Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 969

Parker spoke again, his voice softening, "Everything's heading in the right direction, Tiana. Marrying you won't be a problem anymore. Marry me, and once you're expecting our second child, could the old man ever stand in our way again? Those hard days are behind you, no need to be afraid anymore.

From now on, I've got your back, Tiana..."

His voice dropped to a husky whisper, enveloping her in a tender yet intense embrace, like a dark net capturing her heart.

The way he said 'Tiana' made her heart skip a beat.

Her eyes widened in surprise, moisture brimming at the edges.

He was proposing marriage? And talking about... having another child?

Tiana had never entertained such thoughts.

Moreover, the words 'second child' coming from his lips, so filled with joy, yet they stung her deeply!

She had been pregnant before, not too long ago.

Tiana clutched her stomach, as if feeling a sharp pain there.

She pursed her lips, her face turning pale.

Seeing her expression and her hand on her stomach, Parker grew frustrated. "Don't you want to be with me at all?

Or is it because you lost that child, which should've never existed in the first place, that you don't want to have my child?"

Parker, unable to hide his desperation, pressed her for answers. He wanted her love, to prove that he was different, that he mattered more to her.

"Could you forget the past and have another child with me? Despite everything, including your affair with Barclay... I won't blame you for that. Maybe he forced you into it, and I don't care whose child it was or the details!"

Parker's anger was palpable, his hands gripping her slender shoulders as he looked into her eyes, "We need to move forward. When we first met, it was special for both of us. Let's not dwell on the past. I want you, now and forever, to be mine. Let's have another child, forget about that mistake! For Cherry's sake, come back to me, Tiana..."

"It wasn't a mistake," Tiana choked out, gripping the fabric of her dress over her small belly, unable to bear his misunderstanding any longer.

"Parker, the child I lost... wasn't a mistake. You can't hate it like that. It was my fault for keeping it from you..."

"What?" Parker's grip tightened, his mind reeling, trying to process her words.

"It wasn't someone else's child you were carrying? Then what was it?"

His voice was cold, his heart racing, "Explain yourself..."

Feeling his grip, Tiana's heart sank, tears streaming down her face as she confessed, "The child was yours. It wasn't a mistake. It was conceived during those days on Saltland Island, when you lost your memory." "Tiana..." Parker's eyes reddened, his grip on her wrist tightening as if he wished to crush her.

He couldn't believe her words, shaking his head in denial, "You're lying again, aren't you? Is there any truth in your words at all?"

Impossible!

He had urged her to terminate that pregnancy, repeatedly calling it a mistake, his disdain clear.

If that child was also his... what had he done?

Tiana, why?

"Is it really mine?" his voice broke as he nearly snapped her arm.

Tiana, tears flowing freely, whispered, "Yes, it's your child. But what could I have done? At that time, how could I admit it? You and Endora were together, Whitney making excuses for you, claiming it was all for Ludwik's sake... At first, I believed you... But then, I found out I was pregnant, and you were still with Endora, looking so close.

I was devastated. I had to keep it a secret, especially since, at that time, everyone thought Cherry was Barclay's child. If I admitted to sleeping with you and getting pregnant, what would that make me?"

"I can't bear the weight of the world's gaze, Parker. I'm in too much pain. I thought about keeping it a secret, carrying the baby, and raising it on my own.

But then... when I came back to Banyan City because of my father's troubles, I found out you and Endora were getting married.

My heart shattered. My dad was utterly disappointed in me, thinking I brought shame to our family.

He pressured me to terminate the pregnancy. That's when I realized, this child had no future.

They would always be hidden from the world. So, I had Whitney arrange for a doctor... But how could I have known, Cherry was also yours. It's too late, Parker..."