Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Ludwik answered the call and heard Jason's voice on the other end, "Ludwik, Danny's with me. He reached out to Grandma this morning, and I had someone pick him up. We're at the mall, just bought him some toys. Come on over, let's grab lunch together."

Jason had a soft spot for Danny, having visited him in Banyan City even before he got to know Ludwik. Ludwik furrowed his brows, "Danny reaching out to Grandma means he misses her, not necessarily that he wants to see you. He's not big on talking to people he's not familiar with. You shouldn't have taken him out."novelbin

"Are you blaming me for wanting to get close to my own grandson?" Jason retorted with a scoff, admitting, "The kid indeed doesn't talk much, that's why I asked you to come, isn't it?"

Ludwik didn't object, "I've got a 30-minute international call. I'll see you afterwards."

Noon. The sun was blazing. But the mall was a refuge of cool air conditioning. Ludwik, a towering figure, arrived at the children's section on the second floor, where Jason, uncharacteristically playing the doting grandfather, was chasing after Danny, insisting, "Danny, it's chilly in here, and you've always been frail. Put this on!"

But Danny wanted nothing to do with this grandfather. Back when he was just 'Grandpa' during his visit to Banyan City, Danny thought the world of him. Now, having caught wind of the news that Grandpa favored Florence and was protecting her unborn child, even pushing for his dad to marry her this year, Danny's affection had evaporated. The moment he spotted Ludwik, Danny sprinted towards his dad, standing by his side, a clear distance from Jason.

"What's with the kid? Has he been spending too much time with Whitney, picking up a grudge against me?" Jason demanded with authority. Ludwik's brows knit tighter, "It has nothing to do with her. Let's not mislead the kid with such talk."

"What does this have to do with my mom? Grandpa, shouldn't you be reflecting on whether you truly like and care for me?" Danny shot back. Jason's gaze hardened, his breath steady, "You're Ludwik's son; of course, I care for my grandson."

"Really?" Danny's response was icy, his thoughts betraying him. You think less of my mom, believing Florence, the true lady of the Sheldon family, carries a child more noble than me, fit for the Lippert family's esteemed lineage? But with his dad there, he didn't want to cause a scene, so he kept quiet.

Tugging on his dad's sleeve, Danny muttered, "I thought Great-Grandma would be here. That's the only reason I left with Grandpa's bodyguard. Since she's not, and I've seen Grandpa, I want to go home now. Mom must be worried." He glanced at his smartwatch, which showed two missed calls from Whitney.

Ludwik nodded, signaling to a bodyguard, "Take the young master back to Delight Mansion, along with the gifts." Danny didn't resist, politely saying, "Thanks for the gifts. See you next time." With that, he was escorted away by the bodyguards.

Jason, seated at a diner, watched the boy leave, his expression unreadable, "Isn't that girl getting married? After she's married, Danny must be brought back to us, the Lipperts. The boy's too wild now, more talkative than before, but still..."

"This is the change Whitney and her

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brother have brought him," Ludwik replied briefly avoiding further discussions. Jason stared at his son, sighing after a moment, "Let's eat." The meal went on with little conversation; Jason tried to bridge the gap, but their relationship seemed more strained than ever. Thinking of his recent decisions for the Lippert Group, Jason felt

somewhat comforted.

Looking up, he suggested, "Why not merge your Skyfaith Group into the Lippert Group? It'll all be yours eventually." Ludwik shook his head, his demeanor unyielding, "Skyfaith's technology will indeed benefit the Lippert Group, but Skyfaith is mine to keep. As for the Lippert Group's future, once it's stabilized, you can do as you wish with it."

Jason slammed his cutlery down, "You're serious about this! You say you're helping me, but is it just to assist your old man? I've guarded this empire for decades. If not you, who should I leave it to? Isn't being the country's top heir a position worth holding?"

"Troublesome." Ludwik thought of Florence's ambitious gaze and Elaine's scheming ways, all drawn by his status, bringing endless complications. If he had nothing, could he then have Whitney, love without barriers or hatred? But it was too late for such thoughts.

Seeing his lack of appetite, Jason tried to console him, "Ludwik, you're strong enough to stand on your own. But a man needs to play the game of power and status. You may despise it, but you can't live without it. It's lonely at the top, yet vulnerability at the bottom makes you a target. Which do you choose?"

Ludwik remained silent. His father, a master strategist in power, always prioritized the family's interests above all. That's why he was pushing for the marriage with Florence, for a win-win between the Lippert and Sheldon families.

"The Lippert family's legacy you're imposing on me, as its heir, I have no choice but to bear it. But how I live my life is not for you to decide." His tone was indifferent.

Just then, Florence's gentle figure appeared behind him, "Ludwik-" Ludwik didn't even glance her way. Jason cracked a smile, glancing at Ludwik whose expression had suddenly darkened. Still, he stood up. "Ten minutes ago, Florence called me. Said she was at the hospital for a check-up. I invited her to meet me for lunch at the mall, thought we could also check out some baby stuff!"

Florence's eyes, full of an almost pitiful hope, were fixed on Ludwik's stern profile. The man abruptly put down his fork, his tall frame moving away from the table. "Then you two go ahead."

"Ludwik... don't you want to know about our baby, how the prenatal check-up went? When I heard Jason say you'd be here, I ran over as fast as I could wanting to show you Florence, beaming, tried to hand him the ultrasound printout. But before it could reach Ludwik's hand, it fell to the ground. The man glanced at her emotionlessly. "No need to see it. It'll probably end up a miscarriage anyway."

"Ludwik, shut it!" Jason couldn't help but snap. Florence had come to him that morning crying her eyes out, begging him to let Ludwik see her. Jason was worried about the stress affecting the baby. Besides, if these two were planning to get married, they needed to start building a rétationship. He managed to lure Ludwik out, using Danny as bait, but the guy hadn't said one kind word since arriving, only spewing doom and gloom.

"Stop talking like that. Florence's baby will be just fine." Jason walked over, lifted Florence's hand, and tried to place it in Ludwik's, "Since you're not in the mood to eat, go take a walk with Florence. Start picking out some baby stuff. You made this happen, you need to take some responsibility."

Ludwik remained unmoved, shaking off Florence's hand and walking away. Florence felt a lump in her throat, fighting back tears. Why couldn't he just show her a little kindness? Was she really that inferior to Whitney? Now, carrying his 'child,' she still couldn't garner a shred of his affection!

Just then, from afar, the flash of cameras flickered, capturing the scene. Ludwik suddenly lifted his gaze, his cold eyes scanning the distance