Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 970

"You never gave me hope, did you? Guess it just means we were never meant to be, fate's too thin between us. And this child... could've been a boy, but now he's just a casualty of us. Blame me for being heartless, I'll wear that badge.

You can't forgive me, fine.

But losing him, that's on you too."

Parker's grip on her wrist went slack, his arm dropping limply to his side.

He glared at her tear-stained face, anger and sorrow churning in his eyes, his heart aching so badly he could hardly breathe. He gasped for air, his lips pressed thin and white as paper. What a sick joke.

Fate playing tricks on him, erasing his memories on Saltland Island, and now this woman taking away his child.

"Could've been a boy, huh, funny..." Parker sneered coldly at Tiana, his heart shattered, his fingers tightening around her jaw, "How could you do it!

Tiana, how could you abort our child? Do you hate me that much?

Everything with Endora, I could've explained.

I asked you over and over if the child was conceived on Saltland Island.

You kept denying it, saying it was Barclay's... If you chose to hide it, why confess now?

I get it, you never wanted to marry me. Every time there was a glimmer of hope, you precisely cut it away. Does playing me make you feel good?"

Tiana shook her head in despair, "Parker! I know it's hard for you, but I told you now so you wouldn't have to find out later, to make it even worse. I wanted you to have all the facts, to decide if you could still accept me. Losing our child hurt me too, more than you'll ever know."

"I'll never understand, because you chose to end it!

I didn't even know about the memory loss when the child came into our lives, and even less when he left!

Was it really your decision to make alone?

Tiana, you're playing with my heart, and I truly despise you for it. Our flesh and blood, gone just like that?!"

Parker roared, his rage spilling out uncontrollably.

Tiana stepped back, frightened by his intense gaze. She wiped away her tears, her vision blurred. She then watched him turn around and storm off without a word.

Just as she thought, he was deeply wounded.

Unable to accept or forgive her.

But at that time, under immense pressure, and him siding with Endora, she was desperate to save her father. What choice did she have?

He couldn't understand, couldn't see her helplessness, the pain of losing a child driving him to irrationality.

This marriage, it seemed, was doomed from the start. There was no light at the end of their tunnel.

Tiana covered her eyes as tears soaked through, while Cherry approached hesitantly, having heard Daddy Parker's angry departure. She didn't understand what had happened. But she felt a sudden dread, their parents fighting again?

They hadn't reconciled yet.

Cherry, dragging her IV stand, began to cry softly, "Mommy, why is Daddy Parker so angry? What did you fight about? His eyes were all red."

"Yes, he's angry with me... Maybe he'll never forgive me, and how can I forgive myself?

If only I knew you were the sister of that child we lost... But there's no use in ifs or regrets."

Tiana, with red-rimmed eyes, walked over to embrace her injured daughter, "But no matter how bad things get between your dad and me, you'll always have a father, don't worry."

"How can I not worry if you can't make up? Where did Daddy go?" Cherry pouted, "If Daddy won't talk to you, can you ask Whitney to talk to him?"

Tiana snapped back to reality, remembering Whitney's call.

She reached for her phone to call Whitney back, but saw a text message instead.

The message made Tiana's heart skip a beat: "Tiana, Mr. Melford survived the transplant rejection and his vitals are stabilizing. He might wake up soon."

"That's wonderful." A spark of hope lit up Tiana's eyes.

Finally, something was going right!

Distracted for a moment, she tried calling Whitney again.

But Whitney didn't pick up, probably busy at the hospital.

Tiana didn't wait any longer. She glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom, planning to change clothes and meet Whitney at the hospital. She'd see her father and then talk to Whitney about Parker...

-

Ten minutes earlier.

Whitney stepped out of Fabian's room, removing her mask and stretching her tired limbs.

She had tried calling Tiana, who didn't answer, probably still overwhelmed by the situation. Whitney then sent a text.

Her phone had a video from the Doonan family's servants, showing her sons doing well at the Doonan's villa.

Whitney smiled at the video, her gaze drifting to Ludwik's Facebook page.

It had been over a week since she arrived in Banyan City, dealing with Tiana and Parker's situation. Yet, Ludwik, that man, hadn't called her once in nearly ten days!

Whitney felt frustrated and couldn't help but worry.

She had told Ludwik off, asking him not to contact her, and she wouldn't inquire about his trip. Their relationship was at a standstill.

Sammy, usually the one to keep her updated on Ludwik, hadn't called in a week either.

Everyone seemed to be hiding something about Ludwik's "business trip"....

Wondering what he was up to, Whitney frowned, her fingers hesitating over Ludwik's chat window before remembering his phone was with Felix.

She sighed, turning off her screen.

Just then, her phone rang.

Whitney glanced at her phone, noticing a call from a local Banyan City number. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered something urgent. She stepped away to answer, "Hello, who's this?"

"Ms. Valentine, regarding Elaine, who was detained at the local precinct, after several rounds of questioning and corroborating statements from other suspects, we've confirmed she wasn't involved in the kidnapping. She'll be released after the paperwork is done by noon." "What?!" Whitney's voice was tinged with disbelief. "That's impossible."

"Parker ordered last night that the chief give her case a thorough examination!

Those six kidnappers and the arrested Endora, they all knew her. It's impossible they didn't implicate her!"

The person on the other end sounded nervous, "The chief, under pressure from you and Parker, did interrogate her thoroughly. But, surprisingly, not only did the six kidnappers claim they didn't know Elaine, but Endora also didn't implicate her. Endora admitted to being the mastermind behind the crime. The case is moving to the next phase of legal proceedings..."