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; I only assigned two of them to watch him. I 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. I hope he tries to blackmail me first within these three days..."

-

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

opened the door and was about to kick off her shoes, the nanny rushed over, "Sammy,

expression shifted, becoming

Whitney glanced towards the

her son's usual playful figure

turning to

the nanny blocked her

sensed something was wrong from her tone. She searched the master bedroom and the study but found no

going on, isn't Sammy

so sorry, Ms. Valentine... Sammy sneaked

of water, and after drinking it, I felt incredibly sleepy. When I was napping, the little guy told me he was going out to a bridal boutique in the suburbs? I tried to stop him, but I couldn't

this, he always

back before you got home

from Sammy, and he's not answering his smartwatch. I was

PM, and

bedroom to check her drawer, noticing one of her sleeping

little guy, she was shocked. Had he been sneaking out while she was

plans could a

was no time to ponder these questions. Whitney quickly turned to the nanny, "Split up and look for him. He

be that Ludwik saw him sneak out and took the opportunity to snatch her

of the

Bryce to help Whitney

had instructed the nanny not to strictly prevent Sammy from going out

didn't understand Mr. Lutz's reasoning but chose to

-

searched the entire neighborhood for her son and made countless calls

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

God, could

son would visit a bridal boutique, she

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

way. If that were the