Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217

Whitney felt a wave of relief wash over her when she heard his response, mistaking it for an agreement to come clean to their elders once their engagement had stabilized the situation.

“Thanks for helping me house hunt. How about I treat you to dinner?”

“I’d be honored to accept. After you, my queen.”

Whitney couldn’t help but chuckle. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for such a humorous guy, Mr. Lutz.”

“I haven’t really dated much, so no teasing.” He flashed a bright smile as he reversed the car.

Whitney was mulling over some things she needed to discuss with him.

Once they were settled in the cozy booth of the restaurant, waiting for him to finish ordering, Whitney broached the subject. “Our engagement, happening in five days-do you think we should hold a party, or just make a quiet announcement?”

She didn’t want any complications. If the Lutz elders got involved, it would be harder for her to extricate herself from the Lutz family later.

“I understand your concerns, but a simple announcement won’t satisfy my uncles and aunts. The Lutz Group shareholders are like hawks. We need an engagement ceremony to shut them up. At the very least, we have to invite my parents and a few key family members.”

Whitney frowned. “I can’t hide my pregnancy forever. How will you explain it to your parents? Will they agree if they see me like this?”

He poured her a glass of milk, a sly glint in his eye. “I’ve come up with a foolproof plan that’ll make them accept the child!”

“What is it?” Whitney was curious.

He played coy, touching his nose lightly. “Whitney, I can handle my father, but my mother is eager for my marriage. She insists on seeing you when we go wedding dress shopping the day after tomorrow. You’ll find out then. So, do you agree to meet?”

Since the engagement party was going ahead, it wouldn’t do to meet his parents for the first time on that day.

Whitney sighed in resignation. “If we’re putting on a show, might as well go the whole nine yards. I’ve met Claire once before.”

Bryce comforted her with a cryptic assurance. “You have nothing to worry about. My mother doesn’t bite. You just help me charm her a bit, and after the engagement party, we’ll find a time to call the whole thing off.”

Hearing him say this, Whitney felt reassured.

The food arrived, and the doors to the private room closed. That’s when Whitney suddenly

Chapter 217

asked, “Mr. Lutz, the blood test results for Ludwik’s mother, have they come out?”

“Yep.” Bryce took out his phone and slid it across the table with a serious look. “That’s partly why I wanted to see you today. I sent samples to two different full-service labs, and the results were consistent. I think you need to see this.”

Whitney quickly took the phone and read the report.

Her expression turned grave afterwards.

Toxins were indeed present in Natalie’s bloodstream-trace amounts of a cunning poison that the body couldn’t expel on its own. As she had suspected, it would gradually accumulate in the liver and kidneys, hastening the death of someone in a vegetative state.

This explained why Ludwik’s doctors had failed to detect anything amiss daily.

And Elaine, after ensuring Natalie was left in a vegetative state, seemed worry-free, as if she wasn’t concerned about her waking up.

With this situation, Natalie wouldn’t live three years, let alone one!

This toxin could cause renal failure within hours in high doses.

Elaine had applied a massive dose first, causing Natalie’s kidneys to fail and necessitate a transplant, then administered an antidote. After the surgery, she injected small doses to deceive everyone!

Whitney was horrified by the realization and even more certain of the direction Tiana had taken in investigating how many kidney transplants happened at the hospital that day.

To deliberately poison a healthy kidney was diabolical. Would such a woman voluntarily ‘donate’ a kidney?

Whitney was filled with doubt.

Tiana continued, “Your immediate concern should be your engagement with Bryce. Haven’t you seen the news? Yesterday, the Lutz Group announced your engagement in five days, and that scumbag Ludwik has moved his engagement with Elaine up to four days from now. I wonder if it was Elaine who prompted Skyfaith to make the announcement?