Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 974

Whitney frowned as she stepped out of the visitation room, her informant waiting right at the door.

"Ms. Valentine, did you get anything out of her?" He was one of the local PD officers.

Shaking her head, Whitney wasn't surprised that Endora stuck to her story. She would definitely side with Elaine, brainwashed and all.

Suddenly, Whitney asked, "Endora was brought in yesterday, right? Where was she held?"

"Uh, in the detention center, Ms. Valentine... Do you think they've been cooking up stories together?"

"They might've been put in the same cell, which is against the rules! What's going on with your precinct? Or is someone pulling strings behind the scenes?" Whitney was convinced Endora and Elaine had conspired.

But was it a coincidence, or did someone orchestrate their meeting?

The officer shook his head, clueless. "I'm just from the civil department, Ms. Valentine. I don't deal with criminal cases. Our detention center's small. And Elaine, being a witness to a kidnapping case, wasn't considered a suspect. Maybe the detectives didn't see the need to separate them?"

Whitney smelled a rat.

Yet Ashton denied having any influence over the police department.

Taking a few steps away, Whitney thought of someone who could expose Elaine's lies - Cherry.

Cherry had been kidnapped by Elaine and would remember what she'd done.

If Cherry could articulate her story, they could pin Elaine down for sure.

Deciding to visit Cherry, Whitney walked down the steps to her car and called Tiana.

Tiana picked up quickly.

"Tiana, are you still at the Doonan Mansion?"

Before Whitney could finish, Tiana, sounding anxious, cut her off, "Whitney, I'm not at the Doonan Mansion. I'm at Skyfaith Hospital, just saw Dad. But you weren't here, where'd you go?"

"..." Whitney was about to mention Elaine, but considering Tiana's recent ordeal, decided to hold off. She chuckled softly, "Got sidetracked. What's up? Isn't it good news that Mr. Melford is stable?"

There was a strange silence on the other end.

Then, Tiana's breathing sounded frantic and heavy.

"Tiana..."

"I argued with Parker. I told him the child I lost was his, and... he freaked out."

Tiana's voice was heavy with emotion, nearly breaking, "Whitney, I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. You know what he said? After I woke up, he came rushing to propose, talking about how having a son would make Winston accept me, stop him from trying to break us up... It broke my heart, remembering the child we lost. And sure enough, he couldn't forgive me. He couldn't understand my desperation..."

"Hold on!" Whitney was stunned, barely processing Tiana's rapid confession.

It felt like a bomb had exploded in her mind, making it hard to focus on what Tiana was sobbing about next.

"What the hell is going on? Tiana, who told you to spill about the miscarriage and that it was his?"

"But, but..." Tiana was baffled by the scolding, "I felt like I had no choice."

"You always have a choice!"

Whitney was infuriated by Tiana's impulsive reveal.

She bit back her anger, emphasizing each word, "If Parker doesn't forgive you, you have only yourself to blame. Tiana, could you maybe discuss things with me, your best friend, before making decisions? Thankfully, it's not a big deal!"

Whitney took a breath, rolling her eyes, but her lips curved into a wry smile, "Lucky for you, I had a backup plan during your surgery. Otherwise, with your EQ, you two would've been done for!"

"...What?" Tiana was utterly confused, not catching on.

Before she could piece anything together, Whitney abruptly ended the call, leaving Tiana in a whirlwind of thoughts and a cold sweat in her palms...

-

After some digging, Whitney quickly located Parker.

The guy had hit a bar, drowning his sorrows with hard liquor in the middle of the day at one of Banyan City's most vibrant spots.

When Whitney kicked open the VIP room door, she caught sight of several scantily clad girls being ushered out, their faces etched with fear.

Raising an eyebrow, Whitney stepped aside, letting them pass without a word.

As the ladies scattered like birds and beasts at her arrival, Whitney made her way in.

The dim lighting of the bar revealed Parker's brooding face, his anger seemingly fresh from a recent outburst. The reddish hue at the corners of his narrowed eyes and the absence of his usual silver-rimmed glasses painted him as nothing short of menacing, almost as if he was a moment away from throwing a punch. The shadows cast an ominous aura around him.

Whitney was momentarily taken aback by the sight of his disheveled allure, pausing before clearing her throat to announce her presence.

"Scram, you lowlifes," the icy man growled, hurling a whiskey glass across the room.

As the sharp sound echoed, Whitney shifted on her heels, her stilettos lightly tapping the floor, and teased him, "Guess you've got some self-awareness. Tiana has zero patience for those pathetic guys who hit the bars and flirt around after a fight."

Her light, mocking tone barely finished when Parker suddenly looked up, his eyes bleary from the alcohol.

"Whitney?"

"What are you doing here?"

His brows furrowed deeply, his face a mix of disdain and cold fury, "Did she send you? What, are you her messenger now?"