Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



At the crossroads between the bustling downtown and the quiet residential areas, the afternoon sun was blazing, leaving the streets relatively deserted.

Whitney darted into an alley, quickly sharing her location with Tiana via Facebook.

She soon spotted Tiana in a corner of a flower shop, looking utterly exhausted with red, sleep-deprived eyes - a clear sign she hadn't slept in days while searching for Parker.

"Tiana, over here," Whitney whispered.

Tiana hopped down from a stack of flower pots, grasping her hand, and peered around. "Barclay's guys just ran past this street."

"Then we head the opposite way."

"Okay."

But no sooner had the two women rounded the corner than they were abruptly stopped by a towering man.

Whitney looked up, getting her first clear view of Barclay - his features harsh, his gaze roaming over Whitney with a chilling sneer. “Tiana, your friend's quite a looker. Here to help, sweetheart? Don't worry, you two together still wouldn't stand a chance against me!"

Tiana, with a mix of disgust and fear, retorted, "Barclay, I'm not going anywhere with you. I've told you, I haven't found Parker either. I've given you his last known location!"

"Endora said you never tell the truth! Whether your info is real or not, let's talk about us, Tiana. I've known for a while that it was me you slept with three years ago at that club, and I heard you had my daughter. Endora showed me the pictures. You've been ducking and weaving through Banyan City, playing cat and mouse with me, but now that I've caught you in Emperor City, you're not getting away! I deserve to see my daughter! You think I'd let you and my brother run off with her under my nose?"

Spitting venomously, Barclay's menace was palpable.

Whitney, observing him coldly, thought how some men, even brothers, could be worlds apart. Parker's aura, though menacing, was founded on justice. At first glance, he seemed scholarly with his glasses; at a second, strikingly sharp. But Barclay? Likely the black sheep of the Doonan family, not just brutish but also foul-mouthed.

Feeling Tiana trembling beside her, Whitney realized the extent of Barclay's harassment back in Banyan City. "Barclay, is it? Tiana's daughter has nothing to do with you. You never raised her; what right do you have to see her? We've told you all we know about Parker. Now let Tiana go."

"Oh, feisty, aren't we? And who might you be to her?"

Whitney glanced at her phone, seeing a message from Cody and calmed down, pulling Tiana back. "Barclay, maybe you should inquire who Tiana's best friend, the heiress of the Sheldon family in Emperor City, is?"

"You're not trying to claim you're the Sheldon heiress, are you?"

Barclay charged forward with disdain, "I don't buy it."

“Heiress!” A group of bodyguards swiftly approached from the street corner, positioning themselves in front of Whitney.

Lifting her chin, Whitney declared, "See for yourself, Barclay. I am indeed the Sheldon heiress. Tiana is my dearest friend. You mess with her, you answer to me. Are you sure the Doonan family wants to cross the Sheldons?"

Barclay's eyes flickered with uncertainty. “You...”

"Bodyguards, keep him away!" Whitney pulled Tiana back as Barclay attempted to grab Tiana's hair. Whitney, reacting swiftly, smacked him. "You dare hit me?" Barclay glowered, "So you're Whitney, the Sheldon family's adopted bastard? What's it to you?"

Whitney glanced down, "Bodyguards, take action."

The ensuing clash was brief; Whitney's side had the numbers, and she quickly got the local police involved.

"What's going on here? Stop!" commanded the officer.

Barclay, deflated like a punctured balloon, had no choice but to restrain himself. This was Emperor City, not Banyan City; he couldn't afford to stir trouble.

As Whitney and Tiana made their escape, Barclay's eyes followed them with loathing, his voice dripping with resentment, "You think hiding Parker will save you? You have no idea the power his mother wields. You think the Sheldons can protect you? I could go to the President and have your whole family..."

Tiana, now in the car, finally felt a sense of relief, scornfully dismissing Barclay, "He thinks he can go to the President? The man's delusional. Whitney, how could I ever let Cherry acknowledge such a father?"

Whitney, pondering Endora's ominous words about the Doonan family's unknown depths and Ludwik's potential peril, shook off the thought and drove off, turning to Tiana with concern, "You weren't hurt by him, were you?"

Tiana shook her head, visibly frustrated, "I just wanted to pick up some flowers to cheer up Cherry on my way home. Who would've thought Barclay would tail me?

The last time he caught up with me, I lost a handful of hair in the struggle. At least I managed to get away fast enough.

It doesn't hurt anymore, though."

"Why didn't you call me the moment you left Ludwik's place?" Whitney gave her a helpless look, "Let's get you checked by a doctor when we get home."

"Yeah..." Tiana gazed out of the window, her exhaustion palpable. Suddenly, she added, "Whitney, I have this feeling... we might never find Parker." "Why would you say that?" Whitney gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"I spent the whole day and night with Ludwik, searching the area where Parker went missing. We covered hundreds of miles, but found nothing.

And that brick factory where he disappeared? It's perched right on the cliff, overlooking the sea.

All of Parker's men were found dead in the factory. No bodies, but there was a lot of blood.

Some of it had to be Parker's. I heard he got shot." Tiana's eyes reddened.

Whitney took a deep breath, trying not to think about the cliffs and the ocean. Parker was skilled and resourceful.noveldrama

She herself had survived a fall into the sea once, rescued by Orion.

With Parker's willpower, he could survive too.

"We'll keep looking for him."

Tears fell from Tiana's eyes, a hint of affection hidden within, "Ludwik's taking it even harder, refusing to give up hope. He insists on finding Parker, dead or alive."

Whitney thought about the deadline she had given Ludwik and fell silent.

Meanwhile.

A flashy Rolls-Royce parked at the entrance of an alleyway stopped the police officers in their tracks as they were about to take Barclay away. One of the officers, recognizing the newcomer, quickly bowed, "Mr. Nolan, what brings you here?"

Jarvis stepped out of the car, having observed Barclay for some time. He approached Barclay with a casual swagger and a slight smile, "You're Ludwik from the Doonan family, right?"

"And who might you be?"