Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 1028

"But when Phineas suddenly got into trouble, and my kid's life was in danger, I had no choice but to come back.

At this critical moment, she forces my hand to return, what's her endgame?

Is she trying to keep me from meeting this mysterious person?!

That just makes me more curious. Why can't I meet him?

After meeting, will I recognize him, or uncover some secret?

So now, my goal is to lure the mysterious man to Harmonia Country, meet him first, then take down Bryce and his crew in one fell swoop!"

He shared so much that Parker missed the part about Ludwik mentioning 'my child'.

He knew even less than Ashton, so he was pretty much in the dark.

All he understood was that Bryce and his team had found some backing.

Now, to take them all down together, Ludwik planned to draw that backing to Harmonia Country, on his home turf.

Not a bad plan, to clean house in one go!

But with the uncle's situation unclear and Inko Group left leaderless, how did Ludwik plan to bait the trap?

Parker furrowed his brows, "So how do you plan to draw out this so-called backing?"

Ludwik stopped in his tracks, hand in pocket, his sharp gaze narrowing, "Parker, did you know your uncle's Inko Group is a subsidiary of the Germinia Inko Group?"

"I had an inkling. My uncle basically ran the domestic company, more as a partner than a subsidiary."

"But there's still a hierarchy with Inko Group, right?"

"Yes, I heard there's a chairman who controls everything, and my uncle answers to him."

"In Inko Group, besides your uncle, who else could access or know the list of the executives at the headquarters?" Ludwik asked pointedly.

Parker frowned, "Well, my uncle's dealings with the headquarters were pretty cautious, always one-on-one video calls. I doubt any shareholders had direct contact with the chairman or such." "No list then? Or is it just classified, needing a certain clearance to view? Could you let me see this list of executives?"

"If it's classified, my uncle wouldn't make it public. You'd have to wait for him to wake up, or ask him directly about the execs at the headquarters."

Parker eyed him, "Ludwik, are you trying to investigate someone within the headquarters?"

"The mysterious man, he's one of the high-ranking execs there, with an assistant named Erik.

I can't find his identity, and I'm curious why Florence wouldn't let me meet him?

Plus, Florence's surgery made her look a bit like Whitney.

I'm even more puzzled about the connection here.

Since I can't find out, I'll have to lure the mysterious man back."

The conversation circled back, Parker's brows knitted, unsure of Ludwik's plan, "What are you planning to do?"

Ludwik turned, tossing his cigarette butt, his gaze deep and cold under the smoky veil, "The first step, we've already done, mentioning to Bryce the unfortunate news about your uncle.

We'll see what happens after your uncle's surgery, maybe even declare him dead, make a big fuss in the media, get everyone talking!"

"Next, Parker, I need you to get your aunt's permission, to take your uncle's place in Inko Group, then you do this..."

Ludwik leaned in, his voice a chilling whisper.

Parker listened, his expression darkening with each word.

He shook his head in disbelief, "What? Ludwik! That's my uncle's life's work, how can you ask me to do that? What's your real agenda?!" Ludwik's gaze was steady, calming him, "Parker, I have my reasons for this!"

As they were about to argue, Mr. Lane, having waited too long, honked the car horn.

Parker's gaze hardened, temporarily shelving Ludwik's shocking request.

Turning, he walked out in frustration.

Ludwik silently sighed, following.

They arrived at the coroner's office-

The suspect's body lay on the table, covered in white cloth.

A doctor in a lab coat approached, intimidated by Ludwik's imposing aura. Mr. Lane signaled, and the doctor handed over the autopsy report.

"After examination, the deceased had been poisoned for several days, with a highly toxic substance, initially silencing his vocal cords, then progressively attacking his organs, leading to organ failure and death this afternoon." "Poisoned for days?" Parker gave Ludwik a cold glance.

Ludwik pondered, "This means, the mastermind had been planning for a while."

He remembered, Florence must have used her phone in the middle of the night to instruct Bryce to act.

Could it be that prior to this, they had already decided to silence Phineas?

Why? Was it not to prevent him from probing about Inko Group?

Or... did Florence have another motive from the start? Perhaps to keep the mysterious person from contacting Phineas? Why? Was Florence afraid of being exposed?

Ludwik's thoughts raced, inevitably landing on Florence's surgically altered face. She used that face to get close to the mysterious man, to survive in Germinia with his help, and she was also afraid of letting the mysterious man meet Phineas? Why? Was Florence masquerading under a false identity, afraid of being exposed by Phineas?

Then... who could she be impersonating?

A chill ran through Ludwik's mind, a flash of insight revealing Whitney's face.

Undoubtedly, if Florence was impersonating someone, it had to be related to Whitney.

If she used Whitney's identity to get close to the mysterious man, then logically, the mysterious man and Whitney-could they have some connection?

Ludwik's own deductions left him in shock, eyebrows furrowed in deep contemplation.

"Ludwik..." Parker's voice cut through Ludwik's brooding. Noticing his distraction and somber expression, Parker continued, "What's on your mind? Mr. Lane is updating us on the investigation."

"Right, let him speak," Ludwik snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze sharp and focused.

The forensic expert responded to Parker's question, "Based on the examination of the stomach contents, there's no indication the victim was forced to ingest poison. There are no wounds on the lips or throat, suggesting he took the poison willingly."

"He did it willingly?" Parker immediately turned to Mr. Lane, "Have you checked Bryce's financials? He must have had some secret transactions with the shooter. To make someone take their own life willingly, it would've had to involve a hefty sum, surely in the millions! If you can't find anything on him directly, look into his assistant's records!"

In this moment, the tension of a classic Western mystery unraveled in the room, as the characters delved deeper into a web of secrets, money, and motives, far from the stereotypical settings and narratives, yet brimming with intrigue and suspense.