Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 500

At Skyfaith Hospital, the arrival of Danny made Natalie's heavily guarded entourage hesitant to stop him.

"I'm here to check on grandma; Dad sent me."

With these words, Danny, accompanied by Whitney, made his way into Natalie's ICU room without trouble.

"Grandma!" Danny's excitement was palpable upon seeing Natalie.

Whitney, however, couldn't hide her shock at Natalie's frail appearance, her eyes betraying a flash of pity. The woman before her looked nothing like the robust figure she remembered, now reduced to skin and bones.

"It's only been a fortnight!" Whitney thought, recalling Parker's words about Natalie's imminent demise.

Struggling to speak, Whitney approached Natalie, "What happened to you?"

Natalie, momentarily more lucid and seemingly ignoring her grandson, focused on Whitney, "My dear, you finally came. Are you still angry with me?"

The emotional turmoil was evident in Whitney's eyes as she fought back tears. In that moment, any resentment she held melted away in the face of Natalie's condition. She whispered, her voice choked with emotion, "What's wrong with you?"

Natalie's feeble attempt to embrace Whitney bridged the gap between them, and for a moment, they were just family, united in their concern for one another.

Outside, Dr. Ford, having been alerted to Whitney's arrival, hurriedly called Emperor City.

In his office, Ludwik received Dr. Ford's call, "Mr. Lippert, Ms. Valentine is here in Banyan City to see Natalie. Is she getting suspicious? Should we intervene?"

Ludwik frowned, mulling over the implications of Whitney's swift action. "Is my mother happy to see her?" he inquired.

"She's overjoyed. Natalie wept when she saw Ms. Valentine. She's missed her terribly," Dr. Ford informed.

Ludwik, contemplating the possibility of the transplant surgery not proceeding smoothly, decided, "Let them talk. My mother's happiness is paramount. If Whitney initiates the visit, we shouldn't obstruct."

"But I'm worried Ms. Valentine might pry too deeply," Dr. Ford expressed his concerns.

"Ensure all records of my mother's leukemia treatment are erased. She won't find out anything," Ludwik ordered, his voice cold.

After the call, Ludwik's gaze fell on Parker, his expression somber.

"It doesn't matter. We still have Dr. Ryan. His skills in altering brain memories far surpass mine."

Myra hesitated before adding, "We can't take Sammy out of the picture yet, but turning him into a complete stranger will be the ultimate blow to Whitney."

A chill flashed in Florence's eyes. "Imagine, Whitney's child not recognizing her one day, brainwashed by me. Wouldn't that just break her heart? Hah. She had it coming for nudging Ludwik into suspecting me. Sammy has become a nuisance! But he's also my ace in the hole. As long as I don't confess to kidnapping, Ludwik has no evidence. He has to consider the child's safety and can't touch me. Even if he wants me dead, he'll have to endure the agony until his mother is saved."

Florence's words were laced with both concern and a cold determination. "We only have a month left, Myra. Time is running out. Get someone to contact Dr. Ryan for me. I want to extract and cryogenically preserve the spinal fluid. Within this month, I need to conceive his child. Strike first! He agreed too quickly to my two conditions that night. I fear that after the donation, I'll end up with nothing but the title of his fiancée. Such a ruthless man."

Myra shuddered at the thought. "Ms. Sheldon, you're spot on. Once his mother is cured, Ludwik could easily get rid of you!"

Precautions were necessary. For now, Natalie was keeping Ludwik's wrath at bay over the kidnapping of Sammy. But without Natalie as leverage, how would Ludwik deal with her?

"Keep the spinal fluid cryopreservation a secret. Don't even tell your mother. We can't let Ludwik catch on to our plan!"

Florence narrowed her eyes, a steely resolve setting in. Right then, Myra's phone rang, her expression shifting suddenly with the news.