Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1154

She’d barely managed to haul herself up—she’d just started to get back on her feet. Was all that swagger from the past few days nothing but a mirage, just a dream?

All those years of playing it safe, of keeping her head down, of making sacrifices—Florence had done it all for this moment, just to get her hands on Parisa’s fortune!

Where had it gone wrong? She and Bryce had plotted every detail. Parisa shouldn’t even be alive—she’d been poisoned, for God’s sake!

It was all Whitney’s fault… That damn woman and her stupid medical skills. She was the one who saved Parisa’s life.

Florence’s face was slick with cold sweat, pale and twisted with resentment as she stared at the screen, at Parisa’s breathing face. She spun around, desperate, and tried pleading with Bryce. “Mr. Lutz, we can’t get caught. We… we just can’t—”

But Bryce was in no shape to help anyone. He didn’t even look at her. At this point, Ludwik had already laid out all the evidence against them, and Phineas had called the President. The President himself had just declared them guilty.

Bryce knew, in that instant, it was game over.

Ronan Miller? Forget it—he was probably in just as much trouble and couldn’t save anyone now.

Bryce’s eyes dropped, dark and vengeful. As everyone in the room started whispering and panicking, he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny pistol. In two quick strides, he was behind Phineas’s wheelchair. Before anyone could react, he kicked the chair hard, sending it rolling straight toward the door.

“Ah!” Phineas yelped as he lurched forward, and before he could even process what was happening, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his temple.

“Parker!” Phineas shouted for help.

Parker was busy handing over stacks of evidence to the press, letting them snap photos when he heard the commotion. He spun around just in time to see Ludwik dart forward like a shadow, launching himself straight at Bryce.

Whitney’s heart pounded, but she knew what she had to do. Her gaze swept over Florence, who looked ready to bolt. Whitney lunged forward and grabbed her.

“What are you doing? Let me go! Ronan Miller will save me, you hear?!” Florence shrieked, trying to claw free.

Whitney slapped her across the face, cold and sharp. “Dream on. The President himself ordered your arrest—who cares about Ronan Miller now? After what you did to my mom, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell. That’s your ending, Florence.”

With a shove, Whitney handed her off to the SWAT officers bursting into the room. “Please restrain this woman—she’s a criminal!”

Her nerves still rattled, Whitney turned to look toward Ludwik—then a sudden scream ripped through the air.