Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 294

The car fell into a profound silence.

Sammy could sense his dad's mood was as deep and hidden as the ocean, mysteriously damp and somewhat saddening. Even Felix, gripping the steering wheel, shifted uncomfortably, trying his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

After a while, Ludwik picked up the cigarette that had fallen on the seat. Trying to stabilize his usually cool and deep voice, he coldly asked his son, “Danny, did someone put you up to asking that?”

“Of course not! It was all me!”

Ludwik glanced back at his son, understanding well that Danny was a straightforward and sometimes aloof kid. How could he have such deep thoughts?

The man fell silent for a moment before asking in a low tone, “Did you meet with her? Did she prompt you to ask?”

“No, it wasn’t Mom! It really was my own guess.” Sammy hurriedly defended, not wanting his mom to take the blame.

“And what made you guess that? You’re just a kid; kids shouldn’t meddle in adults’ business.” Ludwik sharply questioned, lightly scolding but not addressing the heart of the matter.

Unexpectedly, Sammy was not Danny. Usually, if scolded, Danny would just pout and snort, dismissively shutting up. But Sammy spoke up, articulately arguing, “Why can’t I guess? Dad, if you had no feelings for Mom at all, you wouldn’t have looked at her today with such anger and depth. You seem to despise her, yet you cherish and worry about me so much. If I were the child of a woman you didn’t love, would you care this much?”

Ludwik’s lips tightened, more and more firmly. The secrets he had deliberately ignored over the past three years were ruthlessly exposed by a three-and-a-half-year-old child. He scoffed, his face unable to hide his feelings, yet his gaze sank into deep darkness. A pain flickered, distant yet sweet memories resurfaced.

At that moment, the man seemed to drop his tough façade slightly, his profile revealing a rare loneliness and fragility in the dim light.

“Dad…” Sammy keenly sensed that his father’s mood had darkened even further.

“Master, you shouldn’t ask questions you’re not supposed to,” Felix, seeing Mr. Lippert like this, softly advised from the front. The brief days of affection Mr. Lippert and Ms. Valentine shared three years ago also came to mind for this subordinate. Back then, Mr. Lippert truly adored Ms. Valentine, planning a lifetime together.

But then, Ms. Valentine’s uncle returned, and she was forced into betraying Mr. Lippert, changing everything. The walls of trust, hard to build but easy to destroy. When Mr. Lippert was caught in a betrayal, and his mother Natalie ended up in a coma, with Ms. Valentine being the prime suspect. No man could simply choose love over such betrayals. Let alone, the bond between Mr. Lippert and his mother Natalie, which was their lifeline! Later on, with Elaine stirring the pot and Ms. Valentine’s alleged affair with Bryce. That was always a thorn in Mr. Lippert’s heart…

While Felix reminisced, the man indirectly answered his son's first question. His tone was cold, laced with barely discernible bitterness, “Danny, you’ll grow to be a man, and dad has a piece of advice for you. Never get lost in the sea of love. The one you love the most is the one who can hurt you the deepest! Don’t give her that chance, let dad be the example.”

“Ludwik seemed to catch on to something fishy about Keegan’s case this morning, even siding with Whitney in keeping Jaxon. It’s driving me insane. Whose side is he really on?” Elaine was fuming with anger at Ludwik for not siding with her this time.

"Ludwik has always been upright and fair. It's only because of your manipulations over the past three years that he's been misunderstanding Whitney. Elaine, you need to cool your jets," Zane Bartels said icily.

Delphine snorted, "Now, Whitney has come up with a plan to report Jaxon for a DUI hit-and-run from years ago, thinking that by getting him locked up, we won't be able to reach him."

Elaine sneered, "Jaxon is my right-hand man. Plus, we've got his family and Lyle's family under our thumb. He won't spill anything to Whitney."

"Exactly, so Whitney's plan is doomed to fail. Just a few days under observation and I'll have my dad pull some strings. The crucial eyewitness testimony and Keegan's blood test results won't fall into Whitney's hands. But now, you need to get closer to Ludwik! Only by binding Ludwik's interests with the Bartels family, could he be compelled to overlook any connection to Keegan's case for your sake. Do you understand?"

Elaine got it. Whitney was closing in on them. She clenched her fists tightly, quickly ended the call, and stepped out of her car, swallowing her bitterness. She put on a soft, affectionate face and walked towards the man, "Ludwik!"

Ludwik was standing amidst a group of soccer moms, attracting numerous glances as he was about to drop off his child at school. Turning around and seeing Elaine, his expression remained indifferent, "What brings you here?"