Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 318

Tiana didn't verbalize these thoughts; instead, she just implored, "Just be careful on your way, okay? And about last night at the party, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." "What are you talking about? It was me who slowed you down. You were trying to help revive my family's fortune, and I got taken down by Endora..."

"I won't let it happen again. I've realized, what's reputation worth, anyway? I need to learn to be as resilient as you. Anyone who's ever bullied me..." "I'll help you get back at them!" Whitney declared with conviction.

Tiana was moved and hugged her tightly.

"Whitney, you made my mommy cry!" Cherry wobbled over.

"Sweetie, it's not like that. They're just having a heart-to-heart," Sammy explained.

Whitney paused for a moment, feeling as if her warm-hearted son had returned. Just yesterday, 'Sammy' was giving Cherry the cold shoulder.

Only Cherry knew what was really going on as she winked at her brother.

They said their goodbyes at the door.

Held by the nanny, Tiana went outside to hail a cab.

At ten in the morning, the streets were congested, and the driver couldn't get through. Tiana had to walk a bit to meet him.

"Mummy..." Cherry felt uneasy outside.

She wriggled out of the nanny's arms and chased after her mother...

But with her short legs and wobbly steps, she soon lost sight of Tiana. When Cherry realized what had happened, she found herself standing alone at the curb, surrounded by traffic.

"Waaa, Mummy, where are you?" The young girl stood bewildered, on the verge of darting around in panic.

Suddenly, a Hummer approached, and Cherry's mouth formed an 'O' as she screamed, "Ah, Mummy, save me!"

"Parker?" a voice came from the car.

"Damn, hit a kid," Parker muttered, catching a glimpse of a pink corner of clothing and the puffy face of a little girl on the ground.

In that moment, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. His long legs kicked the car door open, and he rushed out.

kiddo, you alright?" the man's deep

palm was scraped and bleeding as she

her tear-streaked eyes met the towering figure before

face, strikingly handsome, seemed like something out of a comic

so handsome, even more so than her brothers, Cherry

man look

him on TV before, and

processing when strong arms lifted

embrace was warm. Cherry tilted her head, looked at Parker

through his glasses, got a clear view of the

frozen in a mix of shock, confusion, and

"Cherry!"

worried, "You little rascal, how dare you run off? Do you have

the man's enigmatic

Mummy?

secretly had a child in the past three years? He felt a tightness

did this little girl look so much like

the one holding Cherry,

your child?" the man asked with a strange

Tiana managed a bitter smile mixed with fear.

that moment, Endora rushed down from the car, seeing Parker holding that child, her heart

fixed on Tiana. "Parker, this child of Tiana's, I've been meaning to tell you, might actually belong to

if struck by lightning, unable to articulate his tumult of

Endora.

hiding, fearing the Doonan family would

were a whirlwind as she reached out to Parker, standing vulnerably in front of

Cherry again, feeling

His brother's child? Was his brother among those

he feel that this little girl looked

-

of medicine hanging on the door, labeled from a pharmacy. "Mommy, who sent

to find it filled with ointments for external