Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 962

Cherry's eyes widened in shock, her gaze fixed on the man's stunningly handsome face. Her not-quite-three-years-old brain whirred at high speed, and after a moment of thought, she ventured a guess, "You claim to be my daddy... Could it be, you and mommy actually got married?" "Yeah! At the wedding, you made mommy take an oath, but I know it's not official until there's a marriage license. Did you get one? Are you planning to adopt me as your stepdaughter?!"

Parker and Tiana nearly short-circuited, Parker's handsome face freezing over.

What in the world was she thinking, binge-watching soap operas?

The heartfelt confession Parker had intended to make got stuck in his throat, ruined by the little one's wild speculation.

Parker, trying to keep a straight face, pinched her little head, "You're quite set on being my stepdaughter, huh?"

"Well, since I'm not biologically yours, I've dreamed of being Daddy Parker's little princess," Cherry said with a pout, looking even more dejected.

"Cherry." Tiana, noticing Parker's darkening mood, finally intervened. She took her daughter's hand, her voice serious but soft, "Your dad is Parker, he's the daddy you've been longing for. Did you understand what mommy said?"

Cherry looked confusedly from her mom to the man's handsome face and back again.

After a long pause, her eyes widened in disbelief, "Mommy, what are you saying? Are you tricking me?"

"No trick, Cherry. I really am your dad. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you before," Parker said, his voice deep.

His eyes were deep and warm, like the ocean, seemingly ready to drown her in their depths!

Cherry's tears started to flow, and after a long silence, she threw herself onto Parker's shoulder, crying and hitting him with her little hands, "Is it true? Daddy, daddy... You're so mean. Didn't you see it? I told you when I first met you that I knew you were my dad. But you ignored me, and so did mommy.

Nobody believed my little heart.

Then I stopped saying it, keeping you as my dad in my heart.

I thought I'd never get to call you dad, but now you know.

How could you be so silly, taking so long to recognize me? When I was still a baby, you didn't even come to see me. Daddy, you owe me so much, and I'm going to hit you for it..."

Her cries were heart-wrenching.

Parker's eyes turned red, fully understanding the disappointment and grievances in the little one's heart. She had lived in such tough conditions, probably lacking friends her age, until Ludwik's sons came into her life.

She was indeed lonely, trying to be strong at such a young age.

Parker swallowed hard, catching her flailing hands and letting her hit him, "It's all daddy's fault. I was foolish, letting my treasure suffer. Go on, hit me, let it all out."

In the midst of her tears, Cherry was suddenly laughing, her round eyes brimming with tears yet radiating joy. She smiled through her sadness, looking cautiously at Tiana, still showing respect for her mom, "Mommy... can I really call him daddy? Won't you be upset?" The question hung in the air.

Parker also felt anxious, using his daughter's question to gauge Tiana's feelings. He looked at her intently, waiting for her response.

Tiana, understanding her daughter's longing for a father, couldn't be clearer about the nights Cherry had clung to her neck from nightmares, calling for daddy to come save her.

A tear shimmered in her eye, quickly hidden as she smiled softly, "Mommy wants Cherry to be happy. There's nothing for mommy to be upset about."

"Wow... That's great!" Cherry exclaimed joyously, hugging Parker and showering him with kisses, "I have a daddy now, I'm Daddy Parker's little princess. My daddy is super cool and tall, and I want to tell the whole world!"

Parker looked at her with tender eyes, his lips curving in a soft smile, enduring the little one's 'assault'.

It felt good, the child held no grudges against him.

He glanced at the woman who had raised their daughter so well, grateful for her. She had taught Cherry to be warm and open-hearted, even when she mistakenly thought Barclay was Cherry's biological father, she didn't pass on any negative emotions or hatred towards him.

She was a great mom, and she had been through a lot.

With a heart full of emotions, Parker said, "Alright, Cherry, come down now. You just woke up, and mommy is worried about your health. Don't move around too much, lie down!"

Parker, as if waking from a dream, remembered Cherry's recent awakening.

He carefully placed her back on the bed, immediately pressing the call button for the doctor, eyeing Tiana, "Don't worry, she seems to be in good spirits, but I'll have the doctors check her over."

"Okay," Tiana replied softly, her brow furrowed in concern.

Soon, several pediatricians arrived.

Seeing Cherry awake and in high spirits relieved them from Parker's intimidating presence. Thankfully, the child seemed coherent and responsive.

"Parker, Ms. Melford, after our examination, the child's consciousness and cognition are both normal. Her physical injuries need care, but her cheerful mood and lack of trauma are promising signs.

If you're worried about ingestion of any substances, we'll conduct a gastrointestinal exam, though it might be uncomfortable for our little patient."

Tiana, cautious and concerned, asked her daughter, "Did you eat anything strange last night?"

Cherry remembered the previous night, her large eyes still showing traces of fear.

She clung to Parker's hand, her voice faint, "Those bad men made me drink water, probably so I wouldn't die of thirst. But that's it... I didn't eat anything else."

"And what about that bad woman you met in the neighborhood? What did she do to you?" Tiana was referring to Elaine!

But Cherry looked puzzled, shaking her head, "There was no bad woman, only bad men."

Tiana was baffled. How could her daughter have no recollection of Elaine?

In this kidnapping saga, Elaine was undoubtedly the villain of the piece, orchestrating Cherry's secret transfer to Harmony Community. She then staged a dramatic rescue, a plot both Tiana and Whitney had easily deduced.

Tiana couldn't wrap her head around it. Her daughter's sudden amnesia about Elaine was as perplexing as it was worrying. Elaine, after all, had played the antagonist in their lives, a role as clear-cut as any villain in a Saturday morning cartoon. Yet, here was her daughter, drawing a blank on someone who should have been unforgettable.

It dawned on Tiana that there was more to this story than met the eye. Elaine's machinations had been cunning, weaving a narrative where she emerged as the heroine from the shadows. But Tiana and Whitney weren't fooled. They knew the truth behind Elaine's so-called heroics, a truth that painted a very different picture from the one Elaine had so craftily constructed.

This realization only deepened Tiana's determination to get to the bottom of things. If Elaine could manipulate situations to her advantage so effortlessly, what else was she capable of? And more importantly, how could Tiana protect her daughter from the clutches of such a manipulative foe?

As these thoughts swirled in her head, Tiana knew one thing for certain: the battle of wits with Elaine was far from over. And she was ready to do whatever it took to ensure her daughter's safety and expose Elaine's true colors to the world.