Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1144

Parisa felt like she was trapped in a dense fog, her body wracked with pain, making it hard to grasp what was real and what was not. Was she in some afterlife, or was she still clinging on to life?

Just then, a tear-filled voice cut through the haze, a voice calling out, "Mom."

The word jolted Parisa's foggy mind. She struggled to find clarity, but the flood of emotions within her was overwhelming. Her eyes, despite the pain, welled up with tears as she tried to focus on the source of the voice.

Whitney watched her mother try to lift her head and knew she had heard her. "Mom, it's me, Whitney," she said, her voice trembling. She rushed over, gently cradling Parisa’s head in her hands.

Parisa's striking features were mostly hidden by the oxygen mask. She felt weak, unable to move, but the sound of her daughter's voice, full of tears, pierced through her heart. With all her strength, she forced her eyes open to look at Whitney.

The moment she saw Whitney’s face, those features so much like her own, Parisa’s tears began to spill over. The same delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes—there was no mistaking it. This was her daughter.

"You..." Parisa tried to speak through the mask, her voice a muddle of emotions, trying to ask the question burning in her heart.

Whitney's tears fell too, landing on the arm that connected them. She nodded, her voice breaking, "Mom, it's me. I'm your daughter, the one you thought you lost all those years ago."

Parisa’s breath hitched, her eyes red and full of tears. She had finally found her daughter. Even if this was her last moment, she could leave with no regrets. Her fingers, encumbered by medical wires, found Whitney's slender wrist and held on tight.

Her tears, hot and flowing, soaked into the white pillow beneath her.

"Mom, it's been so long, almost twenty years!" Whitney said, wiping away her mother’s tears with tenderness. Her voice was a mix of disbelief and heartache. "I always thought you were gone in that explosion with Grandpa. We all did—me, Uncle..."

Parisa's eyes widened at the mention of her brother, her grip on Whitney's wrist tightening with urgency.

Whitney saw her mother's alarm and quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Uncle is alive. Florence lied to you, didn’t she? But it’s okay, Uncle's fine. I can call him right now, have him come to the hospital."

Parisa nodded, relief mingling with the surprise in her eyes. She tightened her hold on Whitney’s wrist again, seeking reassurance in her touch.

That pain, however, didn’t bother Whitney. It was warmth, a connection she had longed for, finally realized. After all, it had been such a struggle for her and Ludwik to bring Parisa back to safety.