Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1077

Whitney's gaze was heavy, filled with a swirling mix of emotions as she looked at the frail little bundle in her arms. The baby's labored breaths tugged painfully at her heart.

Ludwik noticed her distress and gently pulled Sammy aside, his sharp eyes softening as he addressed his sons, "Alright, let's not pressure your mom. Imagine how hard it is for her to process all this right away. Let's give her some space. You two come with me."

He turned to the doctors and nurses, "Please, take good care of both the child and her mother."

The medical team nodded respectfully, assuring him they would.

As Ludwik led his sons out of the room, a weight lifted slightly from his chest. Despite Whitney’s pain, he could see her kindness; she wouldn't harbor resentment toward their daughter. Though acceptance might take time, her compassionate heart would eventually guide her to care for the child.

He took a deep breath, ready to pull out a pack of cigarettes for a moment of calm when Parker's tall figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Parker!" Ludwik called out, surprised. Parker's intense gaze shifted between Ludwik and the ICU, searching for Whitney.

"Where's Whitney? Did you have a good talk with her?" Parker asked urgently.

Ludwik didn’t want to delve into that just yet. Instead, he focused on Parker, furrowing his brow, "Why are you back? What happened at the airport? Didn't you catch that mystery person?"

Parker exhaled in frustration, touching a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Don’t get me started. Bryce played me; it was all a setup."

Ludwik's eyes darkened as he saw the hint of blood. He handed his sons to a nearby chair and strode over to Parker, pushing him slightly as they moved to a window a few feet away.

"You’re hurt? Did you and Bryce get into it at the airport? What do you mean by a setup?" Ludwik asked, his eyes sharp and probing.

Parker’s expression was grim, "Bryce lured me there on purpose. The mystery person didn’t even land at the Emperor City International Airport! Bryce is cunning; he must have known you’d be watching him closely, so he threw me off and trapped me at the airport tonight.”

He continued, “He sent a bunch of guys to fight me, then slipped away through the VIP lounge. Lucky for me, I realized the trick early, and I chased him out to the tarmac."

Parker’s eyes flashed with the intensity of the chase. "After a relentless pursuit, I tracked him to the Emperor City Harbor docks. He switched to a speedboat and headed out to sea. I couldn’t find another boat, so I paddled after him on a makeshift raft. Finally, out at sea, I saw a large yacht with a helicopter landing on it!"

"So Bryce went to meet the mystery person out there?" Ludwik asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Are you saying the whole gunfight was Bryce’s show to win her trust?" Parker asked, his mind racing.

"Exactly," Ludwik replied with a sharp smirk. "And he likely pinned the 'assassination' attempt on me, making the mystery person think I was after her. If she believes that, she won't hesitate to ally with Bryce against me, eliminating me as a problem. That way, Bryce and Florence are in the clear. But why is he so desperate to turn her against me? What's he afraid of?"

Ludwik turned around sharply, fixing Parker with a piercing gaze. "Let's get to the point. Who's this mysterious woman? You saw her, right? What did she look like?"

Parker snapped back to reality, his thoughts pulled away from their wandering path.

His expression, usually so enigmatic and devilishly handsome, was now inscrutable as he stared at Ludwik without blinking. "I caught a glimpse of her," Parker said, choosing his words carefully. "She was older than Florence, with long hair and a slim build. Her profile—it reminded me of someone."

Ludwik's expression faltered for a moment, his jet-black eyes registering a flicker of something like recognition.

In an instant, his mind was racing, a storm of thoughts crashing through his head. A cold, steely glint emerged in his eyes as he fixed Parker with a serious look. "Who did she remind you of?"

"I think... she looked a bit like Whitney," Parker said, his voice rough and uncertain.