Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 322

Bryce blurted out, "Jaxon has escaped."

"What?" Whitney stood up abruptly, causing every executive in the room to turn their gaze towards her.

Whitney's face went through a quick succession of changes, making it clear the meeting couldn't proceed. She

gestured dismissively, effectively adjourning the meeting, and headed straight back to her office. "How could we

let him escape? The bodyguards..." "He took off when the guards were switching shifts. It's my oversight; | only

assigned two of them to watch him. | thought, given his severe lung injury, and considering he was under

investigation for manslaughter, he wouldn't run!" "...," Whitney was taken aback.

She squinted her eyes in thought, piecing it together-Jaxon saw her as a lifeline, a way to get out of the Bartels

family's clutches only to ditch her when he saw fit!

She had overlooked something crucial: If Jaxon testified against the Bartels family and admitted his guilt,

securing her uncle's release from prison, he'd still face a harsh sentence or even life imprisonment. People can

be so cunning and treacherous. Jaxon wanted to escape scot-free, to save his own skin.

Damn it!

Fury and frustration swirled in her mind as she thought about her uncle still languishing in jail. Without Jaxon

coming forward, her uncle's chance for a retrial was slim to none.

He would face the death penalty, while the Bartels family continued to roam free...

Whitney's eyes reddened with emotion, "Bryce, we have to find him, no matter what!"

"I'll have people search the city discreetly right away."

Whitney nodded, her brow furrowed in worry, "Now that he's out, he's a wanted man. With his ID, there's no way

he could leave the country, unless he plans to blackmail the Bartels family..."

"If that fool tries to approach the Bartels, it's as good as signing his own death warrant. They'll make sure he

doesn't see the courtroom!"

"My fear is that he's not thinking straight, trying to extort both of us for a quick payout. Playing both sides to

escape justice."

Whitney spoke coldly, enveloped in anxiety. She felt powerless as she dashed out, "I'm on my way now. Let's try

to pick up his trail. | hope he tries to blackmailfirst within these three days..."

It was 8 PM by the tWhitney dragged her exhausted body back to her apartment.

As she opened the door and was about to kick off her shoes, the nanny rushed over, "Sammy, you're finally..."

But upon seeing Whitney, the nanny's expression shifted, becoming evasive, "Ms. Valentine, it's you!"

"Where's Sammy?" Whitney glanced towards the living room.

But her son's usual playful figure was nowhere to be seen.

She paused, turning to the nanny.

"Sammy, he... he..." the nanny blocked her path, visibly panicked.

Whitney sensed something was wrong from her tone. She searched the master bedroom and the study but found

no sign of her son.

"What's going on, isn't Sammy at home?"

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Valentine... Sammy sneaked out at noon!"

The nanny had no choice but to reveal the truth, "He gavea glass of water, and after drinking it, | felt

incredibly sleepy. When | was napping, the little guy toldhe was going out to a bridal boutique in the

suburbs? | tried to stop him, but | couldn't get up. That's when I realized the water must've had sleeping pills in

i)

It's not the first the's done something like this, he always cback early on the previous occasions.

| thought he'd be back before you got htoday.

But there's been no word from Sammy, and he's not answering his smartwatch. | was afraid of your reaction..."

Whitney's face turned pale.

It was nearly 9 PM, and her three-and-a-half-year-old son hadn't chome.

Panic set in as she ran into the bedroom to check her drawer, noticing one of her sleeping pills was indeed

missing.

This clever little guy, she was shocked. Had he been sneaking out while she was busy these past few days?

What secretive plans could a child have?

But there was no tto ponder these questions. Whitney quickly turned to the nanny, "Split up and look for

him. He might have run into trouble!"

Could it be that Ludwik saw him sneak out and took the opportunity to snatch her son?

Whitney speculated, unaware of the nanny's hesitant expression.

The nanny was sent by Bryce to help Whitney care for her son.

Recently, Mr. Lutz had instructed the nanny not to strictly prevent Sammy from going out alone if he wished.

The nanny didn't understand Mr. Lutz's reasoning but chose to follow his instructions anyway.

Whitney searched the entire neighborhood for her son and made countless calls to his smartwatch, all to no

avail.

As she passed by the local police station, she overheard officers discussing, "This afternoon, a child abduction

case occurred at a bridal boutique in the suburbs. We've redirected all available police resources there..."

Whitney froze, remembering the nanny's words about Sammy mentioning a visit to a suburban bridal boutique.

Oh my God, could it be Sammy?

Without pondering why her son would visit a bridal boutique, she hailed a cab and rushed to the suburban police

station.

Tiana, having heard the news, met her in the lobby of the police station. Tiana speculated, "Could Mr. Lippert

have staged the abduction to make you give up on Sammy, to drive you to desperation?"

Whitney had considered this possibility on her way. If that were the case, and Sammy wasn't in the hands of

criminals, then perhaps...

Lost in thought, they entered the surveillance room, only to find Ludwik's imposing figure standing coldly in front

of the monitor screens, surrounded by the police station's top brass.

His handsprofile was set in a fierce frown, the tension and anger in him ready to explode at any moment.

"Mr. Lippert, this intersection caught a black van speeding out of a parking garage. It seems Elaine noticed

something was off, ran out screaming, and was abducted by the kidnappers as well!" an officer explained

nervously, glancing at the silent man. Ludwik's gaze remained fixed on the screens. Indeed, Elaine had cout

later and was taken in one swift move.

"Ludwik, why on earth is our Sammy hanging out with Elaine? Did you orchestrate this whole scenato snatch

him away fromfor good?" Whitney's voice crackled with an intensity that filled the room the moment Elaine's

nwas mentioned. How could Sammy end up so far from hwithout a reason? It screamed of foul play.

Ludwik, caught off guard by Whitney's sudden appearance, flashed a look of surprise before his brows knitted

together in suspicion. "What are you doing here, Whitney? And how did you cto know about your son's

kidnapping?"

"He's my son, of course | should know! Now tell me, was it you?" Whitney, barely controlling her emotions,

charged forward.

"What are you going on about? For all | know, you might've hidden him away on purpose!"

Ludwik's tone was anything but friendly. His boy had been staying at his place, spending twith Elaine - all

very normal occurrences. What was she insinuating? Ha! Back in South City, when Danny had a fever, she hadn't

shown the slightest concern. And now she decides to show up?

The thought alone tightened his chest. Danny was his world. Did she even understand what that felt like?

With a cool, dismissive glance at Whitney, Ludwik turned away, no longer willing to entertain her accusations.

He then directed his frustration towards the head of the police department, "Have you found out which gang is

behind this?"

"We're on it, Mr. Lippert. Just give us a little more time."

"Time? My son doesn't have time!" Ludwik bellowed, silencing the room. Everyone held their breath.

Whitney, momentarily taken aback, wondered... Sammy hadn't really spent twith his father, hadn't even

formally acknowledged him. And yet, Ludwik seemed profoundly concerned for him?

She was taken aback, puzzled, and somewhat intrigued by this unexpected display of paternal love.