Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Sammy gave his mom a look that was half exasperation, half amusement. "I've never come across that saying before. Is that one of your originals? Enjoying sweets is a kid's delight, Mom. You can set the limits, but you can't strip away the joy. Just a friendly reminder."

Whitney's pretty face darkened instantly.

Arguing with Sammy was a battle she seldom won. His points were always well articulated, delivered with a gentleman's grace and a seriousness that left little room for rebuttal.

She pursed her lips in frustration, pointing at the two of them as she muttered, "Bringing up two little troublemakers just to give me grief. Boys just don't have the same knack for thoughtfulness as girls."

The room fell silent.

Danny's brain buzzed, and his heart skipped a beat. He looked up thoughtfully and whispered, "Mom... would you have liked a daughter?"

"What?" Whitney was puzzled.

"Danny!" Sammy quickly intervened, fearing his brother might blurt out more than necessary. He chuckled, "What mom hasn't dreamt of having a daughter at some point? You've had those moments too, haven't you, Mom?"

That caught Whitney off guard.

She scrunched up her nose, her beautiful face looking a bit bewildered as she scratched her head, thinking hard.

Actually, she shook her head, "I haven't really thought about it. I was young when I had you guys, and that year was so filled with ups and downs with your father, there was hardly a good moment. Without positive feelings, how could I have fantasized about having another child, a daughter?"

Danny felt a pang of disappointment.

He understood the probing nature of Sammy's question.

Clearly, Mom had no clue about once being pregnant.

The embryo, their sister, was taken away before Mom could even know... Just thinking about it was painful. How to broach this subject with Mom to make her understand?

Sammy's expression dimmed as he softly smiled, "Mom, life sometimes throws unexpected surprises our way. Maybe down the line, you and Dad will have another baby, a girl. Our family would flourish even more."

"That's impossible. And I don't want anything to do with him."

Just thinking about Ludwik, that icy man, filled Whitney with indignation, and she instantly rejected the idea.

Danny shot Sammy a helpless glance.

Sammy signaled him to zip it.

The risky topic was dropped.

Sammy's insinuations went over Whitney's head as she ruffled her children's hair, "Arguing and not eating, don't get too cheeky with me.

No desserts for you. If you're not eating, you can go hungry. Off you play."

When Mom got strict, she was truly unyielding.

Sammy knew this all too well from a young age.

He nodded, taking Danny by the hand as the two kids quietly went upstairs.

Whitney watched their retreating backs, shook her head, and picked up the dinner plates to take to the kitchen.

After a quick cleanup, she washed her hands and sliced some fruit.

Though she denied them dessert, she still wanted to make sure they ate something healthy.

Arranging the fruit on a plate and pouring two glasses of milk, Whitney carried the tray upstairs to the kids' room.

The Lippert family's cozy house, with its European-styled staircase carpeted in cashmere, was designed to keep their feet warm, ensuring a silent walk up the stairs.

Whitney approached the door to the children's room, intending to knock.

But then, she paused, her delicate fingers hesitating.

The room was unusually quiet... It was unlikely the boys were not up to some mischief. Suddenly, remembering their behavior over the past few days, she softened her approach.

Since returning from the hospital the day before yesterday, they hadn't asked to go out.

Sammy had seemed particularly evasive during that night's conversation, and despite her prohibition against going out, the boys hadn't protested these past two days.

Moreover, their spirits were low, and they were hardly eating. If it wasn't illness, then they were hiding something.

Whitney's intuition was spot on.

She pressed her lips together, silently turned the doorknob, and peeped in, curious about what they were up to inside.

The door opened to reveal the spacious, quiet children's room. LEGO sets and toy trucks lay untouched on the shiny floor. The boys were nowhere in sight.

Whitney leaned in, her sharp gaze scanning the room.

Then she saw them, huddled together at the desk by the window, whispering to each other.

Her brows furrowed.

If they weren't sharing secrets, why seclude themselves so far from the door?

She quietly set the tray down and tiptoed closer.

At the window, Sammy was working on his little laptop while Danny fretted, "Can we really find top-notch doctors in the black market? What if they're not legit, Sammy? From paying a broker to finding someone could take ages.

Plus, we'd have to ask Dad for the money, which would delay everything."

"I'm just testing the waters. You never know who might take the job in the black market. It's a gathering place for all sorts."

"But are they better than Mom?"

"Each field has its experts. It's different for every medical specialty," Sammy said, furrowing his brow.

Danny fiddled with his fingers, then glanced at his smartwatch, small but inte-capable. He muttered, "I've been looking at dolls these past few days."

Sammy shot him a glance

Danny's lips twisted into a shy smirk, "Why are you looking at me like that! Here I am, a hardcore dude, forced to start paying attention to these darn Barbies, figuring out which age group plays with which series. It's driving me nuts."

Sammy felt a warm chuckle escape him, "And yet you keep looking."

"No choice, dude. You handle the big stuff, I sweat the small stuff," Danny said with a cocky lift of his eyebrows, full of pride.

Sammy softly laughed, caressing his brother's smooth cheek, "You're amazing, Danny."

Danny leaned in, whispering with a laugh, "You're awesome too. We're both awesome. We'll make her proud as her brothers..."

Just then, Sammy spun around, his eyes locking onto Whitney as she approached.

"Mom?!" Sammy's face turned grave, a look of alarm in his eyes.noveldrama

The room was large, and Whitney had walked quite a distance to get to them. Their conversation was low and muffled, so Whitney hadn't caught everything.

Just then, Whitney's gaze landed on

Sammy's laptop screen, catching ă

glimpse of the dark web. Her

expression hardened, "What are

two up to? Dabbling in the dark web

at such a young age?"

Danny quickly put away his smartwatch, wishing he could throw it out the window.

The two kids straightened up like they were walking on pins and needles, their bodies rigid.

"Mommy..."

"Mommy..."

Whitney's eyes held an unfathomable glint, "Didn't you say you were just up here to watch cartoons? Sneaking into the dark web, looking for what? A

doctor?

What are you up to now? Buying action figures?"

She glanced at Danny, who was pale as a ghost.

Pretending to be more angry than she really was, she scolded, "Lying to mommy again, and into all sorts of odd mischief!"