Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 979

"Cherry's been hanging out here," Tiana said, glancing up and pointing toward the lounge next door. "When I left Doonan Mansion this afternoon, she was so worried about me and her dad possibly fighting again that she insisted on coming with me."

"Cherry always worries too much," Whitney said with a chuckle.

"What did you want to ask her?"

"It's about Elaine again." Whitney's smile faded, her expression turning grim. "She's been released. Endora didn't rat her out. They must've cut some deal in secret."

"What?" Tiana clenched her fists, her disappointment evident.

"Has Endora lost her mind? How does Elaine, that witch, always find a way to slither out of trouble? Just when you think she's done for, she survives!" Tiana seethed, recalling how her daughter almost lost her life because of Elaine.

Whitney's gaze darkened. "Elaine's a master at manipulation, preying on Endora's own survival instincts with promises of freedom. Ashton picked her up after she was released. I had a standoff with him right outside the police station.

But Ashton, that blind fool, just trusts the police investigation blindly and believes Elaine wasn't involved in the kidnapping.

'Everyone's got it wrong about her,' he says, thinking this vile woman has turned over a new leaf."

"Damn it! Ashton is just like Ludwik three years ago. Elaine plays the victim, and he sees her as this helpless woman we've all misunderstood. It's infuriating."

Tiana's frustration was palpable.

Whitney patted her arm, "Calm down, your health can't take this stress. Let's talk to Cherry first. And if Ashton insists on protecting Elaine, I've got enough tricks up my sleeve to handle that nuisance!"

"Not just you, Parker would be the first to not let Elaine off the hook," Tiana huffed.

They entered the lounge.

Cherry was lying on the bed, a chubby little hand sticking out from the blankets, an IV needle taped to the back of it.

She was receiving fluids.

Tiana approached the nurse, "Thank you for looking after her. I'll take it from here."

Her presence woke Cherry from her sleep.

The little girl blinked her long lashes, slowly opening her eyes, confused, "Mommy, Whitney? What are you both doing here?"

Seeing her weakened state, Whitney couldn't help but rebuke Tiana, "Her injuries haven't fully healed, and she's still recovering from a mild concussion. You and Parker really need to start being more careful!"

Tiana pursed her lips, ashamed.

Looking at her daughter's thin face, she felt a surge of pity, "Cherry, don't worry. He... he came by the hospital earlier. He's currently talking to your grandma about something important. Whitney's done us a huge favor, and the misunderstanding between him and me has been cleared up."

"What favor?" The little girl was curious.

Whitney pinched her soft ear, smiling, "Would you prefer a little brother or a sister? In a few months, you'll have a new playmate, Cherry."

"Huh?" Cherry was even more confused now, her gaze shifting to her mom's belly, "But didn't you have surgery, mommy? Sammy said that after surgery, the baby wouldn't be in your tummy anymore."

"She was one of those kidnappers, Cherry. You must have seen her."

Whitney sensed something was off, pressing for deeper memories.

The little girl held her head, thinking hard, then finally said with heartbreaking honesty, "I just remember the police taking me out of the van, and maybe this woman was talking to them... Whitney, I'm sorry, I really can't remember her doing anything bad to me. I don't know her."

Tiana and Whitney exchanged troubled glances, "How could this be?"

"Elaine orchestrated the kidnapping. She must've shown her face to Cherry. There's no way she'd have managed to cover her tracks completely!"

Both knew the truth, yet the facts remained elusive.

Cherry racked her brain but couldn't for the life of her remember ever meeting that woman. It was baffling.

But Whitney caught on quickly, noticing the befuddled look in the little one’s eyes.

After a moment of tense silence, her gaze turned icy, sharp as a blade. She pulled Tiana aside, whispering, “Elaine must have found a way to erase Cherry’s memories.”

“Really?” Tiana’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at her daughter, filled with dread.

“It’s the only explanation. Her family owns a big pharma company, and she’s been known to dabble in some shady practices, like drugging people and even hypnotizing Ludwik before.”

“Is Cherry’s health at risk then?” Tiana was livid, wanting nothing more than to give Elaine a piece of her mind. “That venomous witch, always full of schemes. No wonder Cherry can’t remember meeting her.”