Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 824

"It's not what you think, you know Whitney and I finally got the whole family together tonight.

Ahem. Isn't Cherry just missing you? Suck it up and find a way to have Cherry persuade you to stay the night.

Besides, don't you have a thing for Tiana?"

"Who said I... I do not! Don't start rumors, damn it..."

Under the light, Tiana couldn't make out what Parker was arguing about, only noticing his handsome, slightly flushed ears.

His profile was stunning, with his gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, giving him a look of a disreputable scholar.

Hmm... He does have a bit of a rogue vibe in bed.

Whoa! What is she thinking? Tiana quickly turns her face away.

Parker, fuming, hangs up the phone and walks over, "Ludwik's making me a third wheel tonight, and I've got nowhere to stay, Tiana, what do we do?" "Uh?!" Tiana swallows hard, her face suddenly flushing.

Why is he asking her this? Is he suggesting he stay over?

Looking into his dark eyes, Tiana can't bring herself to let him stay, nor can she outright refuse!

She quickly waves her hands in denial, "But this place is too small, it can't accommodate anyone else..."

"Mama! Are you kidding me? We live in a mansion, with like a dozen rooms! Saying you can't fit my dad, where's your conscience?"

Before she could finish, Cherry couldn't stand it anymore.

How could her mom be so stingy?

"Cherry, zip it." Tiana wished she could silence her little foodie.

Always undermining her.

Parker's handsome face hardens: "I've seen the dozen rooms myself. Plus, Cherry's already given her blessing for me to stay."

"What's my daughter's opinion got to do with this?" Tiana's face heats up as she glares at him.

"She's right, let's go with her suggestion!"

It's not like he wanted to impose, but he enjoyed challenging her, seeing her blush and flustered made him want to tug at her cute little ears. Realizing his own thoughts, he was taken aback. Puzzled by his own reaction, why did he feel this sudden familiarity and fondness towards her after regaining his memory? Did something happen between them while he was amnesiac? His mind briefly freezes-

"What are you spacing out for, daddy? I've agreed to let you stay, you've got to tell me a story after dinner!" Cherry pats his hand.

Parker smiles charmingly, "Alright, daddy will tell you a story."

Tiana: "..."

Is she superfluous here? She seriously wonders.

After dinner, Cherry usually goes to bed early, but tonight, with Parker around, she's unusually excited, delaying bedtime with stories and building blocks until ten o'clock. Tiana can't wait any longer and forcibly takes the little one to the bathroom for a bath. Her plump little body splashes around in the tub for a while.

After getting into her pajamas, she falls asleep in Tiana's arms from exhaustion.

Tiana, resigned, dries her daughter's hair and places her in bed, turning to the nanny, "Please prepare a guest room for Parker, make sure he's settled."

She lowers her gaze, instinctively avoiding any impropriety, given it's just her and her daughter at home and now with Cherry asleep, it wouldn't be appropriate to entertain him alone.

"Of course, Ms. Melford. Once Mr. Doonan is settled, I'll head to bed too. I'll tidy up the bathroom tomorrow, you should also rest early."

The nanny leaves.

Tiana rubs her sore back, managing a child can be utterly draining.

She grabs her pajamas and heads to the bathroom for a shower.

Meanwhile, the cunning Cherry suddenly opens her eyes on the bed.

She too has a phone watch and immediately calls Danny, "Danny, can you talk? Is Sammy there? I've got a question for you~"

On the other end, Danny, who's staying at his dad's mansion, glances disdainfully at Ludwik trying to woo his mom and walks away to answer, his tone cool, "What's up?"

"My Daddy Parker's back, but my mommy won't let me call him daddy. I want him to always be my daddy, so they need to fall in love and get married, right?"

"Can't argue with that logic." Danny himself is busy trying to set up his own delinquent dad with his mom, so the plan sounds familiar.

"So how can I make them fall in love?" Cherry wonders.

Danny glances at Ludwik's distinguished figure in the distance and his mom's indifferent demeanor, lowering his voice, "Find a way to get them alone in the same room, create opportunities for them to be alone. Like me, I've dragged Sammy out tonight, and we'll find excuses not to sleep with mom, giving the deadbeat dad a chance."

"A chance?" Cherry doesn't get the idiom, but she grasps Danny's point instantly.

"I know what to do! Thanks, Danny. Once I get my mom and Mr. Doonan to fall in love, I won't be a fatherless wild child anymore... 'Every man for himself, heaven and earth be damned,' Sammy taught me that idiom. Tonight, I'm going big!" Cherry ends the call, ready for action.

"Wait... what big thing are you planning?" Danny's left holding the phone, utterly baffled.

Sammy walks over, looking at his brother in disbelief, "Cherry might've gotten the wrong idea, Tiana and Mr. Doonan aren't in the same situation as Ludwik and our mom. Why are you giving her such advice?" "Blaming me? Wasn't it you who taught Cherry 'Every man for himself, heaven and earth be damned"?" Danny retorts, pouting at his brother.

"But I didn't tell her to apply it like this. You're teaching the kid to be naughty."

"I did not! Isn't it for Cherry to have a dad?"

As the brothers start to bicker, Whitney steps out of the study, "Danny, Sammy, what's going on?"

"Don't worry about it." Ludwik's towering frame blocked her path, seizing the rare moment of solitude afforded by the departure of the two younger ones, he wasn't about to let it slip away. "Aren't we supposed to hash out some serious business about the Sheldon Group? Those two brothers, thick as thieves, always roughhousing. Whitney, you're still hurt. Lie down, and I'll massage your leg for you."

"Don't you dare touch me. It's totally unnecessary," Whitney snapped, sidestepping his outstretched hand as if it burned.

The man's Adam's apple bobbed in the dim light, an unexpectedly seductive sight. Her heart skipped a beat, her body reacting as though it was still under the influence of medication. His mere presence made it hard for her to keep her composure.

She fought to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks, resorting to sarcasm to keep him at bay. "We hardly know each other. Don't get any ideas about getting handsy with me. Besides, you're not gonna fix anything. Maybe you should just quit flirting and resign yourself to a life of solitude." Ludwik's expression darkened, his lean, muscular body suddenly closing the distance between them. "Don't tempt me to take you down a peg! Tell me, did you or did you not enjoy that night to the fullest?"