Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Elaine had vanished from the hospital, a clear sign that something was off...

Ludwik roared at Felix, "Scour the whole city for Elaine, check all the properties owned by the Bartels family in Banyan City. We must track her down." "Parker, rally the police force, get them to the hospital ASAP!"

Ludwik gripped the woman's wrist tightly, not allowing her to wriggle free, and looked down at Whitney, his gaze softening as if entangled with a myriad of thoughts. His voice was hoarse, "I didn't know before. Now that I do, I won't let anything happen to our child..."

Whitney, her eyes red, pushed him away. "I hope so. Your mother is more important right now. Let's head to the hospital's security room."This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Ludwik, with a cold look in his eyes, pulled her as they ran downstairs.

As night approached, Elaine, disguised, emerged from a villa in Banyan City.

Devin called her, saying the targets were about to be delivered to the predetermined location and asked for her instructions.

Elaine had perfectly covered up the 'hospital abduction' from the afternoon. Even if Ludwik became suspicious and had the police investigate, the surveillance footage from TriMed Hospital and the alibis would hold up.

Now, she had to deal with the old lady and the youngster in secret. Then, sneak back to the villa unnoticed, continuing to fabricate her alibi. Driving an unfamiliar car, Elaine and her crew headed towards the outskirts of Banyan City.

By ten in the evening, before reaching her destination, Devin's call came through again. His tone had shifted dramatically, "Miss, we've got trouble. We just secured the old lady and the kid in a house halfway up the mountain, and we were ambushed. All our men are injured, myself included, got a stab wound. No clue about the condition of the old lady and the kid inside the house now..."

"What?!" Elaine was taken aback, caught off guard.

Sammy and his grandmother were bound and brought to this ancient house, eerie and solemn.

During the abduction, Elaine had made sure to strip him of his smartwatch, GPS necklace, and any other suspicious items. He didn't cooperate and took quite a beating. The little guy, bruised and battered, was tossed inside. His grandmother's breathing was erratic, struggling without her oxygen tank.

Sammy kept using the techniques his mommy taught him to help his grandma breathe easier, but after all, he was just a three-and-a-half-year-old child, his strength limited. His eyes reddened from time to time, reminding his grandma, "Please don't fall asleep, okay?"

Natalie, gentle yet struggling, blinked and softly touched his little hand, her eyes seeming to say, don't be afraid, child, I'll protect you.

Sammy's eyes turned redder. He had barely spent time with his grandma, yet she was such a tender person.

Suddenly, unusual noises came from outside. Sounds of a fight! Among them was an elderly wail, one he recognized as belonging to one of Elaine's men. Then, all these noises vanished.

Sammy, puzzled, perked up his ears. Through the broken windows, a chilling picture formed with the drizzling night and the forest, devoid of any human figure. Where did everyone go?

Gathering his bravery, hands still bound, he got up and ran outside.

"No..." Natalie frowned in disapproval, watching her grandson's risky behavior.

Sammy had already made it outside, finding the area around the old house eerily empty. What was going on? Regardless, Sammy saw his chance. He quickly returned inside, "Grandma, grandma, there's nobody outside. We can escape now."

The little guy walked excitedly back to his grandma. However, his hands were tied with hemp rope, making it a waste of precious time to free himself and then assist his grandma.

"Can you get up by yourself?"

Natalie looked at him with pitiful eyes, gasping for air, her breathing increasingly labored. "Grandma!" Sammy, seeing her lips turning purple, grew anxious.

Natalie, understanding what he said about the absence of people, opened her mouth, uttering a hoarse monosyllable, "Run."

She urged the child to run, to not worry about her, pushing him away with weak hands. "What's happening, grandma? Stop straining yourself, I won't leave you... Grandma!"

Natalie was too exhausted and slowly closed her eyes. No matter how Sammy called out to her, she seemed to have fallen into unconsciousness. Tears streamed down Sammy's face, fearing for his grandma's safety. But his tiny body couldn't move her, and with this chance to escape slipping by, he was torn between staying with his grandma or seeking help.

After a few seconds of indecision, he took out a foldable pen from his pocket, dropped it on the floor, and then bit the pen to scribble a message on a torn piece of paper. He placed the note in his grandma's pocket, made up his mind, and ran out into the storm with a heavy heart and anxious steps. The rain was pouring heavily. The downpour made it impossible for Sammy to recognize any direction, his frail body darting through the forest, desperate and confused. He dared not shout for help, fearing Elaine's people might return. But he had to find help, to save his grandma!

Suddenly, a slender figure appeared down the slope ahead, holding a transparent umbrella, resembling a young girl's silhouette. At first, Sammy was startled but then gathered his courage, tentatively calling out, "Miss? Could you please help? My grandma has fainted inside!"

The figure remained silent, twirling a fancy handkerchief, and gently coughed. She turned around, giving Sammy a glance, her pale lips curving slightly, "Little friend, if you want to call for help for your grandma, I can show you the way."

As the girl turned, a flash of lightning illuminated her face, and Sammy looked up, his eyes wide. She bore a resemblance to his mommy. Was he seeing things? He blinked, his small hands twisting, his innate wariness kicking in.

"I can't move your grandma by myself, but we can find others to help," the girl said kindly, holding her umbrella as she moved forward.

Why did she resemble his mommy? Sammy was still in shock, suspicious of this woman's sudden appearance. However, facing despair, and knowing his grandma couldn't wait any longer, Sammy had no choice. Unable to find his way out of the forest on his own, he reluctantly followed the girl. Clutching at straws, Sammy hoped against hope that this girl, who bore a slight resemblance to his mom, wasn't bad news. He prayed she could lead him to the villagers down the hill...

He followed her, trudging through the mud, mind buzzing, unsure of how long they'd been walking.

Suddenly, she stopped under her umbrella, and Sammy halted too.

He noticed a sleek, pitch-black car parked by the roadside, its windows tinted so dark one couldn't see inside. A niggling sense of unease filled his young mind. He bit his lip, stepping back before turning to run.

"Drew," the girl called out softly. And just like that, someone grabbed Sammy!

"Let me go, let go! I need to save my grandma, who are you? Who are you really?" Sammy pointed at the girl under the umbrella.

So, she wasn't leading the way? She was capturing him. Because of that face, had he misplaced his trust in a moment of desperation? She was trouble!

The wind elegantly tousled her hair as she coughed lightly, squinting towards the car. She smiled at the sight of the little boy passing out from the struggle. "Take him."

Drew nodded, issuing orders to his underlings.

Meanwhile, the girl slid into the back seat of the car, where Myra draped a shawl over her shoulders. She cracked open a window, revealing a pair of serene eyes.

Drew understood, "Ms. Sheldon, the elder from the mountain has been moved to another location. You'll see her soon."