Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 313

"Hey, Daniel, cut the act..."

Elaine checked his pulse, noting his temperature was a bit high. Impatiently, she called out to Lyra, "Get a doctor up here for him, will you? I need to find Ludwik..."

But before she could get up, Sammy clung to her weakly, whining, "No, I want mommy to stay with me!"

Elaine looked at him with disdain. This behavior was nothing like Daniel's typical reticence.

Something was definitely off with this kid.

But she didn't have time to ponder, as she pried his small hands away.

Sammy, undeterred, cunningly threatened, "Mommy, if you leave me sick like this, wait till daddy finds out. You remember, it was your excuse of my being sick that got me brought to South City in the first place!" Elaine felt a knot in her stomach, her face turning a shade paler with hesitation.

She couldn't tell if the kid was really sick or just faking it to mess with her.

But she and Ludwik had been on edge lately over the kids, and leaving Sammy now would only give him more ammunition.

With a sigh, she picked up Sammy, "So you decide to lay on the cold floor? Get on the couch. Lyra, call a few doctors up!"

Sammy smirked, making his way to the living room couch.

Through his earpiece, he heard Danny's voice, "Sammy, I saw dad carrying mom into their room. They've been in there for like ten minutes!"

Although the idea of his deadbeat dad hugging mom irked the protective Sammy.

But if dad was trying to make amends, who was he to interfere?

"Ouch, my stomach suddenly hurts so much!" Sammy began to roll around again in feigned agony.

Elaine, standing by the door, overwhelmed and annoyed, called for the servants, "Quick, hold him down!"

In the other earpiece, Danny's voice grew anxious, "Sammy, it sounds like dad and mom are fighting in there?"

Sammy paused, confused.

And Danny, crouched by the hotel room door, felt helpless as he could swear he heard mom calling dad 'shameless' amid the clatter of items being thrown.

Afraid mom was being hurt by dad, he stood up, unsure, "Should I barge in?"

Of course! Mom might know some moves, but against dad, she stood no chance.

But Sammy couldn't respond.

Danny, getting no reply, pondered for a moment, "Never mind! Let them fight it out. They say make-up sex is the best, though I don't get how that works. Best we keep out of grown-up stuff, right? Sammy." "..." Sammy was speechless.

Darn Danny, always siding with dad.

He just hoped mom would show dad who's boss.

Sammy thought bitterly, closing his eyes to continue his wailing.

The doctors, unable to diagnose anything specific, watched as Sammy alternated between dizzy spells and stomach cramps, making a fuss till midnight. Elaine, frustrated yet unable to leave, had Lyra send for Ludwik. But by dawn, there was still no word from Lyra.

Exhausted, Elaine finally succumbed to sleep in her chair.

Sammy, on the other hand, cracked an eye open, pleased with the chaos he had wrought, especially seeing Elaine worn out. Having sneakily taken a nap earlier, he was now full of energy.

Quietly slipping out of bed, he pressed the earpiece, "Danny? What's the status with dad and mom?"

"Hmm... Dad hasn't come out yet. This fight might take a while, so I went ahead and slept," Danny yawned.

"What? Mom's being beaten and you're sleeping?" Sammy was incredulous.

He had ended up with an utterly heartless brother.

"Mom wasn't getting beaten the whole time. I heard dad groaning at some points too!" Danny quickly corrected.

"..." Sammy was more confused than ever.

Both clueless boys fell silent, "Dawn's breaking. They must be done by now. I'll come find you first, then we'll see when dad comes out!"

-

Morning light filtered through the window, casting a serene glow over the chaotic aftermath on the large bed.

Whitney, nursing a sore back and feeling utterly drained, grabbed a sheet and staggered to the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror showed her bruised body, especially her waist and hips, prompting her to curse, "Beast." Turning on the shower, she leaned against the wall, unable to tell her tears from the water cascading down her face.

Fists clenched silently, she felt as if her emotions were being scorched...

After the shower, the trail of clothes leading back to the bed reminded her of the previous night's turbulence.

Whitney's cheeks flushed with both anger and embarrassment.

Especially seeing the man sprawled on the bed, looking devilishly handsome and utterly content in his sleep.

Her temper flared, and she approached the bed to deliver a fierce kick, "Wake up, you jerk!"

Ludwik hit the floor with a thud, awakened by the blow, rubbing his sore shoulder and blinking away the remnants of desire, momentarily confused.

Catching sight of Whitney, memories of the night's debauchery slowly crept back.

He had to admit... it was thoroughly satisfying, having given her the pent-up longing of three long years.

A hint of regret flashed through his eyes as he spoke in a husky voice, "Does it hurt?"

"Shut up," Whitney's ears reddened, her face a livid shade of anger.

Her swollen lips caught his gaze, deepening his look, Ludwik stood up, his voice laced with a morning's gruffness, "Can't we talk this out? Why the violence?"

"I should be grateful I didn't just kill you, you animal."

Whitney pointed fiercely at him and then to his scattered clothes, her disgust palpable, "Pick up your trash and get out of my sight."

"Let's get some more sleep," he suggested, eyeing the barely bright sky. If this was a dream, why not stretch it out a bit longer?

His murmured suggestion, however, only incited a further desire to dominate the moment.

"What are you trying to do now?!" Whitney immediately sensed his intentions. Was he still under the influence? All those pills, and he's still going at it like a starved man.

But Whitney wasn't about to let him take advantage again. Last night, she was powerless to resist, and without her medical kit, she couldn't even tend to her own wounds.

The thought of it fueled her anger and disdain.

Whitney, seething with anger, pushed him away forcefully. "I'm warning you, touch me again and I'll have you charged with assault, and considering what happened last night, you'll be looking at a very long time behind bars!"

"You think the cops will take you seriously?" he challenged, his voice dropping to a husky whisper as he moved closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Besides, it wasn't just me enjoying the night, even without a video, you know exactly how things went down, don't you?" Whitney's face flushed a mix of anger and embarrassment.

Unable to contain her fury, she slapped him across the face.

Ludwik's head turned with the impact, his brows knitting together in a dark scowl. "Was last night not enough for you? You dare hit me again?"