Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 346

"Ludwik, you're back! Danny and I were just having dinner. I'll get you a plate!"

Ludwik's gaze, however, was fixed on his son. "Danny, what's wrong?"

"My throat hurts," the little guy managed to say, speaking with difficulty.

The man suddenly turned to Elaine. "What did you give him to eat?" His tone was cold.

Elaine blinked, taken aback, and pointed to the dining table with a hint of grievance. "We were just having some grilled salmon, Danny loves it."

Ludwik glanced at the fish on the table.

Then, noticing the empty plate beside Danny's bowl that was meant for bones, his lips thinned in slight disapproval as he glanced at Elaine. "You didn't check the salmon for bones? He could've easily choked!" "Cough, cough..." Danny's discomfort grew as he began to cough more.

Elaine paused, her eyes fixed on the boy's reaction, and hurriedly explained, "But salmon has fewer bones, and I made sure to give Danny a whole piece, Ludwik."

"Fewer bones doesn't mean none. How could you be so careless? And the thickest parts are the least tender; the belly is what's best for children."

Ludwik frowned, remembering a night at Whitney's place where she had also prepared salmon.

That woman had carefully picked through the belly meat, removing even the tiniest bones.

She was so cautious she'd nearly chew the food herself before giving it to the child.

Comparing the two, it was clear Elaine lacked patience and tenderness with the child.

He had always been careful when feeding the child fish, meticulously picking it apart. Hadn't she learned anything in three years?

He hadn't noticed Elaine's carelessness before, but compared to Whitney, it was clear who the child's biological mother was.

Seeing Ludwik's expression turn colder, Elaine bit her lip, softly explaining, "Ludwik, I was just a bit careless. I've been cooking for so long, I got a bit tired." She hoped he would understand.

That's when Daniel chimed in with a weak voice, "Yeah, she was tired, so she ate all the belly meat herself."

Elaine turned a shade of beet red, the little traitor.

Ludwik's brows furrowed deeper. "Enough, Elaine. Don't cook for the child anymore. Your carelessness has caused him harm this time; what about next time?" Elaine, her eyes welling up, tried to explain, "Ludwik, it was an accident. If I cook more often and take care of Danny, I'll get used to it."

"But a child isn't a tool for you to practice with. Many dangers lie in the smallest details! Clearly, you're not his mother."

Ludwik's aura darkened, his words cuttingly sharp.

He didn't care about her feelings as he picked up his son and strode outside. "Felix, get the car. We're going to the children's hospital." Daniel, resting on his father's shoulder, stuck his tongue out at Elaine as they left.

"Ludwik..." Elaine realized, too late, that this was more than just a simple accident. She had been outmaneuvered by the cunning of a child.

Standing there, looking at the dinner she had painstakingly prepared, only for Ludwik to leave before even sitting down, she stomped her foot in frustration.

-

Arriving at the children's hospital, Ludwik rushed Danny into emergency care.

The doctor indeed found a small bone in the boy's throat, "It's not deep. I'll apply some medication to soothe the area."

Ludwik exhaled in relief, but saw his son photographing the tiny bone with his watch.

His brows knitted tightly as he asked, "I thought you didn't like her cooking. Why eat it today?"

Danny hesitated, thinking of the tricks learned from Sammy on dealing with unworthy individuals.

He couldn't say that aloud, of course. Feigning innocence, he said, "She made fish specially to win me over, trying to improve her relationship with you. I wanted to give her a chance, but then this happened." Ludwik gave him a sidelong glance and said no more.

But soon, his phone rang. It was Whitney!

She bombarded him with questions right away. "How could you let him choke on a bone? Can't you take care of a child? Is it serious?"

Stunned, Ludwik glanced at Daniel.

The boy leaned in, seeing his mom's text and shrank a little, guiltily saying, "I'm just telling my mom. Is that wrong?"

"It's not like I'm the one who made him choke. Now she's blaming me."

Ludwik replied with a terse message: It's quite serious.

The phone rang again immediately. Ludwik passed the phone to his son with an imperceptible smile, "You stirred the pot; you handle it."

Danny eagerly spoke to his mom, who, upon hearing his voice, softened and promised to rush over.

Ludwik couldn't help but huff, picking up the phone again. "Happy now?"

The boy rolled his eyes, retorting, "Who are you fooling? You want mom here too. Why else send a 'quite serious' message?"

Caught, Ludwik left the room with a cold stride, leaving an amused Danny behind.

Ten minutes later, Daniel saw his dad come back. The towering figure of the man had slipped into a fresh suit, still pairing it with a crisp white shirt, now devoid of any wrinkles. His slim-fit trousers outlined his impossibly perfect legs, and notably, his short hair was freshly washed, with not a stubble in sight - clean-shaven and sharp.

The man was a far cry from the slightly weary figure he cut after a long day at work, now exuding a deep and piercing charisma.

"...Wow," the little guy was so stunned he couldn't help but let his mouth twitch in awe.

Was his dad always this cool?

Just then, a woman burst into the room, her eyes not even glancing at the man as she made a beeline for her son, "Danny, how are you feeling, sweetie?"