Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1095

Bryce muttered under his breath, "It must be Ludwik egging her on. If that's the case, then maybe Ludwik's onto something.

Things aren't looking good for us right now.

Parisa, that sly woman, she's not playing by my rules at all. Hmph, if she's too smart for her own good, she's just asking for trouble!"

Florence could hear the murderous edge in his voice.

She squinted slightly as Bryce continued, "Don't give anything away. Keep an eye on Parisa! If she comes back, that's perfect, she won't run into Whitney.

Whitney's headed to Banyan City, and I want to know what she's up to over there."

Florence sighed heavily as she hung up the phone.

How had everything spiraled so far from her expectations? She'd thought Bryce had it all under control, that Ludwik didn't even know Parisa existed. Even if Parisa returned to Harmony Country, Bryce would sort her out swiftly.

But now, Parisa was being defiant.

And as for Ludwik and Whitney, had they stumbled upon something?

Damn it, this two-pronged attack would be their undoing, sooner or later.

If Parisa kept pushing her, she'd have no choice but to take desperate measures…

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In the SUV.

Erik glanced at his boss lost in thought, then outside the window.

Florence had been inside the lobby for over three minutes.

Erik's eyes darkened slightly, "Boss, should I go check on Miss Florence?"

Parisa, without lifting her head, narrowed her eyes, "Maybe she's not just fetching her bag, but having a secret chat with Bryce."

"Boss, doesn't that put you in a dangerous position? What if Bryce finds out you've discovered something in Banyan City?"

Parisa straightened up, "That's why as soon as I return to Emperor City, I'm heading straight to Inko Group.

We'll find an excuse to leave Florence behind on the way, avoiding any contact with Bryce, and we'll be safe."

Erik's eyes flickered, "Today, Inko Group kicked Ludwik out. If you suspect Bryce is the villain, then who knows, Ludwik might actually be the good guy.

Do you want to meet this young man alone once you're back at the company?"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking," Parisa replied, frowning slightly.

Florence had once accused Ludwik of abandoning her for Whitney.

If Whitney could possibly be her daughter, then she had to meet Ludwik to get to the bottom of it.

Erik nodded, "Let's hope we can smoothly extricate ourselves from this trap once we're back in Emperor City!"

"Patience," Parisa mused coldly, "I suspect Bryce is after money. After all, I'm backed by the wealth of a global corporation, and if he realizes I've figured him out, he might act recklessly.

Erik, as I've said, this is Harmony Country, we have no allies here."

Erik pondered for a moment, "If you find your daughter, her father’s family, the Sheldons in Emperor City, might not be as malicious as Miss Florence claims. Perhaps that man could support you domestically."

At the mention of 'Hudson,' Parisa's face turned ashen.

She pressed her temples, a dull ache taking hold that she couldn't control.

She didn't want to continue this conversation.

Erik fell silent as well, just as Florence returned from the hotel.

Parisa composed herself, watching Florence get into the car with an apologetic expression, "Mom, I'm sorry. My bag was taken to the office by the staff, and it took a while to find it. Let's head back."

Parisa gave her a knowing smile, aware of Florence's pretense.

She leaned in closer, gently patting Florence's head, "You look flustered, your hair's all over the place."

Whitney rented a car, driving her uncle non-stop to her grandfather's cemetery.

Arriving after dark, they nearly missed the closing time, but managed to convince the management to let them through.

The staff on duty were curious, "Visiting Mr. Faulkner's grave on the hilltop, is it his anniversary today? Oddly enough, someone else came by this morning."

Whitney perked up, inquiring, "Do you know who it was that visited?"

"We just switched shifts, so I’m not sure. I only know a plot was sold this morning," the staff member said vaguely, leading them partway up the path, which was lit by lamps.

Whitney asked a bodyguard to carry her uncle up the steps.

The hilltop was dark, so she switched on a flashlight, navigating confidently to her grandfather's grave. Whitney clasped her hands together, preparing to pay her respects to both her grandfather and her mother...

Suddenly, she noticed a new headstone right next to her grandpa's grave!

The soil was freshly disturbed!

"Uncle?" Whitney called out to Keegan.

Her heart was pounding as she shone her flashlight over to the new stone, "The Grave of Lord Keegan... Who on earth did this?!"

"Whitney! What is it?" Keegan heard his name and, spotting the new headstone, was utterly bewildered.

With the help of his bodyguards, he stumbled over quickly.

Whitney hurriedly covered the inscription with her hand, trying to spare her uncle the shock. Her eyes darkened with a mix of fear and realization, as she stared at the disturbed earth, her thoughts racing like a tumultuous storm.

Gradually, the pieces fell into place, and her eyes widened with a chilling clarity.

"Whitney, I'm not dead yet! How is there a headstone with my name on it... Who's playing such a sick joke?"

"Uncle, listen to me. It might be Mom. She could have been here, thinking you were gone! Whoever put this here, maybe she thought you'd passed away and came to pay her respects to you and Grandpa. Otherwise, how do you explain this new stone? Ludwik wasn't lying to me, he wasn't."

Whitney's voice was a mix of frantic speculation and excitement, her eyes lighting up with a fervent hope.