Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 1018

Sammy tugged at Danny, rushing them down the stairs, while Whitney, worried the kids might stumble in their sleepy state, had already gone ahead to swing open the living room door. She was about to mention that their dad hadn't mentioned his whereabouts yet when a sudden intuition struck her. Casually glancing towards the mansion's front gate, under the soft morning light, she spotted Ludwik's towering figure.

He had stepped out of his car, leaning against the door for reasons unknown. The mature contours of his face, normally enough to turn heads, looked somewhat pale today. His thick brows were furrowed, lips tightly pressed together as if deep in thought, and his heavy gaze was fixed towards the house.

Unexpectedly, their eyes met.

Ludwik's gaze froze for a moment, then his previously tense expression softened as he deeply looked at Whitney.

Whitney felt as if she was drowning in his gaze, his long-missed intense look causing her cheeks to warm up and turn a soft shade of pink, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She stood there, locked in eye contact with him...

And the kids had already spotted their dad, excitedly running towards Ludwik.

"Daddy! I've been counting the days on my fingers, all fourteen of them! If you didn't come back, I was starting to think you'd found a new family and were about to ditch Sammy and Mommy!" Danny ran towards him, his voice filled with mock indignation yet clearly overjoyed.

Sammy, on the other hand, looked towards the car anxiously, wondering if their little sister was inside.

Daddy must have brought her back, right? Known for his calm demeanor, Sammy was on the verge of tears this time.

His gaze didn't leave the car, and as Danny clung to their dad's leg, Sammy took the chance to sprint to the car window, shielding his eyes from the glare to peek inside.

Suddenly, he found himself staring into Felix's awkward gaze.

The car window rolled down, and Felix seemed to understand what Sammy was searching for.

But Mr. Lippert remained silent, the child still at Shane's hospital.

Felix, not daring to speak out of turn, simply exchanged a helpless look with Sammy. "Er, Master Sammy!"

Sammy had no time for Felix, his anxious gaze scanning the passenger seat before moving to the spacious back seat, finding it empty.

No baby carrier, no sound of a baby's cry.

What's going on... where's my sister?

Sammy, disappointed, stepped back, turning to look at his dad with a frown.

Meanwhile, Danny was hugging Ludwik's leg, struggling between wanting to act spoiled and maintaining his pride, awkwardly seeking affection. "Old man, did you even miss your kids while you were out there? Let me tell you, Sammy and I almost kicked the bucket the other day..."

"Good boy." Ludwik's response was nonchalant as he gently patted his son's head before nudging him aside.

His gaze never left Whitney, standing at the gate.

Her slender figure, bathed in the morning light, seemed to radiate a soft glow, still in her pajamas with slippers on, revealing her delicate toes. She looked particularly unadorned, her hair casually framing her beautiful face, perhaps from sleeping with the kids. From several meters away, Ludwik thought he could catch the faint scent of her, as gentle and missing as ever.

Finally, he spoke, calling out to her, "Whitney."

His voice, deep and resonant, seemed to strike directly at her heart.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, Ludwik. Why don't you call for me? You only have eyes for Mommy..." Danny, seeing his father completely ignoring him, let out a frustrated sigh and tugged at his dad's trousers.

But Ludwik brushed him off, walking towards Whitney!

"..." Whitney glanced at a pouting Danny, feeling awkward.

The man was approaching her.

She stood there, somewhat at a loss, and even a bit speechlessly nervous!

What's going on? Had they grown distant after not seeing each other for just over a dozen days?

But they hadn't reconciled to begin with, so what was there to be nervous about?

Annoyed at herself, Whitney stood even stiffer.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice tense.

"Eurovoria."

"..." It was obvious he'd been to Eurovoria. Was he trying to annoy her? "Where in Eurovoria?"

"Germinia."

Ludwik answered her questions seriously, his gaze fixed on her face, watching as her expressions shifted from tense to flushed to annoyed.

He was nervous too, remembering Felix's words about Ms. Valentine being quite upset with his unannounced departure.

She had even said not to bother calling because she wouldn't pick up.

Ludwik's eyes softened as he told her, "That doesn't matter, Whitney. I'm back now."

"Oh, so you're back. Leave when you want, come back when you wish."

Whitney smiled, a chill in her eyes.

Ludwik stopped in front of her, his towering figure casting a large shadow over her, bringing with it an overwhelming presence. He apologized, "I'm sorry. Are you still angry?" Initially, Whitney was filled with rage.

But eventually, her anger turned into helplessness. With the kids in danger, all she could hope for was his return.

She realized she probably couldn't handle Emperor City on her own.

Because Bryce and the Patrick family only feared Ludwik, not her.

Facing his earnest question, her deep gaze made it difficult for her to respond.

To say yes would seem petty.

To say no would be a disservice to herself.

Whitney bit her lip, turning her gaze away in frustration.

"Still angry," Ludwik leaned in closer, his voice low and soothing with a hint of tenderness, "Don't be mad. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't absolutely necessary. You wanted me to hurry back, and here I am." "Ludwik, do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

Whitney wasn't born yesterday. She could smell a rat a mile off, and the way he was trying to butter her up only fanned the flames of her suspicion. Her gaze locked onto his, sharp as a hawk's, as she squinted at him. "A business trip, huh? Some big deal you had to close? So where's the contract, then? Or did you come back empty-handed?"

"I... uh..."

"Can you just spill the beans already? What were you really up to?

Heading out without Felix or even a bodyguard, disappearing for almost half a month!

And look at you now-pale as a ghost, voice all hoarse, eyes bloodshot. And what's with the stench of blood coming from your left arm?!"

Whitney didn't mince her words; her piercing gaze and sharp mind were not to be trifled with.

Ludwik hadn't expected her to pick up on the scent of blood, given how meticulously he had bandaged his arm.