Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 547

The Lippert family's helicopter soon descended near the secluded mansion. Its loud roar pierced the silence, and inside the tightly shut gates, Florence, who had been in a standoff with the bodyguard, could hear it clearly. Pinned to the couch, her body twisted uncomfortably, she knew the danger was receding. A sly smile crept across Florence's lips.

"What's so funny?!" the bodyguard snapped, ready to act on Mr. Lippert's orders.

Suddenly, the sound of determined footsteps came from outside!

-

The family's butler, umbrella in hand, followed closely behind Jason as he stepped off the helicopter, tall and imposing. Several security personnel from Everwood Villa Estate, dressed in black, and a tearful, pale-faced Holly trailed behind him. Ludwik stood alone in the rain, watching them approach. The cigarette between his fingers burned bright red, as chilling as his gaze at that moment. The sight of him silenced Holly's cries.

She rushed forward, tears staining her cheeks, "Florence? Where are you? Ludwik, how could you bring my daughter to a place like this? She's carrying your child! What if something happened? I couldn't bear it. What has she done to offend you? She's already weak, and being pregnant makes it even harder. How could you confine her in such a place? Please, let her go!"

Her cries shook like leaves in the wind. Ludwik watched her performance.

Jason frowned, trying to soothe her, "Mrs. Sheldon, it's just a little misunderstanding between them. Since I'm here, rest assured."

"Ludwik! Is Florence inside?" Jason turned sharply, his gaze piercing.

"Where's the proof she's pregnant?" Ludwik asked, his tone indifferent.

His nonchalance made Holly clench her fists in frustration! She immediately pulled out a medical report from her bag, her voice laced with grievance, "Ludwik, our Florence is an innocent young lady of the Sheldon family. Could we possibly lie to you?" Jason's lips twitched slightly, "Mrs. Sheldon mentioned that Florence wasn't feeling well a few days ago and happened to have a comprehensive check-up at the hospital. That's when she unexpectedly found out she was pregnant."

The paper was handed over, and Ludwik scrutinized it. His fingers brushed over the words "suspected pregnancy." This report, just like Whitney's blood test result from before, gave him a completely different sensation. His veins throbbed, his lips pressed tightly together. "Mom..." Florence's voice, right on cue, came from inside.

"Jason! My daughter is inside... there..." Holly sobbed, running towards the door.

The Lippert family's security, led by Jason, moved towards the entrance and burst through the doors. Ludwik watched coldly as they brought Florence out.

Trembling, her hair a mess and her frail body shaking, blood trickled from the corners of her mouth-a pitiful sight. Their eyes met, but her gaze held a trace of relief.

Ludwik caught it, his mind replaying Florence's earlier words: If you hurt me now, you'll regret it! You promised to have a child with me. Is this how you plan to break that promise? Whether she was truly pregnant or faking it, she had aimed for her father, Jason, the Lippert family's savior. Heh. A cold laugh echoed in his throat.

Florence looked at him fearfully, his face, his icy demeanor, and started to cry pitifully, "Ludwik, don't be angry. My mom couldn't replace me, she was worried. I... I really did ruin your child. I only found out from the medical report. I was afraid to tell you..." She wiped her tears, her body seeming to collapse under the weight of her ordeal.

"My daughter! My poor, poor daughter! You're so fragile, and pregnancy has me worried sick. Being confined here by Ludwik, how could I not be anxious? Ludwik, I had no choice but to turn to your father..." Holly cried out in grievance.

Jason, headache intensifying, knew

well the power of a woman's tears.

He decided to take a stand, "Florence? You've been scared enough, no more tears. I'll take you home Ludwik is just in a bad mood today, he didn't mean it! I apologize on his behalf..."

"Don't say that. No matter what Ludwik does to me, I won't be upset. He's already the father of my child, and I love him..." Florence declared her feelings to Jason.

Ludwik ignored it all, his long legs carrying him towards the helicopter. He got on, turned his head, his gaze icy, "Florence, come here."

His sudden change of attitude led Florence to believe he'd softened under Jason's pressure. A flicker of joy crossed her face, but before she could revel in it, he coldly said, "To the hospital. I want to see if the doctors dare to lie in front of me." Florence stiffened, standing in the drizzle like a drenched cat.

Holly, frustrated but unable to speak out, "Jason, what does Ludwik mean? Does he think Florence is faking her pregnancy?"

Jason glanced at his son, the sharp contours of his face set in stone. He too harbored doubts about Holly's medical report but had prioritized replaceing Florence. Now found, it was time for a direct verification.

"Florence, you've been through a lot, let's get on the plane and head to the hospital."

His final word, Holly exchanged a knowing look with Florence. With a sniffle, Florence boarded the helicopter.

-

At Banyan City Hospital, Ludwik waited in the corridor, having called Parker. Parker rushed over, anxious. He hadn't informed Whitney of the situation, as Ludwik had been vague over the phone.

Parker, with his usually calm demeanor now a distant memory, approached the imposing figure of Ludwik, his face a shade paler than usual. "Ludwik, what on earth is going on?"

Ludwik remained silent, his expression frosty.

In a hushed tone, Felix confided in Parker, "Florence is adamant she's pregnant. They've sent her blood off to the lab for testing. Mr. Doonan, Mr. Lippert wants you to keep an eye on the doctors during the tests." Parker, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts, simply nodded.

Jason sat in the dean's office, the epitome of grace and authority. Thirty minutes ticked by during the testing period.

Parker and the doctor emerged with

the latest test results in hand. Any semblance of composure Parker had was dong gone. He noticed

Florence and her mother, Holly net

standing up from their seats in the hallway, looking pitifully hopeful. "Doctor, please tell Ludwik is my daughter really pregnant?"

Ludwik, standing off to the side, casually flicked the ash from his cigarette, his gaze shifting to Parker.

The doctor spoke, "After thorough

testing, the HCG levels in Florence's system confirm that she is indeed pregnant. She's in the very early stages, not more than a couple of weeks along, according to her last menstrual period. We also performed an ultrasound, and we could see a very small gestational sac."

no

The revelation hung in the air, as the implications of the doctor's words slowly sank in among those present.