Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



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?"This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

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.

Parker admitted to revealing

Natalie's potential demise to

Whitney, suggesting that while

Ludwik couldn't disclose the truth, t

(.n

shouldn't prevent Whitney from caring for Natalie. He posited that the truth about the leukemia might eventually come out, suggesting that it could, paradoxically, bridge the gap between Ludwik and Whitney.

Ludwik, however, was not convinced, instructing Parker to stop discussing the matter and to update him on the investigation into Florence. Parker reported minimal progress, indicating Florence had managed to cover her tracks well. Despite employing Emperor City's finest detectives, they had yet to locate Sammy or uncover Florence's plans.

Ludwik, undeterred, was convinced that Florence would eventually slip up, especially now that he had given her a reason to lower her guard. Meanwhile, Whitney, having returned to Banyan City, reached out to Valerie in hopes of meeting Elaine and learning more about the night Sammy was kidnapped.

Ludwik decided to let Whitney proceed with her inquiry, believing that any pressure she applied to Elaine could force Florence's hand, revealing her involvement in Sammy's disappearance.

Back at the Sheldon family's modest villa, Myra reported to Ms. Sheldon that Parker had thoroughly investigated her background the previous night, hinting at the tightening around Florence and the increasing stakes in this high-tension family drama.

"Thank goodness you've always been cautious, keeping your wealth and even the lab out of your name," Myra started, her tone laced with a hint of admiration.

"Ludwik's got eyes on me," Florence revealed, having been tipped off by her shadowy bodyguard. "He's trying to find the kid directly, but he'll never know where I've hidden him."

A smirk played on Myra's lips. "That place is a fortress, impossible for anyone to find. It's just that your hypnotic hold over Sammy had to be cut off recently."

"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,

ine

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."

โวเ

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.