Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 456

The morning sky was barely lit as Ludwik sped towards the outskirts of Emperor City in his sports car, heading for an abandoned junkyard.

A thick fog enveloped the area, making the black car, suspended by a crane among countless junked vehicles, almost mystical.

As Ludwik drove in, he saw Parker's crew guarding the black car while his own team of forensic experts and detectives were on their way. "Ludwik!" The sound of a scuffle broke the silence.

It came from Parker's direction. Ludwik's face hardened, recognizing the mysterious rival also investigating the black car-linked to Sammy's kidnapping. They likely aimed to destroy the car before Ludwik could find any clues! "Collect every fingerprint on this car, inspect every detail!" Ludwik instructed the forensic team, then dashed towards Parker, bypassing the sports car.

Unexpectedly, a rusted truck burst out from within the junkyard!

"Ludwik, he's getting away!" Parker shouted.

Ludwik's face was ice-cold as he returned to his sports car, slammed the door, and floored the accelerator, chasing the truck.

They were nearing a highway overpass. "Parker, we trap him before the overpass!" Ludwik commanded over the phone.

"I'm right behind you."

Parker's car was fast approaching.

The truck ahead panicked, swerving and crashing into barriers in a desperate attempt to escape Ludwik's relentless chase.

With the fog thickening near the overpass, visibility dropped.

Ludwik, with grim determination, pushed his car to its limits.

"Ludwik! Stop, there's a tanker truck ahead..."

Parker suddenly spotted a massive tanker, running a red light, aiming straight for the rogue truck.

"Someone's trying to kill the guy in the truck! Stop chasing him!"

But Ludwik, driven by the slim chance of saving his son, didn't relent.

Boom!

a massive explosion. The truck flipped several times before coming to a halt. The leaking tanker was a ticking

sports car, forcing

dazed and bleeding, stumbled out of his car, racing towards the overturned

to blow, Ludwik,

"What if he's not."

check, hoping the man

as he approached, the tanker and

the final moments, Parker tackled Ludwik to

in the dirt, watched the

and ignoring the blood trickling down his forehead, Ludwik lit a cigarette, his

get a good look

a look, I got photos. This guy was just a middleman;

this just proves Sammy might still be in Emperor City. And this is bigger

his face a mask of vengeance. "If Sammy was still with Elaine, she wouldn't dare play these

family under your thumb and Elaine confined in Banyan City, what's your

lost Sammy during the kidnapping. Who took

gone cold in the junkyard, with a burnt-out

the truck,

phone rang. It was

to the black car

began, "the car's clean. If it was used for the kidnapping, they were cautious. We found only two sets of fingerprints: a child's and an adult's, but the adult's are partial at best." But

the evidence bag containing the

was a message from Sammy, a clue left

the fabric piece, while potentially from a woman's clothing, offered no

this new development with Whitney, the

fabric, Ludwik was determined to uncover the truth behind his son's

evidence bag back to the forensic analyst, "Give it to the police, and

our best,"

for Sammy's safety. He

a rock and a hard place,