of family life.

Well, these moments of togetherness were rare. She might as well play along for the kid's sake.

"Alright then, you guys go play in the bedroom. And Sammy, keep your mask on.\"

"Okay!\"

The two little guys scampered off, clearly in good spirits.

With a resigned sigh, Whitney cleared the dinner table, washed the dishes, and then went to the bathroom to wash Danny's wet socks and underwear.

The balcony served as their little sanctuary for chores. Whitney grabbed the laundry to hang.

Ludwik was there, twisting a cigarette between his fingers, standing silent, his gaze drifting towards her at the sound of her approach.

His eyes were as dark as the night, reflecting the city lights outside, making him an epitome of allure. Yet, those eyes that looked her way were filled with an unfathomable darkness and a certain coldness. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the space between them seemed to shrink, their breaths mingling in the air.

Whitney found herself struggling for air, reaching for the clothes hanger.

Her delicate hands caught his attention, but eventually, it was he who broke the silence. \"Your uncle, he's not living with you?\"

Whitney blinked, surprised he'd mention her uncle.

She answered cautiously, \"He just got out today, staying nearby for now.\"

"He got out, are you happy about it?\" Ludwik suddenly turned, his question laced with ambiguity.

Why does it matter to you? Whitney thought, puzzled by his interest. Does it even have anything to do with you?