Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Whitney glanced up, her eyes locking onto the breaking news headline that detonated in her mind like a bomb, plunging her into an abyss of silence... It felt as though an unseen force had yanked her into a chasm of darkness.

She froze, her body trembling slightly, her face draining of color.

On the TV screen, Holly's face appeared.

Tears streaked down her cheeks, a far cry from her usual composed self, "My daughter, Florence, is pregnant with Ludwik's child! The Lipperts are the top family in Harmonia, while the Sheldons... we're just not in the same league. I'm at my wits' end. I'm so worried, I don't know where Ludwik has taken my Florence? Our family's security reported that Ludwik has abducted Florence! God have mercy, she's pregnant, and I don't know what Ludwik plans to do. Will he force Florence to terminate the pregnancy? I'm deeply concerned. Please, let the media spread the word and help me find my Florence..."

The scene shifted back to the reporters, but Whitney couldn't bear to watch any longer.

She remained still for a long time, barely breathing, a sharp pain fragmenting her resolve and crushing her slowly rising hopes.

Her heart shattered, throbbing with a numb yet unbearable agony.

Florence was pregnant?

She stumbled backward...

"Whitney!" Tiana rushed over, steadying Whitney as if she were a leaf in the wind. Tiana's grip tightened as she watched the news unfold, her anger palpable.

She saw Holly's tearful plea to the camera.

She couldn't see Whitney's face, but she could imagine the turmoil she was going through.

Not just Whitney, even she felt a shock that resonated through her entire being, struggling to accept the news.

"Whitney... stop watching," Tiana tried to control the quiver of rage in her voice, her eyes flashing, as she reached to cover Whitney's eyes.

A brief moment passed.

Whitney let out a light laugh, "I'm okay."

"How can you possibly be okay!" Tiana roared, her face contorted in anger, "Ludwik, that absolute scum! That liar! Did he ever tell you the truth? Why doesn't he just drop dead! He promised to deal with Florence, yet behind your back, he's been with her all along! I thought, after you went through all the trouble to reveal Natalie's illness to him, he would finally see Florence for the vile creature she is! I thought he would act! We could've saved Sammy... But when the hell did Florence get pregnant? When did they even...? I'm going insane, I just want to tear him apart!"

Each word from Tiana cut through Whitney, leaving deep, sharp wounds.

Whitney's fingers grew cold as she gently pried Tiana's hand away, facing the news with a self-mocking laugh, "Tiana, you've said everything I wanted to say. What's left for me to add?"

"Whitney, please don't do this! I know how hurt you are, nothing could be more devastating than Florence carrying his child!" Tiana pleaded. Whitney shook her head, her face ashen but calm, "I'm not hurt."

"How can you not be hurt? Stop pretending! Ludwik betrayed you, promising to deal with Florence... but he's just a heartless liar," Tiana's tears fell in frustration.

Whitney watched the tears roll down Tiana's cheeks, feeling as if they were her own.

She blinked away her cold

detachment, a hollow laugh

escaping her "He didn't lie. He's

been with Florence all along, hasn't

he? They were intimate

was only a matter of time before

they had a child. I'm not hurt

I'm

it

just.. how will we ever save Sammy now? It breaks my heart to see him constantly abandoned and forgotten by his father, cast aside for fleeting desires..."

And then, Whitney cried, her tears finally breaking free.

Tiana, overcome with empathy, wrapped her arms tightly around Whitney, "Whitney... I feel your pain. This man has shattered your hopes, time and again. He deserves nothing but contempt! But then, something came to me, Ludwik can't be so heartless as to ignore his own

el.ne

mother's vengeance just to be with Florence. Could there be some manipulation at play here? Or maybe, Holly is lying. Perhaps Florence isn't pregnant after all!

They might be using this as a ploy to

trap Ludwik because Florence

knows once Natalie gets her

donation, she'll be useless to him.

Ludwik will come after her. So, she's stirring up trouble, claiming she's pregnant..."

Whitney knew Tiana was trying to comfort her.

She scoffed bitterly, her gaze icy, "It's not a lie. Tiana, my father's aide mentioned that Florence took leave from Sheldon Group, resting at home these past days. What else would she need rest for? Now I understand. She really is pregnant."

"But it might not necessarily be Ludwik's child!" Tiana, grasping at straws of hope, argued.

"Does it even matter anymore?"

Whitney's expression froze, her eyes glued to the TV screen, "Our sources at Lippert Group have confirmed that Jason is negotiating with Mrs. Sheldon. They're trying to reach Ludwik to verify the allegations of mistreatment. We will continue to follow this story and provide answers to the outraged public..."

Whitney's gaze dropped, a cynical smile playing on her lips, "Holly's put on quite the performance. Whether or not it's his child, with Jason stepping in, we'll soon know the truth."

Tiana bit her lip, at a loss for words. In the face of such revelations, even her hopes for Ludwik felt bleak.

Where was that coward now? Too afraid to face Whitney and explain himself?

How had things spiraled so out of control?

At Brew Hill, nestled within the prestigious Lippert Estate, the grand living room was abuzz with tension. Camilla Lippert, the matriarch of the family, sat in the place of honor, her gaze shifting between Florence, whose eyes were red from crying, and the noticeably flat curve of her stomach. Thoughts of Danny, her cherished great-grandson, brought a frown to her face.

With the family's reputation on the line, the Lippert Group's entire public relations team had been summoned to manage the crisis.

Jason Lippert watched the news, his face a mask of stern authority as the online chatter and media coverage spiraled out of control.

Holly stood up from her chair,

stepping into the center of the room

with a pale face full of apology. "Jason, Camilla, this is all my fault. Inovelbin

panicked when I couldn't find Florence today and turned to the

media for help. In doing so, I accidentally let slip about Florence's pregnancy. I've even made some rash assumptions to Ludwik. I can clarify things with the media right away, as long as Ludwik is willing to stand by Florence and her child. Once the Lippert and Sheldon families unite, the media backlash and public scrutiny against Ludwik will dissolve. They'll see that Ludwik truly loves Florence and has no intention of abandoning her or the baby."

Holly's words, both overt and implied, laid out her demands clearly.

Caught in a difficult position, she knew well that Jason had little choice. Prominent families like theirs lived in the public eye, where public opinion could either uphold or undo them in an instant.

How could Jason not see through Holly's manipulative scheming? Yet, the stakes were too high for a straightforward confrontation. The intricate dance of family honor, public image, and personal feelings had just taken a complicated turn.