Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 865

"Sammy, Danny being happy makes me happy too! And, you know, Great-grandma and Great-grandpa have been real sweet to us. I've been watching them these past few days, and they're not just buttering us up to win custody or anything." Whitney nodded in agreement, noticing the same thing.

"And hey, if you guys ever wanna come over, Mommy's all for it. Especially to spend some time with Great-grandma, considering her age and all."

Sammy nodded, then shifted the conversation, furrowing his brows, "Mom, is Bryce totally done for?"

"He's made a complete fool of himself online, his reputation is in tatters.

Your deadbeat dad said he'd make sure Bryce's business goes belly up in no time, seeing as Bryce is dealing with loans and breach of contract issues. He won't have a leg to stand on in Emperor City after this."

"That's for the best! Under all this pressure, he wouldn't dare not sign the divorce papers. If it goes to court, he's in for a world of hurt." Sammy squinted slightly, sighing, "Looks like our good days are finally on the horizon, huh?" Even though it was supposed to be a happy remark, Whitney couldn't help but feel her son was burdened with something heavy.

"Sammy, what's on your mind? You know you can talk to me," Whitney always had a keen sense for Sammy's feelings.

Sammy quickly gripped his laptop tighter, his eyes darkening, but he shook his head with a smile, "Nothing's wrong, Mom. Look, Great-grandma is calling us for dinner!"

Whitney turned to see the elderly lady in her wheelchair, smiling and beckoning them over.

The conversation between mother and son was interrupted, and Whitney, exhausted from playing soccer, stood up from the grass, one hand holding her high heels and the other holding Sammy's.

Her delicate feet contrasted against the soft green grass.

Ludwik, tall and imposing, watched from a distance. The sight of her toes, pink and tender like milk under the sunlight, was both adorable and enticing.

He cleared his throat subtly, trying to calm his breath as he loosened his tie.

"Dinner time! Today, Grandpa made shrimp scampi and corn with pine nuts," he said, glancing at Sammy.

Danny cheered, "Sammy, it's all your favorites! I think Grandpa and Dad are trying to win you over."

"Come on, it's all about being fair," Sammy said, a rare blush coloring his cheeks.

Whitney relaxed as she watched her sons playfully bicker, her gaze inadvertently catching Ludwik's. The perfectly proportioned man was also silently observing her, causing her heart to race unexpectedly. She quickly looked away.

Ludwik, amused, smiled but remained silent, taking the high heels from her hands naturally, "Let me clean these for you!" "You..."

Before she could protest, he took the heels and headed into the bathroom.

Sammy quietly observed the interaction between his deadbeat dad and mom, feeling the harmonious atmosphere in the house. The Lippert family elders had been putting their hearts into making him and Danny happy. Although his parents weren't back together, the family vibe was unmistakably there.

If Ludwik ever won Mom back, their family of four living together with the elders would be just as warm and filled with laughter.

Sammy took a deep breath, knowing once Bryce was dealt with by his dad, everything would soon settle.

Without Bryce to back her, Florence was all alone.

He hadn't found the chance to talk to his dad about Florence...

His dad had been too busy, and the matter was delicate. Sammy hadn't found the right moment.

However, he had been keeping tabs on Florence's whereabouts, aware that Bryce had confined her since yesterday.

He knew where she was hidden!

Now, he had to reveal that secret to his dad, knowing Florence's situation could explode into a major scandal, but Sammy wanted to protect his siblings and have his dad deal with Florence! After a harmonious dinner.

Unaware of the brewing storm, Danny suggested setting off fireworks, happily dragging Whitney to find the firework tubes Heidi had bought.

Ludwik, ever the doting husband, naturally wanted to follow and spend more time chatting with Whitney.

But a small figure blocked his way.

Ludwik looked down to see Sammy holding his laptop, an unusually cold expression on his face.

The man immediately crouched, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "Sammy, what's wrong? You needed to talk to Dad about something important?"

"I do," Sammy answered, "Something very important."

Ludwik's eyes narrowed as he followed his son upstairs to the study, a rare call of "Dad" from Sammy sending a rush of emotion through him.

Closing the study door behind them, Ludwik placed his son on the sofa, sitting down with his legs crossed, hands clasped, "What did you want to tell Dad?" Sammy's eyelashes trembled heavily as he opened his laptop, "Ludwik, what I'm about to say is serious, and it's going to be tough. I hope you're prepared." The man stared at his son, lips pressed tight, "Go on."

He feared his son was facing a serious problem.

Sammy took a deep breath, "Do you remember a few months back, when you took Florence to the hospital for an abortion in the middle of the night, and I interfered, helping her escape? You were disappointed and asked me why." Ludwik's heart skipped a beat, his mind racing back to that night.

Sammy's actions had been so out of character, and despite discussing it with Ashton and Felix, the mystery remained unsolved.

Now, with Sammy bringing up old wounds, Ludwik's expression darkened with each passing second.

He stared intently at his son, "You're talking about Florence?"

Sammy locked eyes with his dad, and even through the stern gaze, he could see his father's pupils turn icy, his expression tensing up. Nodding slightly, Sammy gathered all the courage he had, sifted through the data on his laptop, and prepared to drop the bombshell. With his eyes squeezed shut as if bracing for impact, Sammy said, "You might have had your suspicions, but I bet you never dared to believe them. Otherwise, you wouldn't have ceased your investigation into me.

But-Ludwik, what I'm about to tell you about Florence's pregnancy will shock you.

It... it wasn't conceived the natural way.

Yet, it... is indeed yours."

"What?" Ludwik's face paled, his mind racing. Was Florence involved in some kind of artificial insemination? But he was certain, beyond a doubt, that Florence never had access to his... well, his contribution! And if it was solely his, given Sammy's disdain for him at that time, why would Sammy protect the unborn child?

That means... it could only be...

In disbelief, Ludwik lifted his gaze, staring Sammy down.