Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 294

The car fell into a profound silence.

Sammy could sense his dad's mood was as deep and hidden as the ocean, mysteriously damp and somewhat saddening. Even Felix, gripping the steering wheel, shifted uncomfortably, trying his best to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. After a while, Ludwik picked up the cigarette that had fallen on the seat. Trying to stabilize his usually cool and deep voice, he coldly asked his son, "Danny, did someone put you up to asking that?"

""Of course not! It was all me!"

Ludwik glanced back at his son, understanding well that Danny was a straightforward and sometimes aloof kid. How could he have such deep thoughts?

The man fell silent for a moment before asking in a low tone, "Did you meet with her? Did she prompt you to ask?"

"No, it wasn't Mom! It really was my own guess." Sammy hurriedly defended, not wanting his mom to take the blame.

"And what made you guess that? You're just a kid; kids shouldn't meddle in adults' business." Ludwik sharply questioned, lightly scolding but not addressing the heart of the matter.

Unexpectedly, Sammy was not Danny. Usually, if scolded, Danny would just pout and snort, dismissively shutting up. But Sammy spoke up, articulately arguing, "Why can't I guess? Dad, if you had no feelings for Mom at all, you wouldn't have looked at her today with such anger and depth. You seem to despise her, yet you cherish and worry about me so much. If I were the child of a woman you didn't love, would you care this much?"

Ludwik's lips tightened, more and more firmly. The secrets he had deliberately ignored over the past three years were ruthlessly exposed by a three-and-a-half-year-old child. He scoffed, his face unable to hide his feelings, yet his gaze sank into deep darkness. A pain flickered, distant yet sweet memories resurfaced.

At that moment, the man seemed to drop his tough façade slightly, his profile revealing a rare loneliness and fragility in the dim light.

"Dad..." Sammy keenly sensed that his father's mood had darkened even further.

"Master, you shouldn't ask questions you're not supposed to," Felix, seeing Mr. Lippert like this, softly advised from the front. The brief days of affection Mr. Lippert and Ms. Valentine shared three years ago also came to mind for this subordinate. Back then, Mr. Lippert truly adored Ms. Valentine, planning a lifetime together.

But then, Ms. Valentine's uncle returned, and she was forced into betraying Mr. Lippert, changing everything. The walls of trust, hard to build but easy to destroy. When Mr. Lippert was caught in a betrayal, and his mother Natalie ended up in a coma, with Ms. Valentine being the prime suspect. No man could simply choose love over such betrayals. Let alone, the bond between Mr. Lippert and his mother Natalie, which was their lifeline! Later on, with Elaine stirring the pot and Ms. Valentine's alleged affair with Bryce. That was always a thorn in Mr. Lippert's heart...

While Felix reminisced, the man indirectly answered his son's first question. His tone was cold, laced with barely discernible bitterness, "Danny, you'll grow to be a man, and dad has a piece of advice for you. Never get lost in the sea of love. The one you love the most is the one who can hurt you the deepest! Don't give her that chance, let dad be the example."

After speaking, Ludwik's gaze fell into an icy abyss. The deep love turned into deep hatred, not just empty words. Over these three years, through countless sleepless nights, Ludwik experienced and resented this deeply. Yet, he couldn't be like Whitney, that heartless woman, abandoning her child, abandoning him. He wanted to hate her! Preferably that way, not letting go of himself. Because only through hate could he connect with her again...

Thinking deeper, Ludwik didn't want to explore his heart, for it had long been closed off. Three years later, this woman returned nonchalantly and without regret; he wouldn't let her off easily. Why should she escape karma, while he suffered in darkness for three years? Thinking made him burn with rage again. He realized he had been unusually talkative today, his emotions fluctuating, Ludwik closed off again, returning to his indifferent demeanor.

After a while, he opened the car door, and sternly told his son, "Even if you met her today and guessed she's your mom, let me tell you, Danny, you can never go with her. Forget about it; you were raised by dad, and I have few dear ones left, I can't lose you!" Ludwik wouldn't tell his son the truth about Whitney abandoning him. No matter how heartless she was, he didn't want to shatter the child's fantasy of his mother, so he could only declare it dominantly.

Sammy suddenly looked up, initially very dissatisfied with his father's harsh attitude. But seeing beneath that noble exterior, how much his father cared for Danny, his son, Sammy was moved. Danny, was raised with love by a flawed father...

No matter how flawed the dad was, the care and importance he placed on his son was not an illusion to Sammy. He even said he had few dear ones, revealing a hint of loneliness behind his tough exterior...

Sammy sighed, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, plus... he seemed to have gotten the answer to his first question. Dad, indeed, had deeply loved Mom! That dim look couldn't deceive him. And from deep love, it had turned to hatred! Ah, what a mess- It seemed even the flawed dad had his reasons? He needed to discuss with Danny, how to resolve the hatred between Mom and the flawed dad.

At the entrance of the international kindergarten, Ludwik stood out as a striking figure. The mature and tall man, holding a little cutie by the hand, instantly made other kids' moms green with envy...

From a Maserati parked a bit away from his Bentley-Elaine, who had been left at Christian Restaurant, hurried after them. She had arrived a few minutes earlier, now busily on the phone, discussing with the Bartels family parents.

"Ludwik seemed to catch on to something fishy about Keegan's case this morning, even siding with Whitney in keeping Jaxon. It's driving me insane. Whose side is he really on?" Elaine was fuming with anger at Ludwik for not siding with her this time. "Ludwik has always been upright and fair. It's only because of your manipulations over the past three years that he's been misunderstanding Whitney. Elaine, you need to cool your jets," Zane Bartels said icily.

Delphine snorted, "Now, Whitney has come up with a plan to report Jaxon for a DUI hit-and-run from years ago, thinking that by getting him locked up, we won't be able to reach him."

Elaine sneered, "Jaxon is my right-hand man. Plus, we've got his family and Lyle's family under our thumb. He won't spill anything to Whitney."

"Exactly, so Whitney's plan is doomed to fail. Just a few days under observation and I'll have my dad pull some strings. The crucial eyewitness testimony and Keegan's blood test results won't fall into Whitney's hands. But now, you need to get closer to Ludwik! Only by binding Ludwik's interests with the Bartels family, could he be compelled to overlook any connection to Keegan's case for your sake. Do you understand?"

Elaine got it. Whitney was closing in on them. She clenched her fists tightly, quickly ended the call, and stepped out of her car, swallowing her bitterness. She put on a soft, affectionate face and walked towards the man, "Ludwik!"

Ludwik was standing amidst a group of soccer moms, attracting numerous glances as he was about to drop off his child at school. Turning around and seeing Elaine, his expression remained indifferent, "What brings you here?"