Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 892

"Daddy?" Sammy blinked, then quickly focused on the man. "You mean to say these snippets of photos put together are... are..."

"I think the smile is a dead giveaway. Now let me check the arch of the eyebrows, make a comparison."

Sammy quickly whipped out his phone, scrolled to a candid shot of Mommy's face in full view, and Ludwik placed the photo next to the phone, scrutinizing the similarities... Then, his heart sank more than just a bit. Florence was cunning, distributing the photo in pieces to the doctor.

But piecing these parts together, the person she subtly tried to mimic... could it be Whitney?

Why would she want to resemble Whitney's face?

They shared half their genes, naturally bearing some resemblance.

So why the sudden pursuit of Whitney's brow arches, eye corners, and smile?

What's the connection to her sudden departure from the country?

First, the cosmetic tweaks, then the sudden disappearance, Florence... what was she really up to!

It was probably not just about hiding the child within her, escaping Ludwik's wrath. That seemed too simple.

Ludwik's breath hitched, a surge of anger burning his throat, spitting out a few words: "Bryce?

Could it be Bryce had her undergo the procedure, then whisked her away abroad? Bryce is bankrupt yet refuses to divulge her whereabouts, which clearly shows he had Florence do something crucial for him. Something so important, it required her to... look like Whitney."

In Ludwik's mind, it was as if a bomb was slowly detonating,

He lifted Sammy and left the hospital. "Felix, seal the doctor's lips."

Outside, Ludwik pondered over it and had his bodyguard call Ashton, "Ashton, you still down by the docks?

Got held up at Parker's end. How's your search going, any lead on Florence's escape route by sea?

She had cosmetic work done before Bryce sent her abroad, she must be carrying some secret!

Perhaps it concerns Whitney...

This is far more complex and urgent than I imagined."

Otherwise, there was no need for her to alter her appearance to that of Whitney's.

Ashton's end was chaotic, but he brought some good news through the phone: "If you're saying Florence had surgery to escape, I've got a lead on a woman with sunglasses and a scarf! Not too clear.

But Ludwik, I spoke to a sailor, he was in charge of the stowaways in the lower deck cabin number two.

I'm interrogating him, wait for my update!"

"Daddy, Uncle Ashton's got a lead?" Sammy was overjoyed.

Ludwik's brows relaxed, nodding at his son.

Sitting in the car, the deep night seemed as tranquil as still water, yet stirred waves in Ludwik's heart. What exactly were Bryce and Florence up to?

He felt, behind this, lay a greater peril, far beyond Bryce's intention to torment his unborn child.

Bryce's bankruptcy yet his lack of desperation was undoubtedly linked to Florence's departure.

Rubbing his temples, his eyelids shadowed heavily, he turned to Felix: "Check Bryce's financial transactions these past few days, regardless of where he sent Florence abroad, he couldn't have done it without greasing some palms." Felix was taken aback, thinking Mr. Lippert's reaction was swift.

No wonder, who could outsmart him?

-

At four in the morning.

Sammy couldn't keep his eyes open, overwhelmed with sleepiness, he woke up after a short nap.

Hearing Uncle Ashton's voice!

Jumping up, Sammy climbed out of daddy's resting room.

Outside, the CEO's office was brightly lit, Ashton had brought the questioned sailor, several tall men standing solemnly at the center of the office, the atmosphere grave.

Ludwik stood by the window, taking the tablet Ashton handed over.

The screen showed two red dots for location.

Ashton pointed at the sailor next to him: "I had him confirm the surveillance on Florence's figure, blurry, but the sailor remembered her because she was pregnant.

Pregnant stowaways, they take extra caution, fearing death onboard brings trouble.

You tell him!"

Ashton nudged the sailor forward.

"Yes, boss..." The sailor, intimidated by Ludwik's presence and Ashton's previous roughing up, confessed, "That night, the woman threw up twice in the lower deck cabin, she lost her temper at us, even demanded a cabin change. But we were instructed to protect her well.

Just before dawn, as the ship left Harmonia Country's waters, she switched to a cruise liner!"

"Which direction did the cruise liner head, into which country's waters?" Ludwik suddenly faced him.

The sailor fiddled with his fingers, "Heading south... not sure if it was towards Solis Archipelago or Banment Isle for a connecting flight."

Ludwik's gaze narrowed, Solis Archipelago meant crossing the ocean, "Solis Archipelago doesn't have an airport, right?"

Ashton shook his head: "No, it's a small island. If Florence went through Solis Archipelago, she was likely heading to Meridiona."

"What are the direct flight routes from Banment Isle's airport?"

Ashton immediately made a call to check, then informed Ludwik, "The only direct route is to Eurovoria."

Ludwik ground the cigarette in his hand, pressing harder, "So, Florence could have gone in two directions, one to Eurovoria, the other to South America.

Bryce, ensuring her safe exit, would choose either the most secretive or the fastest route."

"The secretive route is to South America, Florence's goal is to hide, right?

Then the fastest route would be the direct flight from Banment Isle to Eurovoria, since flight information can't be traced anymore."

Ashton frowned deeply, "So now, Meridiona and Eurovoria, which state did she end up in? Damn, how do we even start looking?"

Ludwik, however, remained calm, his gaze shifting to Felix, "Did you find Bryce's financial transactions?"

"Mr. Lippert, you've hit the nail on the head again. Just two days ago, in the afternoon, Bryce made a transaction through the Lutz Group, transferring over a million to somewhere in South America, officially for buying a coffee plantation." Ashton's eyes widened in shock. "Then Florence must have been sent to South America by him! Ludwik... we need to find out the location of that coffee plantation he bought."

However, Ludwik just gave a thin, chilly smile, remaining silent for a moment, his gaze deep and unreadable.

Felix watched his boss nervously, puzzled by the inscrutable sarcasm hidden in those dark eyes. "Mr. Lippert?"

"Felix, book me a flight to Eurovoria for tomorrow. I'm going to take care of this personally."

"What, Ludwik? Bryce made the transaction for Meridiona!" Ashton was utterly confused.

At first, Felix shared the confusion. But upon giving it more thought, he was astounded by his boss's decision.

Ludwik glanced at Ashton, his gaze steady and icy, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Ashton, knowing Bryce's cunning nature as I do, his transaction to South America is just a smokescreen. His schemes are beyond your wildest imagination. By going in the opposite direction, we're actually on the right track."

"But Eurovoria and Meridiona are both so vast, you can't just take a wild guess!" Ashton couldn't fathom where Ludwik's confidence came from.