Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1083

From the moment Bryce picked her up from the airport last night, his acting had been flawless—better than Florence's, even. That wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Parisa was sharp, too sharp. She saw right through Bryce's "words." Florence watched Parisa out of the corner of her eye, a chill settling in her gut, unable to decipher what thoughts lay behind the woman's calculating gaze.

Bryce had warned her, once they reached Banyan City, to keep a close eye on Parisa. Florence still couldn't figure out why Parisa insisted on visiting Banyan City. A sense of unease prickled at her mind, but she was determined not to let Parisa remember anything.

Ha. Banyan City had little more than Faulkner Tennyson's grave. There was no one left who could remind Parisa of the past. Whitney wasn't even there. What did Parisa hope to recall? If she was going to regain her memory, she would've done it years ago.

Florence suppressed her anxiety. Bryce had already arranged everything at the cemetery; nothing could go wrong. Her lips curled into a cold smile as she reassured herself.

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The morning air had a crisp chill to it.

Ludwik parked the Bentley in front of the children's hospital. As he stepped out, he lowered his head and coughed softly. Parker emerged from the passenger side, noting the sharpness of Ludwik's suit, though his face bore the telltale signs of a sleepless night. The deep furrow in his brow was hard to miss. "Ludwik, you look like you’re coming down with something. Haven’t stopped for days. Should we get you some medicine?"

Ludwik shot him a glance but didn't respond, heading straight for the neonatal unit.

On the third floor, he instinctively softened his steps as he exited the elevator. Parker noticed Ludwik's cautious demeanor and followed suit, lowering his own voice.

The two approached the NICU, where the door was ajar. Parker was about to step inside when Ludwik's long hand stopped him. From inside, he heard a familiar voice.

Whitney rose from the couch, her eyes fixed on the sleeping child in the incubator. She gently adjusted the tiny blanket and glanced at the monitor's readings. Then she took a few steps away, phone in hand.

Her mood was somber, her brows furrowed, lips pale from a sleepless night. Her eyes were slightly swollen, a telltale sign of tears shed during her call with Tiana. She had just shared the news about the baby.

After a long silence, Tiana finally responded, her voice filled with shock, "Whitney... I can't believe it. I had no idea! Ludwik kept this from you for ten months? And the baby... she grew inside Florence?"

Whitney sighed, "I didn't want to believe it either, but the DNA test this morning confirmed it. She's my daughter."

Tiana gasped, "Can you accept her? A little girl?"

"Yes, a daughter."

"What are you going to do?" Tiana asked, concern and a touch of pity in her voice. "You said she’s really sick?"

"She was mistreated in Florence's womb, and she was born prematurely. The doctors say she needs lung surgery. I'm heartbroken," Whitney's voice cracked.