Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 929

Whitney felt a heavy disappointment weighing her down, struggling to catch her breath as she reflected on Valerie's choice to hide away. It had been over six months since they lost any trace of Valerie, who had seemingly vanished into thin air. How was she faring now?

Seething silently, Whitney decided to focus on one issue at a time, her thoughts gathering back as she ignored Ashton's annoying presence. She grabbed Cherry by the hand and whispered, "Cherry, hand it over!"

Obediently, Cherry dug into her backpack, pulling out a small ziplock bag from the innermost compartment. "Here you go, Whitney. Mission accomplished! These are a few strands of Daddy Parker's hair!" "But what do you need them for? Are you going to do one of those... DNA tests?"

Whitney blinked, surprised. "How did you guess? Did Sammy tell you?"

"Yeah!" Cherry whispered excitedly, leaning closer. "Whitney, are you trying to find out if Daddy Parker is the dad of Mommy's baby in her belly?"

Whitney couldn't help but laugh, gently pinching her nose. "Sweetheart, you got it wrong."

"Wrong?" Cherry's eyes widened in worry. "Oh no! Don't tell me you're checking if Daddy Parker and Mommy are related? What if they are siblings? I don't want a soap opera plot twist; I just want a dad!"

Whitney nearly choked on her own breath at Cherry's wild imagination. "Calm down. You watch too much TV. For you, I'll make sure you get your wish."

"Really?" Cherry's eyes sparkled with hope.

"Yes, to help you have a dad. But let's forget about Barclay, the villain. You deserve a dad like Parker, even if he only sees you as his niece for now."

"Parker is so dense not to want me," Cherry pouted.

"Don't worry, I have a plan to win him over," Whitney said, confidently waving the bag of hair.

Ashton, overhearing bits and pieces, approached them with confusion. "When you asked me to take Cherry to Parker's house last night, did you do something else? I heard something about 'hair'. Are you planning a paternity test?" "You can't guess?" Whitney teased, not bothering to hide her plans from him.

Ashton's eyes widened in realization. "For Cherry and Parker?"

His shock was palpable. "I was just telling Nolan... But this is just a guess, right?!"

"A guess I intend to confirm," Whitney said with a smirk.

Ashton admired Whitney's cunning, privately acknowledging how lucky Tiana was to have such a resourceful friend.

"So, how will you handle the DNA testing without arousing suspicion, especially from Endora?"

"It can't be done in Banyan City. Too risky. I'll have Yael take care of it in Emperor City," Whitney explained, stating the necessity of discretion and the importance of keeping the plan under wraps until the truth could be revealed without endangering their scheme or causing unnecessary drama for Tiana.

Ashton agreed to stay behind to manage any potential chaos at Tiana and Barclay's upcoming wedding, while Whitney took charge of the DNA test, ensuring that the truth would come out, setting the stage for a dramatic revelation that could change everything.

---

The next day, Barclay forcibly took Tiana to choose a wedding dress and declared they would get legally married that afternoon. Tiana, feeling trapped and hopeless, could barely resist as she was dragged away, knowing that without completing this transaction, she wouldn't be able to secure the remaining antidote she desperately needed. Inside the car, her despair was palpable, the thought of being legally bound to Barclay filled her with nausea, a physical manifestation of her utter revulsion.

"Crack a smile, will ya?" Barclay seemed to sense her revulsion, pinching her face to force her gaze away from the window and onto him. Raising an eyebrow, his voice dripped with a sinister amusement, "Heard Parker and Endora are picking out wedding dresses today. If we bump into them, don't you dare look like you're attending a funeral. Embarrass me, and you'll answer for it. Pretend to be over the moon, at least. Don't make me teach you a lesson."

Tiana bit her tongue so hard she nearly choked on the pain.

Frozen, her eyes locked in a cold stare... Could Parker be so anxious as to set his wedding on the same day as ours?

What was he playing at? Trying to get under her skin or had Endora whispered sweet nothings, aiming to utterly outshine her?

Her heart twisted into knots, suffocating her.

Watching her suffer, Barclay let out a mocking laugh, "Keep lusting after Parker all you want, he's way out of your league! Quit daydreaming, sweetheart. Marrying you is like winning the lottery for someone like you. From now on, you better take good care of me, or you'll regret it.' Bobbing his head, Barclay seemed in high spirits.