Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 409

Mr. Lippert had someone with him named Parker, who managed to track down the lead to an abandoned junkyard. How they found any clue in that mess was beyond me.

I had a word with Drew earlier. After he kidnapped the kid and took him back to Emperor City, he ditched the car in a junkyard but never got around to scrapping it!

Florence's eyes flashed dangerously, "The kid needs to be hidden well. This mess, Drew's sloppy work. How many junkyards are there in Emperor City?"

"Probably dozens," Myra replied.

Florence relaxed slightly, "Well, that gives us some breathing room. Let's replace a chance for Drew to quietly dismantle the car. Turn it into scrap metal, and they've got nothing on us."

Myra frowned, nodding in agreement, though the thought of searching through tens of thousands of scrapped cars was daunting...

-

Ludwik checked his phone and saw a text from the girl, "Ludwik, I'm home. How's everything in Banyan City? Are you working hard?" It came with a cute emoji.

Without replying, he stood in the middle of the junkyard. Parker, taking off his gloves, approached, "I used some connections to check Emperor City's road surveillance. Found that unregistered black car. It got plates in Emperor City and was driven close to here. But, with two junkyards around, each with over a hundred thousand scrapped cars, it's going to take some time to search through."

Ludwik frowned, meaning Sammy's trail ends here.

"Keep looking. If we replace the car, we replace Sammy's fingerprints, and who put the plates on it," he turned to leave.

Parker caught up, glancing at his expression, "So, how does it feel, returning to the Lippert fold, Emperor City's golden boy?"

"Like walking into a lion's den," Ludwik summed up succinctly.

Parker snorted, "Tough being the heir to such a family, huh? You're not even in the company yet and it's already a battlefield. That Jarvis guy seems like a piece of work." "Tomorrow then," Ludwik's gaze was ice.

"..." All Parker could do was give a thumbs up.

Back at the hotel, Ludwik loosened his tie and first called Dr. Ford to check on his mother's condition. Then, he finally replied to the girl's message, "I'm in Emperor City."

The girl's reply came instantly, full of surprise, "Why are you in Emperor City? On a business trip? My home's in Emperor City too, when can we meet?"

Ludwik paused, then Dr. Ford's report came in: Mr. Lippert, given your mother's condition with the nosebleeds, she'll need a transfusion within a fortnight. Make sure that girl starts taking better care of herself, especially with her heart condition and emotional stress. He frowned, typing, "We can meet anytime. How about I send a nutritionist your way?"

"Sure. But wait for me these next few days. I'm turning down a marriage proposal. I like my relationships clean and clear. Let's have a proper date after that-"

Ludwik grimaced, typing 'Okay,' then rubbing his temples, he opened Danny's Facebook page, lost in thought...

-

Meanwhile, in Banyan City.

The hospital TVs were all buzzing with news of Ludwik's return to the Lippert family. Watching the man she once thought would be hers ascend to such heights, Elaine felt a surge of resentment. If not for Whitney, she'd be Mrs. Lippert by now. Her downfall, all Whitney's doing!

Who would Ludwik favor now?

Florence... That girl must have known Ludwik's true status long before, scheming from the start. The Sheldon women, mother and daughter, were no easy marks.

Then, her phone rang. It was her mother, Delphine, "Honey, didn't you ask me to keep an eye on Whitney? I heard Hudson went back to Emperor City alone today. Whitney didn't agree to acknowledge her birthright with the Sheldon family." Elaine frowned, "She's turning down luxury and power?" A cold smirk crossed her lips - not the plot she had anticipated.

Compared to Florence, she despised Whitney more, the woman who had been a thorn in her side over Ludwik from the start, now the cause of her losing a kidney. If she wouldn't return to the Sheldon family, how would Elaine's anticipated drama unfold? After a moment of silence, Elaine's lips curled. She had an idea. She quickly sent a text.

-

After work, Whitney planned to pick up Danny, but received a message from Elaine: "Aren't you going to talk about those photos I sent you? And about your son's whereabouts... Meet me at the hospital." Photos were one thing, Elaine was just baiting her, but Whitney's heart tightened at the mention of 'your son'. No matter the trap, she had to go.

Outside the hospital room, guarded by Ludwik's men and under police watch, Elaine was effectively under house arrest. Whitney entered, replaceing Elaine devoid of her usual polished beauty, looking pitifully vulnerable. Whitney knew, this was for Ashton's benefit. Thinking of Valerie, Whitney warned coldly, "Better stop trying to seduce Ashton. I might not kill you, but making your life a living hell is definitely within my power."

"I've said it before, if I'm not comfortable, you won't replace out about your son's whereabouts," Elaine boasted, patting the chair beside her, "Besides, Whitney, you might want to worry about yourself first."

"Word on the street is, you're the bastard of Hudson from Emperor City, huh? Born into wealth and with a right to the Sheldon fortune, and yet you choose not to return to the Sheldon family? Honestly, I can't decide if you're foolish or just cowardly." Whitney glared at her pursuer, "Lying in a hospital bed and you're still keeping tabs on me? Really, thanks for the concern!"

"Don't mention it. I just have some secrets that I can't help but share with you. Care to listen?"

Whitney squinted, keeping her stance neutral, waiting to see what scheme was afoot.

Elaine smirked playfully, "Don't look so guarded. I'm the good guy today. I just wanted to inform you that your biological mother, Parisa, was killed by Hudson's current wife. If I were you and wanted to uncover the truth, I'd go back to the Sheldon family and stir up some trouble."

Whitney's gaze shifted abruptly, reminded of Torin's speculation that morning. She pondered, deciding to bluff, "Where did you get this information? The Tennyson family was swindled by the Bartels, and now you're trying to pin it on someone else?"

"I did not!" Elaine became frantic, seeing Whitney unmoved and quickly retaliated, "After what you've done to us, the Bartels family, why would I blame someone else? What would be the point? Your mom was indeed killed by Mrs. Sheldon, my mother told me herself. When the Tennyson family's medical empire went bankrupt, my mother knew best. She said Mrs. Sheldon had a hand in it. And your mom's death by poisoning? It wasn't the Bartels who drugged her; it was Mrs. Sheldon, I swear! Don't believe me? Listen to this recording."

Elaine played back Delphine's words.

Whitney's head pounded. Delphine spoke with a gossip's tone, which sounded genuine. The implication was that the Bartels family took advantage of something initiated by Mrs. Sheldon.

When mom and Hudson broke up, Mrs. Sheldon took her place. The timing and motive fit. Torin mentioned that back then, mom received a call from Emperor City that enraged her to the point of a heart attack. Who else could have incited such fury in her mother?

Whitney clenched her fists, her eyes suddenly piercing as she shot a look at Elaine, then abruptly stood up and grabbed Elaine by the neck. Before Elaine could react, Whitney had her pinned by the bed, sneering, "I hardly think you're telling me all this out of the goodness of your heart. What's your real angle here?"

Elaine's eyes shifted slightly.