Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 918

Nolan glanced at the little munchkin, who was quite adorable, and bore a striking resemblance to Parker.

Ashton, on the other hand, was wearing a grim expression. The usually tough guy softened his tone for once, addressing Cherry, "Hey, no tears now! I'll take you to your Mr. Doonan right away." "It's Daddy Parker!" Cherry pouted, correcting him as she tugged on the man's arm, "Mr. Fuller, let's hurry then. Leave this big-eyed uncle here to chill in the breeze!" Nolan: ...

First meeting, alright, I'll play the polite uncle.

Nolan reined in his temper, managing to pull off a somewhat friendly smile, "I won't hold it against you, kiddo. Whitney asked me to help, and I know where your Mr. Doonan lives." "Oh! Mr. Nolan, I actually know you, you're so cool! Please carry me to daddy."

"..." Do kids these days switch faces so fast?

Nolan was both amused and exasperated, a little devil in disguise. He snatched the child from the gloomy Ashton and headed towards his flashy Lamborghini.

"Nolan, you can leave now."

Catching up with the car keys in hand, Ashton asked, "Where's Parker? He didn't go back to the Doonan family, did he? Is he at Banyan City Mansion No. 6 or his lakeside apartment?"

"The lakeside apartment. Ever since he bumped into Tiana at the Doonan Hospital and went home, he hasn't said a word. His people are worried sick about him, thinking he might be ill, and they told me in secret... What was I supposed to do?" Ashton shot him a contemptuous look, "I'll get him to talk. What else are you good for besides messing things up?"

"Ashton, you jerk!"

Cherry, secretly gripping the seat, pricked up her ears, her large eyes filled with worry for Parker and mommy. She sighed inwardly, understanding that 'daddy' and mommy haven't been in touch lately.

They broke up, or rather, they never dated to begin with.

Daddy Parker yelled at mommy, calling her child a bastard!

Cherry didn't know what that meant as she gazed at her mommy's flat belly. Was there a new baby inside? Why was it also called a 'bastard' like her?

She was deeply saddened, secretly hoping it was Daddy Parker's child.

That way, she and Daddy Parker could become a family, and mommy's unrequited love would be fulfilled.

She had heard Sammy mention something about paternity tests.

She wondered if the secret mission Whitney gave her was to get a paternity test for Daddy Parker and the new baby in mommy's belly.

It was all too complicated for Cherry to figure out.

But she knew Whitney, beautiful and kind-hearted, would definitely stand by mommy and help them.

Clutching her fists, Cherry stared determinedly, "Mr. Ashton, Mr. Nolan, let's get going!"

"..." Nolan was speechless.

So, do you give nicknames to everyone this casually?

"Been watching too much Boonie Bears, huh?" he couldn't help but frown.

Cherry giggled, pointing at his handsome eyes, "Right, how did you know! You and Mr. Ashton are like brothers, tall and strong. One fierce, one silly - just like you two! Hehehe."

Ashton and Nolan were ready to rumble, faces as dark as thunder.

If this was Parker's daughter, they'd have spanked her by now, "Zip it, kiddo."

Deciding to lighten the mood, Cherry innocently asked, "What's wrong, did I say something incorrect? But Sammy said I'm very funny!"

"..." Nolan pinched the bridge of his nose, "Better keep your little mouth shut, you're funnier that way."

"Blah blah blah." Cherry stuck out her tongue at him, "Old man, you're nothing like my Daddy Parker, can't handle my jokes." This was a little devil in disguise!

Nolan was resigned; this mischievous nature must have come from Parker.

"Ashton, don't you think she actually resembles..." Nolan whispered, hinting at something.

Ashton glanced at the little one and quickly cut him off, nodding with a profound look, "Not just you who thinks so."

"Parker never suspected? Even Tiana didn't?"

Ashton was aware of some of the intricacies between Parker and Tiana, sighing, "That thing from three years ago, Barclay made it crystal clear with a paternity test, and Endora even had a miscarriage for Parker. Do you think they had room for doubt? I think they both wanted to doubt it, considering their hidden feelings. But fate played them dirty; it turned out to be his brother's child!"

"Sigh!" Nolan also let out a long sigh, such is life.

Watching the two adults exchange cryptic words, the clueless Cherry looked at Nolan, who then touched her cheek, "Sweetie, you're so beautiful."

"Sammy said men like you are players, I should steer clear." Cherry quickly scooted away from him.

Nolan squinted, speechless, "So you're Sammy's designated bride-to-be?"

"What?" Cherry was puzzled.

"Mind your words in front of the kid!" Ashton warned him to be mindful.

Nolan dropped the teasing, crossing his arms before magically producing a lollipop from his pocket.

Cherry's eyes widened in delight, cheering.

Ashton caught the scene in the rearview mirror, feeling a pang of jealousy. Nolan naturally had a more vibrant personality, appealing to girls of all ages, from two to eighty. Women loved his bad boy charm and endless tricks to amuse them. What about Valerie? Did she also fall for Nolan's thoughtful tenderness?

His mood darkened quickly.

In silence, the car arrived at the lakeside condo.

The dark lawn reflected the moonlit lake water, with bright lights shining from the condo's floor-to-ceiling windows, curtains tightly drawn, hiding Parker's figure from view.

When the sound of the car broke the silence, one of the guys immediately rushed outside, his face lighting up as if he'd just seen a lifeline. "Ashton, Nolan, you guys finally made it. Please, come in and check on our young boss. I swear, he's plotting ways to take down Tiana..."

He abruptly stopped talking when he caught Ashton making a 'zip it' gesture.

Only then did they notice a tiny figure in a white dress, stepping out of the Lamborghini, looking every bit the perfect little princess - adorable and delicate.

"This... she's that..." The guy, trailing behind Parker, had seen Cherry a couple of times before, Mr. Doonan's daughter.

Ashton, wanting to spare Cherry any distress from hearing Tiana's name, signaled the guy to keep quiet.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car alone.

Seeing this, Cherry wanted to follow, eager to see Parker.

Ashton frowned slightly, trying to soothe her, "Why don't you and Mr. Nolan stay in the car for a bit? I'm going to have a chat with Mr. Doonan first, okay?"

Considering Parker was furious enough to want Tiana gone, Ashton guessed something major had gone down. He decided to get the scoop from the guy first, hopeful to prevent Parker from displacing his anger onto Cherry.

The little one was pure and sweet, and it would be a shame to scare her. Worse yet, if Parker rejected her, it would break her heart.