Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 343

Tears glistened in her eyes as Elaine hoped for a sign of compassion, but Ludwik's gaze was calm, shadowed by exhaustion.

He furrowed his brows, his voice rough and piercing as he asked, "Elaine, I'm only giving you one chance. The Keegan case, were you involved in it? Think carefully before you answer. If I replace anything later, don't blame me for not sparing old affections." Elaine's heart shuddered violently. But with a metaphorical knife to her throat, she couldn't confess. Her mother had finally cleared her name and protected her. Her father's situation, well, she believed Ashton, that fool, would handle it. Everything could be covered up. Innocently, Elaine shook her head, "I swear, I had no idea my parents were like that. I feel terrible about what happened to Mr. Tennyson. If I could apologize on behalf of my parents, I would do it tomorrow!"

Ludwik's gaze dropped, unreadable. With a gesture, he signaled her to return to the bedside, his tone cold, "Just sleep for now."

Seeing a hint of softening in his demeanor, Elaine, eager for reconciliation, grabbed his arm, pleading, "Ludwik, I can't be without you. My dream is to marry you. Can't we just get married? Without you, I'll be the laughingstock of high society. I couldn't bear to live like that!" Her tears fell like rain, turning into sobs and coughs, causing the medical monitors to beep erratically as doctors rushed in.

Ludwik, with a throbbing headache, remembered Ashton's words, feeling an unprecedented fatigue. Elaine, in his eyes, had transformed into a burden he couldn't shake off...

In an attempt to calm her, he said indifferently, "I'm not leaving you."

Elaine's face brightened, a vindictive satisfaction in her heart. Yet, she noticed the detachment in his attitude, her joy dimming under the shadow of resentment.

"It's all Whitney's fault!" she thought, plotting her revenge.

-

In the early hours, seizing the moment Ludwik rested in the next room, Elaine sent Lyra to summon reporters to the hospital for a stakeout.

As Ashton arrived with breakfast, he reassured Elaine, "Don't worry about your father. I've pulled some strings with the Fuller family, and after the interrogation, he'll be released. I'll also try to minimize the losses for the Bartels Group's pharmaceutical plant in Banyan City." Elaine, touched, thanked him, "Ashton, you're always there for me. With the Bartels family's influence not reaching Emperor City swiftly, I've been so anxious."

"This was a mess from the start. It's only right I help out, especially with your family's crisis. Being cold doesn't justify leaving you to fend for yourself," Ashton consoled her.

Elaine, teary-eyed, hesitated before sharing, "Ashton... Some reporters sneaked into the hospital last night. With the news focusing on the Bartels Group and our engagement under scrutiny, I didn't want the media to capture Ludwik distancing himself from me, so I didn't call the police. But Ludwik might misunderstand my intentions once the news is out..." Ashton understood immediately, offering his support, "Public displays of affection can only benefit the Bartels family right now. Don't worry, I'll say I called the reporters. Ludwik won't misunderstand you." Grateful, Elaine smiled wickedly to herself.

-

At her apartment, Whitney woke up.

She checked the message from last night: "Take care of Danny for me."

After sending the message, he had taken a call and left. Whitney had overheard from the next room.

Wondering if someone would come for Danny in the morning, she'd be happy to keep him a few more days.

Looking at her twins sleeping beside her, Whitney felt a surge of warmth. It was their first night all together, and they wanted to protect her.

Danny woke up, bumping his head against her stomach.

Whitney chuckled, ruffling his hair, "What's up, baby? Why the fascination with my belly?"

Danny, puzzled, touched her flat stomach, frowning, "Mommy, didn't daddy kiss you a lot last night? How come you're not pregnant?"

Stifling a laugh, Sammy, who had just come in to brush his teeth, sprayed water, "Daniel, drop it already!"

Whitney, her face twitching, "You... all saw?"

Embarrassed, Sammy rolled his eyes, "Obviously, he was on top of you forever."

Blushing, Whitney wished she could disappear. "They're only three. How do they know about kissing?" she thought, blaming Ludwik silently.

Trying to divert, she said, "He was wrong to do that. Don't copy him, okay?"

"Got it. Daddy's really hopeless," Danny looked disappointedly at his mom's stomach, "He can't even make you pregnant. I guess it's true what they say, you can only rely on yourself. Next time, I'll kiss Mommy..."

Sammy covered his little brother's mouth, exasperated. He realized it was time for a serious talk with their dad about parenting and not just intelligence but basic knowledge too.

Meanwhile, Whitney, oblivious to her son's intentions, suggested, "What do you want for breakfast? I'll make it..."

Just then, Tiana called.

Picking up in the kitchen, Whitney answered, "Tiana, what's up?"

"Whitney, have you seen the news? I was hoping Zane would get sentenced, but someone pulled strings for him. Just like you said, Jaxon took the fall, got the death penalty, while Zane, with his connections in Emperor City, got off with barely a scratch. The Bartels Group's pharmaceutical plant in Banyan City is shut down, a major blow to their reputation, and they've been fined billions for illegal drugs. But what pisses me off the most is that Elaine got away scot-free!"

You gotta check out the trending news, Ludwik has gone soft for that wily girl. Last night, Elaine pulled a classic damsel in distress act and ended up in the hospital. The paparazzi caught Ludwik caring for her all night long.

It's like they're putting on a lovey-dovey show for everyone. Smells like the engagement between Ludwik and Elaine is as solid as ever, completely unaffected."

Whitney didn't respond immediately, standing by the window as she took the call, the cold wind brushing against her face, chilling her to the core.

Who helped Zane dodge that bullet? It seems pretty obvious now.

After all the effort she put into exposing the Bartels family, she hadn't expected to bring them down in one go.

But a single word from Ludwik was all it took to save Zane's neck.

This man, who had assured her last night that he knew right from wrong, that he had released her uncle and helped out.

For a moment, she actually felt a ripple of hope, thinking maybe he wasn't beyond redemption.

That was until he pressed his lips against hers, and in her struggle, there was a slight relenting.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have succeeded for so long...

Ha.

So, his helping her was also a way of aiding Elaine.

The engagement is continuing; he hasn't given up on Elaine, still deeply in love with her.

Was he planning to play both sides, keeping her as a side piece while enjoying the best of both worlds?

What a jerk. Go to hell.

Whitney's eyes turned icy, as if she had been slapped awake.

Just then, a text from him slid in: "Good morning. Is Danny awake? I'll come pick him up. What would you guys like for breakfast? I'll have my assistant prepare something." Busy man, aren't you?

Whitney scoffed, immediately blocking him.