Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 924

"What do you really want?" Tiana knew Barclay was caught off guard and definitely not pleased about it.

Barclay frowned, now that Parker was secretly protecting Fabian, his and Endora's influence at the police department was worth nothing. With the person set free, the initiative had essentially shifted to Tiana's hands. How could Endora's plan proceed now?

He had to discuss with Endora; feeling uncertain, he turned away to make a call.

At the hospital-

Endora had just received the news and was almost livid with rage. Without a doubt, Parker had intervened.

Damn it, despite being heartbroken by Tiana, he still quietly helped that... woman.

Grinding her teeth, the pain from her severed wrist tendons fueling her resentment towards Tiana, she thought for a moment and then said in a venomous whisper, "Fabian being released could throw a wrench in our plans. What we can leverage against Tiana now is her father's life. She wouldn't dare publicize the poisoning before we provide an antidote; she can't risk it.

But if you want her to agree to marry you, we still need to give her the antidote."

"Then wouldn't giving the antidote save Fabian?" Barclay grumbled in frustration.

"That's why," Endora narrowed her eyes and smirked coldly, "you give her half, got it? The other half, after the wedding."

Barclay was taken aback, then burst out laughing, "Right, you always have the best ideas!"

That way, the wedding would still happen, they would still hold Fabian's life in their hands, controlling Tiana. Once she and Barclay were married, she could forget about divorcing for the rest of her life, effectively ruining her life!

Endora's lips tightened maliciously. She hadn't anticipated that Parker would still defend that woman. She had thought that once Parker believed Tiana was after his wealth, he would grow to despise her. Even if Parker sensed something fishy about Fabian's murder case, he wouldn't get involved!

Now with Fabian released prematurely... Endora was caught off guard but thankful for her prior arrangements, ensuring Tiana couldn't make any moves. Just need to hold out until the wedding day, and her marriage to Parker would seal everything.

Moreover, Parker, in a moment of anger, had also implicitly agreed to marry her.

In his impulse to upset Tiana, he would definitely go through with the wedding.

The opportunity was hers for the taking.

Endora, calm as ever, delighted in her thoughts when suddenly, her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, her expression shifted slightly and she signaled to Alice, who quickly understood and dismissed the nurse.

With the hospital room door securely shut, Endora finally felt at ease to answer, "You're alone, right?"

"There's no one here, Miss Endora. Mr. Doonan has already left the apartment; I stepped out to call you."

"How are things on Parker's end?"

Since learning that Whitney was covertly investigating her, Endora had been worried Whitney might uncover something. So, she managed to plant a spy in Parker's household as a nanny, keeping an eye on his every move.

The informant whispered, "Last night, Mr. Doonan had two friends visit, and they brought a little girl with them. I found out she's Tiana's daughter, Miss Endora... She was brought over by Ashton."

"Cherry went to see Parker?" Endora's heart skipped a beat.

Wasn't that girl in Emperor City? She didn't come back with Tiana.

Did Ashton bring her specifically to see Parker? What for?

Endora immediately thought of Whitney, that ruthless yet discreet woman, weighing heavily on her heart, she asked, "How long did that girl stay in Parker's house? What was she there for?"

"I couldn't monitor the living room without raising Mr. Doonan's suspicion... The girl stayed the whole night! At one point, she even bizarrely offered to blow-dry Mr. Doonan's hair, ended up burning a small patch of it. I heard it from the old housekeeper in the living room, and now the girl has already been picked up by Ashton."

Blow-drying hair? Burning hair?

Endora's eyes darkened, her fingers tightening.

No need to guess, that girl was probably brought back to Banyan City by Whitney, specifically to see Parker, maybe... to secretly take Parker's hair? Why else dry his hair?

Whitney... Has she realized everything?!

A nearly imperceptible panic began to set in Endora's thoughts, her gaze turning stormy.

Alice approached, "Endora, what's wrong?"

Endora, pacing back and forth in the room with the phone in her hand, pondered aloud, "Mom, Tiana has a powerful friend named Whitney.

That woman might have already been secretly investigating the fake paternity test I arranged. Now she's let that Cherry get close to Parker, because only a child wouldn't raise Parker's suspicions.

That child might have already taken Parker's hair when she left his house!

Whitney... Her next move will definitely be to conduct a paternity test between Cherry and Parker.

Once she gets the results in her hands, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Alice was shocked, "But how would Tiana's friend know about something even Tiana herself is unaware of from three years ago?"

"Did I overlook something?

All this time, we've been too confident that neither Parker nor Tiana remembered each other, and that there was no evidence from that night.

I never considered that an outsider might see things more clearly.

Whitney is targeting me."

"That won't do, you're about to become Mrs. Doonan; we can't let this Whitney uncover the secret!" Alice's greedy eyes flashed coldly, "Why don't we take care of Whitney first?"

Endora's hand trembled, "She's the heiress of the Sheldon family from Emperor City! Mom, come to your senses."

Moreover, she's no simpleton. Why did she start by digging into the fake paternity test I arranged? Maybe she already suspected the connection between Cherry and Parker, but chose not to go straight for a DNA test?

She's plotting to take me down in one fell swoop, gathering all the evidence she can to expose me and clear Tiana's name!

No, I must stop her."

Alice took a deep breath, "Thank goodness you had the foresight to plant a mole close to Parker. We got a heads-up on her next move."

A flicker of malice passed through Endora's eyes. Whitney had left Banyan City a long time ago, her network here couldn't hold a candle to mine. Back when she was Elaine's lackey, she didn't build the kind of connections throughout Banyan City like I did. Whitney thinks she can handle a paternity test here... Ha.

-

Besides, Endora now had her own advisor, thinking of the ally who had recently returned to her side, her resolve firmed, her eyes narrowing.

At the police station detention center.

Tiana made a beeline for it, only to find Barclay willing to give her just half an antidote and making a new demand: she must terminate her pregnancy and marry him in a week.

She had to fight every urge to retaliate physically. Half an antidote, eh? It must be one of Endora's stalling tactics!

Time was running out. She had no choice but to grab the half antidote and rush to pick up her father.

Fabian was wheeled out on a stretcher by the police, with an ambulance waiting at the door.

"Officer, how's my dad?" Tiana, pale as a ghost, ran towards them.