Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 956

"Ashton," Elaine's eyes widened with a hint of surprise, and she took a couple of steps towards him before stopping herself. Her gentle eyes suddenly filled with fear and pity, "What are you doing here?" "What's going on here?" Ashton frowned deeply, moving towards her.

Whitney stepped in front of him, her slender frame blocking the tall and sturdy Ashton!

The depth of Whitney's gaze was like a sharp sword, her look towards Elaine was especially cold.

Witnessing the scene, a chill ran down her spine, curving into a sneer.

Without making a sound, Whitney stood in front of Ashton, facing the cops, and demanded, "So, the long-lost Elaine shows up! What exactly happened here tonight?"

"Yeah, what's all this about?" Ashton chimed in.

Facing Ashton, Elaine took a step back, offering a bitter smile, "Ashton, I'm staying here temporarily. By chance, I saw this van kidnapping a girl, so I called the cops. It was only after Parker arrived that I realized the girl looked like Tiana's daughter... Quite a coincidence." As she spoke, Tiana's attention was suddenly pulled towards her child.

She frantically pushed through the crowd looking for her daughter, "Officers, where's the kidnapped girl? Where is she now?"

It was indeed Cherry...

"Tiana, over here!" Parker shouted from a distance.

Turning around, Tiana saw an ambulance parked three meters away from the corner, with a stretcher beside it.

Covered with a white sheet, a small bulge lay on the stretcher, unresponsive to her voice.

Tiana's blood ran cold, her breath caught in her throat, eyes moist with tears.

She dashed over, "Is it really her?"

"It's Cherry, but she's unconscious," Parker said, brows furrowed in guilt as he gently took the girl's hand, "Come hold her."

"My little Cherry! How did this happen...?" Tiana hurried over, frantic, "Why is she unconscious?"

Meanwhile-

Whitney looked at Elaine, whose appearance had slightly changed. The woman's once luxurious long hair was now a simple bob, her figure gaunt, cheeks hollow. Yet, that captivating skin remained well-kept, pale and clear. Her eyes, however, darted around Ashton's imposing figure like a lifeline.

Whitney sneered. She well remembered how skillful Elaine was at manipulation, how she had Ashton completely under her spell, believing every word she said. With her cunning, she had even fooled Ludwik Lippert for those three years.

This woman, her surface gentleness was a perfected art, always finding the right moment to ensnare men.

Sure enough, Ashton's gaze softened upon seeing Elaine's frail and impoverished figure, devoid of her once luxurious attire, now in plain cotton and jeans, a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes.

He asked in a low voice, "Elaine, when did you come back? You've been gone for nearly a year, left Banyan City, why come back and live in a place like this? And if it was a coincidence that you saved Cherry..."

"Ashton, hold on a sec." Whitney glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips, though it never reached her eyes. Irritated by his naivety, she said sarcastically, "The officers are here working hard on the case! I hardly believe that Elaine, after all her misdeeds, just happened to be here to save Cherry?"

Elaine's fingers stiffened at her side but she quickly masked it.

Whitney turned to the officers with a smile, "This Elaine has a history, probably unknown to the officers here. She was involved in a kidnapping case, so I have every reason to suspect that Elaine is part of the gang that kidnapped Cherry, working with Endora." "This..." Ashton frowned, puzzled, "Whitney, what are you talking about? She just said she's only just returned to Banyan City."

"You believe whatever she says?" Whitney looked at him in disbelief.

From a few meters away, Parker's voice cut through, cold and impatient, "Ashton, wake up. Whitney's suspicion is not unfounded. Do you really think Elaine would return to Banyan City out of the blue, just in time to save Cherry?"

As Ashton stared at Elaine's increasingly pale and frail face, his thoughts began to churn, slowly sinking into contemplation.

Elaine knew, Ashton was her only chance at redemption. People like Whitney and Parker would never believe her; she had to cling to Ashton.

Tears welled up in her eyes, on the verge of crying, "Whitney, Parker, I know I've wronged you in the past, made some foolish mistakes, and now you won't take my side.

But I... I had no choice but to return to Banyan City, it has nothing to do with anyone else.

I knew you wouldn't accept me, I was afraid of being ostracized, so I secretly stayed in this cheap, old house... If I had known, maybe I shouldn't have saved Cherry, shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess."

Whitney smirked, the familiar victim act, the same old tricks!

But...

Her lips curled into a mocking smile, "Elaine, don't rush to play the victim just yet.

Officers, you can verify later that this once esteemed socialite of Emperor City, Elaine, heiress to Bartels Pharmaceutical, saw her family's business collapse over illegal drug production!

Coincidentally, Tiana's father was framed by Endora Barclay, poisoned.

As far as I know, Endora had no access to pharmaceutical resources. So, who supplied her the poison?

Moreover, three years ago, Elaine and Endora were very close friends. You might want to look into that!"

The officer furrowed his brow, turning to Elaine with a skeptical look. "Elaine, are you acquainted with Endora, the mastermind behind this kidnapping?"

Elaine's eyes flickered with a hint of chill, surprised that Whitney had somehow connected the dots to Fabian's antidote.

She shook her head in denial, "I did meet Miss Endora three years ago, but we barely interacted. You're welcome to verify this. Anyway, tonight, I just happened to pass by, saw the van, and decided to make a call to the police. Believe it or not, that's the truth." "Belief requires evidence, doesn't it?" Whitney crossed her arms, her smile tinged with malice. "Officer, you must take both kidnappers and Elaine back for questioning!

After all, the kidnappers haven't confessed yet. Maybe they know Elaine!

And once Endora is caught, you can interrogate her thoroughly. They say when push comes to shove, everyone looks out for themselves. I can't believe Endora won't expose Elaine as the mastermind behind all this."

Listening to Whitney's words, Ashton's gaze deepened. Bartels Pharmaceutical had indeed produced illegal drugs, having once administered them to Whitney's uncle, Keegan Tennyson!

Could Fabian's poisoning be related to Elaine?