Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 298

Bryce fidgeted with his fingers, squinting slightly, the depth of his eyes concealing emotions difficult to decipher. Pulling out his smartphone, he shot a text to one of his subordinates:

"Dig up the prenatal check-up reports of Whitney from three years ago. And keep an eye on Ludwik's mansion."

For three years, Ludwik had kept his personal life under such tight wraps that Bryce couldn't unearth a thing.

Rumor had it that he and Elaine had a kid together.

But if the rumor was off, and Ludwik indeed had a child...

Bryce's thoughts drifted to 'Sammy', a kid often seen around Whitney, and his gaze sharpened.

Trouble, no doubt, was brewing...

-

At the preschool.

Without fail, an irate female voice echoed from the office, "Daniel, please report to the office immediately!"

Sammy smirked slightly.

The other kids peeked out, their stares a mixture of alienation and unfamiliarity.

No wonder Danny hated school. Being ostracized and constantly called to the office, Sammy wouldn't enjoy it either.

Calmly, Sammy snapped a few photos of the classroom's decrepit state with his modified smartwatch and stored them.

Then, he strode into the office, "Ma'am..."

"Stand in the corner as punishment!" the teacher snapped at the slender boy, "Daniel, why did you hit your classmates like that?"

Jemima, hefty and fuming, pointed at Sammy, "You unruly brat! My son's bleeding so much, you'll pay for this!"

"Jemima, calm down. I've already called Daniel's mom over," the teacher said.

"This isn't over!" Jemima huffed.

Sammy, narrowing his eyes, watched the adults' back-and-forth with amusement.

He offered no explanation, simply turning to the teacher with a sweet smile, "Ma'am, I know I hit someone, so I've called my dad over."

"What?" The teacher was taken aback.

Elaine had slipped her a bribe, instructing her to call only her and let Jemima have a go at the kid, ensuring he'd dread coming back to school.

"I'm supposed to consult with you before calling a parent, and usually, we only call the mother!" the teacher chided.

"Why can't I call my dad? Are you afraid of something, ma'am?" Sammy blinked innocently.

The teacher was even more flustered, wondering if this was the same Daniel who'd rather take punishment than call her 'teacher'. How had he become so sly?

"How you talk! I'm worried your dad will come and spank you," the teacher feigned concern.

"Whether he spanks me is not for you to worry about. Perhaps you should worry about yourself instead."

Sammy's words were disarmingly innocent.

The teacher felt a chill but then thought, if Daniel had any significant family background, Elaine would have mentioned it.

"Three, Ludwik?" Elaine's voice trembled with guilt, recalling their recent hotel rendezvous.

His tone chilled further, "Danny's had a conflict with classmates, and I've been here for five minutes. Where were you?"

"I, I…" Elaine stumbled, unsure how to lie, then quickly shifted blame to Daniel, turning to the teacher with feigned helplessness, "Has Danny been bullying his classmates again?"

The teacher, steadied by Elaine's presence, played along, "Yes, Mrs. Danny, he's always had trouble getting along. Today, after a slight provocation from Adriel, Danny lashed out, injuring several children."

"Danny, honey, you need to be more friendly," Elaine crouched, softly touching the boy's hand, casting a glance at Ludwik's inscrutable expression, and sighed, "Ludwik, this is the reality of Danny's situation at school. I've been hesitant to tell you, fearing your disappointment."

She then approached Jemima, apologetically, "Danny was out of line; I apologize on his behalf. But kids do fight..."

"How can you say kids fighting is normal? Daniel has hit my Adriel multiple times; this is unacceptable!" Jemima retorted, playing her part.

Seeing Ludwik's darkening expression, Elaine's eyes subtly gleamed.

"So, how shall we resolve this? We'll fully cooperate," she said, masking her triumph.

"You have two options," Jemima snapped, "either take him home and pull him out of school, or I'll be forced to press charges against your ill-mannered child!"

Elaine looked troubled as she glanced toward Ludwik. "Ludwik, this isn't the first time. With the way Danny's been acting, even throwing money at the problem won't keep the other parents quiet..."

Ludwik, ever the deep thinker, looked down at his son. "Danny, don't be silent. Dad's here for you. Speak up, what exactly happened?"

"Ludwik... with the parents and teachers here, maybe this isn't the best approach," Elaine tried to interject.

Sammy just chuckled, ready for his moment. He looked up at Elaine, "So, what would be the right approach in mommy's eyes? Should I just get expelled, or maybe we should head straight to court?"