Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 411

"Mom, why can't I show Dad you're changing?" Danny's innocent face blinked up at her, completely unaware of the situation.

"Turn it off, now!" Whitney's face was beet red as she hissed, trying to snatch the phone away. "Boys and girls have differences, you know that, right?" She was at her wit's end with this little rascal.

"What's the big deal? What can't Dad see?" Danny was still clueless, lacking any sort of awareness about gender differences.

Whitney felt a vein throb in frustration!

As they bickered, Ludwik on the video call hadn't moved, his gaze dark and intense. He casually sipped his coffee, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "What are you still looking at, Ludwik!" Whitney's face burned brighter as she scrambled to cover up, tugging at her clothes.

Ludwik seemed to snap out of it, his eyes shifting awkwardly as he looked away, his voice sheepish, "Sorry."

"I didn't see anything," he added, which only implied he had seen everything.

Whitney glared at his handsome profile, memories of their last night together flitting through her mind.

She bit her lip, almost asking, "Ludwik, about last night..."

"What about last night?" Ludwik's grip on his cup tightened, his cheeks flushing.

She hesitated, then sighed, "Never mind."

Ludwik relaxed, guilt gnawing at him for taking advantage of her in a drunken haze as a goodbye.

Quickly dressing, Whitney ended the fleeting moment of intimacy.

Danny, having been scolded, trudged out to see Ludwik taking his medicine, his concern evident. "Dad, why are you taking medicine?"

Whitney paused, overhearing Ludwik's self-deprecating chuckle, "Just a hangover, it'll pass."

"Dad, have the Lipperts been giving you a hard time? You're always so busy," Danny continued, sounding like a little adult.

Ludwik smiled, "Mind your own business. And," his tone hardened, "Ms. Whitney, if I replace out you're neglecting Danny for your love life, I'll take him away."

Whitney stormed over, snatching the phone, her voice tight, "I can date and still spoil my son, thank you very much!"

Ludwik's response was a cold laugh before he hung up.

Whitney slammed the phone down, fuming. She was too worried about Sammy, her missing child, to think about dating.

Later, as she and Danny finished their dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, she bathed him, and soon he was asleep.

While Whitney was catching up on work, Danny's cries from a nightmare about Sammy woke her. Racing to his side, she comforted him, the mention of Emperor City striking a chord. After calming Danny, Whitney sifted through memories and clues, piecing together the possibility that Sammy might be in Emperor City.

Determined, she approached her uncle Keegan and his partner Torin, revealing her plan to confront the Sheldons about her mother's mysterious death and Sammy's disappearance. Keegan and Torin exchanged a look, their suspicions confirmed.

"Whitney, if you've made up your mind, we'll support you," Keegan assured her, understanding the gravity of her decision and the journey ahead.

Whitney's brow twitched at Torin's concerns, which she didn't entirely dismiss.

Hiding away seemed less appealing than facing the storm head-on and returning to the Sheldon family fold. At least Hudson might offer her some semblance of protection.

A cold determination flickered in Whitney's eyes. She had no desire to be entangled in high society's web once more.

Yet, for her mother's sake, and for Sammy, a trip to Emperor City was unavoidable...

The next day, Whitney dialed Hudson's number. After a brief pause and a deep breath upon connection, she uttered, "Dad, I've decided to come back to the Sheldon family."

"Really, Whitney?" Hudson's voice carried a mix of surprise and joy, as if he had regained something precious. "When will you be back? I'll pick you up myself..."

Hanging up, Whitney felt a rush of surreal urgency.

She hadn't expected to, like Ludwik, discover a father in Emperor City and contemplate moving there from Banyan City...

Over the next couple of days, Whitney busied herself with replaceing a professional manager for Skye Gem Ltd.

Then, out of the blue, she received a call from Danny. The little guy complained about not seeing her for two days and said, "Come to the hospital after work today, okay? Grandma says she misses you a lot and has something important to tell you!" "What is it?" Whitney asked, her lips curving into a bitter smile. How could she not miss Natalie too?