Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 410

Elaine's mind was racing with thoughts of revenge.

The mother-daughter duo were known to be formidable opponents. Upon Whitney's return to the Sheldon family, Elaine was sure she wouldn't have an easy time.

Seeing Whitney miserable, especially if a man she fancied was snatched away by Florence, would bring Elaine great joy. And in the chaos that ensued, perhaps Elaine saw a sliver of opportunity to benefit herself...

Elaine coughed violently, struggling to speak, "I don't have any ulterior motives. You can pin the Tennyson family's grudge on the Bartels, but your mother's vendetta isn't something I'll acknowledge. I just don't want you harping on me anymore." Whitney squinted, hardly believing her.

Elaine definitely had her reasons for sending Whitney back to the Sheldons.

But Whitney was currently engulfed in hatred. If Mrs. Sheldon was responsible for her mother's death, she was determined to investigate and wouldn't let the Sheldons off the hook.

"I'll give you another reason to go to Emperor City," Elaine said with a sly smirk, "Your son, he might be in Emperor City."

Whitney's grip tightened, turning Elaine's face purple. "You better have proof! Don't throw around Sammy's name lightly, or I'll strangle you here and now!"

"Cough cough... I have no proof, but believe what you want!" Elaine screamed, struggling.

Whitney let her go, gasping for breath. She knew she wouldn't get anything out of Elaine, who insisted on Sammy being lost and even the police were helpless.

Killing Elaine would be easy, but for Sammy's sake, she spared her life for now.

Whitney left the hospital, not heading home but driving straight to the Valentine Mansion.

It had been a while since her last visit, and the mansion's state of disrepair was shocking, but not surprising given that the Valentine Corporation had been defeated by Whitney three years prior, leading to their bankruptcy when her uncle returned. Upstairs, Yvonne was bedridden, with no sign of Preston.

Monica, once so proud, now appeared disheveled and worn, her hands rough with calluses.

Seeing Whitney, both mother and daughter were shocked, their expressions a mix of complexity and fear.

"Whitney?"

Whitney pulled out a check for a million dollars, cutting straight to the chase with Yvonne, "I need you to remember, who provided the poison when you tried to poison my mother? Was it the Bartels from Emperor City, or someone else? And, did my mother receive any calls from Emperor City?"

Yvonne, gasping for breath, sat up at the sight of the check. Nowadays, she dared not play tricks.

"Whitney... I've seen the Bartels in the news, they don't seem to be the mysterious person who provided the poison back then. I really don't know who was behind it, but during the time your mother was ill, she did receive calls from Emperor City. She seemed very agitated, saying 'even if you kill me, he won't love you,' before becoming depressed until her death."

Whitney felt a bomb go off in her head.

Her mother's words were pointed, stirring a mix of suspicion and anger within her.

Handing the check to Monica, Whitney turned to leave.

Yvonne signaled Monica, who hurried after Whitney. Now the CEO of Skye Gem Ltd., Whitney was a billionaire, while Monica, still unmarried and destitute, needed the money from the check to better her life. She begrudgingly tried to curry favor with Whitney, "Sister, this was your bedroom. You haven't been back in three years, but I've packed your things. Do you want to check if there's anything else you need?"

"No need." Whitney was well aware of Monica's desperation to rekindle their relationship, but she hadn't forgotten their past grievances.

Monica's gaze suddenly shifted to the dresser, as if remembering something. Blocking Whitney's path, she seemed eager to please, "Sister, I have a secret about Elaine to tell you."

Whitney raised an eyebrow, stopping in her tracks.

"Do you remember, seven years ago, you brought back half of a ring?"

Monica sheepishly continued, "You left it on the dresser, and I took it because it looked pretty. You probably never noticed, but three years ago, when Elaine came to our house to join forces against you, she suddenly took that half-ring. I never understood why until I saw Elaine getting engaged to Mr. Lippert. Mr. Lippert had a benefactor who saved him years ago, and Elaine used the ring to pretend to be that person! Then it hit me, that ring came from you, so Elaine was impersonating you, wasn't she?" Whitney froze, realizing the significance of the half-ring.

Years ago, she had saved a man suffering from hysteria in a neighboring province, hiding with him in a cave without seeing his face.

Since then, she had forgotten about the incident, and losing the ring didn't seem important.

Could it be that the man she saved... was Ludwik?

My God, how could she have been so oblivious? Even when she saved him from another bout of hysteria three years ago in the hospital, she didn't connect the dots.

Elaine must have realized much earlier that Whitney was Ludwik's savior from seven years ago, hence her deliberate impersonation.

No wonder Ludwik was extraordinarily kind and trusting towards Elaine.

It was all because of that underlying fact! Elaine had kept it a well-guarded secret.

Whitney's mind was in turmoil, shocked and confused by the revelation. So, her connection with Ludwik had unexpectedly begun years ago.

Yet, neither of them had realized it.

Breathing became rapid and stifling as she locked eyes with Monica. In her mind, Monica's decision to spill the beans was clearly a bet against Elaine's downfall.

"Thanks for letting me know," Whitney managed to nod at her.

"No problem at all, let me walk you out!" Monica offered with a keenness that was hard to ignore.

Whitney drove away from the Valentine Mansion, her mind a tumultuous sea of thoughts and worries. She couldn't replace peace.

Upon returning to her apartment, she found Danny, freshly back from the hospital, sitting at the coffee table. He was munching on a dry slice of bread, his little phone propped up beside him.

Surprised, Whitney approached, about to say, 'Don't just eat bread, sweetie, let me make you something nice!'

Then, a man's deep and slightly cold voice emanated from Danny's phone, "Is this what your mom feeds you? Why doesn't she cook for you?"

Whitney looked down, her eyes meeting Ludwik's through the video call, and the air turned awkwardly silent.

The man, clearly defined by the shadows and light in his space, sat on his couch. The overhead light accentuated his sharp features and deep-set eyes, which when they met hers, were filled with surprise and a profound melancholy. His discomfort mirrored her own, stiffening her body in an unexpected face-to-face encounter...

Both were reminded of the day they had fought, the world seeming to fall apart around them.

He seemed lost for words, lips pressed tightly together.

Whitney, equally unsettled, remembered that now, their only connection was through their son.

He called to check on Danny, inevitably leading to a conversation.

"... What is it?" she finally broke the silence, her lips moving tentatively.

Ludwik cleared his throat, his voice rushed, his eyes feigning calm, "I...just wanted to see how the kid is doing. I was worried he hadn't eaten."

"Right, I'll go make him something now."

Whitney moved away.

"I sent over Danny's study schedule. He needs to check in daily."

"Okay, I'll check it later," she responded, her voice distant and cool as she walked away.

Ludwik's gaze fell, a shadow of sadness passing over him.

Seeing his dad's disheartened look, Danny quickly put down his bread and scampered after his mom into the bedroom.

Whitney stood by the wardrobe, slipping off her blouse to change into something more comfortable.

Her delicate and luminous back came into view on the video call. As she turned slightly, her hands reaching to unfasten her bra, Ludwik caught a glimpse of her figure... His mind flashed back to the night before, a night that shouldn't have happened... His hand, clutching a cigarette, tightened.

"Mommy! Daddy wasn't done talking to you," Danny reminded her warmly.

"Danny...?" Whitney turned abruptly, seeing her son holding up the video call. She was completely flabbergasted!