Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 1287

She couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong with her daughter, but seeing Tina looking so pale and listless, Sandy wasn’t about to take any chances. She gently took her daughter’s hand and didn’t let go.

She turned around and found three nosy faces gawking at her—Danny and Sammy with their jaws practically on the floor, while Shane shot them a secret thumbs-up behind Sandy’s back.

Whitney rolled her eyes and muttered, “Great, teaching the kids all the wrong things.”

Sandy blinked, confused, and walked over. “Sis?”

Whitney shook her head with a wry smile. “Nothing. We’re all packed up. The Lippert family sent four or five SUVs to pick us up. Sandy, let’s get going.”

She turned to Shane. “You’re picking up Ludwik, right? He can’t walk yet. Didn’t you say you’d take him home? That brotherly love, huh?”

She teased, and Shane shot her a glare, scratched his nose, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Tina, let your mom take care of you.”

Sandy couldn’t help but feel relieved—she’d much rather spend time with her daughter than be stuck alone with Shane anyway.

But just as they were leaving the pediatric wing, Sandy’s phone buzzed. It was Shane, and he didn’t sound happy: “Whitney, get over to the surgical ward.”

“What now?” Whitney grumbled as she loaded the baby’s car seat into the SUV.

A different voice came on the line, sullen and put-upon. “You sent Shane to get me but won’t come yourself? What’s that supposed to mean, Whitney? I’m getting discharged.”

Ludwik…

Whitney nearly lost it. She could’ve cheerfully whacked him with a frying pan.

“It’s just getting discharged, not a royal parade. What do you want, the Queen’s carriage? Who spoils you like this?”

“I don’t want anything fancy. I just want you to push my wheelchair.”

Whitney rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “I have to look after your daughter and your son! Stop being ridiculous. Everyone, just get in the car so we can get home early.”

The word “home” seemed to mollify him a little.

Sandy bit her lip and shook her head. “It’s nothing…”

Tina, ever the little truth-teller, piped up, “It’s just that I had a fever the other day, and Daddy called Mommy to come over. She had to miss work, and then Daddy insisted she take care of me at night. But then Daddy crawled into bed with us, said he was worried I’d have a seizure!”

She shot Whitney a look that said it all.

Whitney instantly got it. Wasn’t this the same shameless trick Ludwik used to pull back in the day?

Honestly, these guys had zero originality.

In the car, Sammy got a call and poked his head toward his mom. “Great-grandma just called. She wants to know if something happened—why aren’t we home yet?”

Whitney groaned. “Tell her to ask her darling grandson!”

Muttering under her breath, she hopped out of the car and practically sprinted to Ludwik’s hospital room.