Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 369

Why did they both look so stiff?

Jack scrutinized the mother and son, noting how the boy's attire was vastly different from the upscale neighborhood they were in...

A thought suddenly flashed through Jack's mind. He and Linda had two sons, but one had died...

This realization startled Jack. He instinctively pulled Linda aside and blocked the boy, his deep gaze fixed intently on the 'son'.

"Hey, hey, Dad!" Sammy reacted quickly, his eyelashes twitching nervously, "It's me..."

"Who are you?" Jack demanded swiftly, deliberately not giving him time to think.

Linda's heart was pounding; she was terrified Sammy would accidentally reveal his real name.

"I'm...Danny," Sammy said, clutching the sleeves of his shirt, "Have you lost your mind? Not recognizing your own son?"

But Jack frowned at the answer, "But I left before you. How could you possibly get here so fast? And all by yourself, without even a driver..."

"Come on! He just wanted to sneak a peek at me; why are you getting mad at Danny?"

Linda quickly stepped forward, deftly changing the subject, "Danny, sweetie, didn't I tell you the code last time so you could sneak in and wait for mommy?"

"Yeah, yeah, I wanted to surprise mom before dad got home!"

"Surprise indeed," Linda muttered to herself, feeling a mix of emotions.

Sammy didn't dare say more. He hadn't coordinated his story with Danny and didn't know what dad had told Danny before leaving!

Jack watched the exchange between mother and son, suspicious.

Danny's response clearly didn't match his behavior at the house; he had refused to come see Linda, and it seemed he hadn't planned on going out.

Jack pondered, taking out his phone, ready to call the house phone.

Linda, quick as ever, saw him dialing and broke out in a cold sweat. If Danny picked up at home, their cover would be blown!

Sammy was also panicking. He glanced at his smartwatch, unable to coordinate their stories in front of Jack.

"Mom, weren't we going to watch a movie? Let's go!" Sammy loudly suggested, hinting at Linda.

"Oh, right!" Linda nodded vigorously, pulling Jack along, "You coming?"

"Huh?" Jack got distracted and turned to look at her.

Linda stared at his finger hovering over the 'call' button, "You coming to the movies or what?"

"Sure." Jack pocketed his phone, his long legs carrying him to the elevator, not giving Linda a chance to change her mind.

"Great," Linda thought, "If only I had said you can't stand at my doorstep. Leave."

She felt tricked.

What was supposed to be a movie outing with her son had now unwittingly included an unwanted guest. Linda shot Sammy a disgruntled look in the car.

Sammy blinked innocently back at her; he was just as helpless, now having to divert his dad's attention with a movie.

Sure enough, Jack seemed to forget all about verifying their story as he drove, occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror but Linda wouldn't even spare him a glance.

"Danny, what movie did you pick?" Jack asked.

"The Journey of King Arthur, animated."

Jack's mouth twitched, suspicious, "Haven't you always hated cartoons?"

Linda was caught off guard. Danny was too cool for cartoons.

Sammy, though mature for his age, still had the heart of a child and loved animated films.

She quickly intercepted, glaring at Jack, "It was my choice. Got a problem?"