Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1182
"Whitney, if you and Ludwik get along, look out for him a little, okay? He's a good kid."
Whitney froze mid-slice, a little annoyed. Her mom had barely even met Ludwik, and she was already calling him a 'good kid'?
Seriously?
Good? What part of him was good?
Her mom had no idea what a jerk Ludwik used to be, or the crap he'd put her through.
"Mom, you don't really know Ludwik. You haven't spent enough time with him to judge his character," Whitney said, trying to keep
the edge out of her voice.
"Oh?" Parisa just smiled, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her daughter's sour face. "And what kind of character does he
have, exactly? Is he the bad guy here? Whitney, I honestly want to understand you, but I don't want to pry. What's really going on
between you and Ludwik? I can't even tell if you two are married or what..."

"We got married four years ago, then divorced. And as for his sins? Let's just say the list is longer than the Sunday paper."
Whitney's voice dropped. She wasn't about to sugarcoat Ludwik for her mom. No point.
After all, her mom was the best backup she'd ever have.
"Married and divorced? And the list is that long?" Parisa's calm snapped. "Tell me, what did he do to you? And do you have kids
together?"
"Three, actually." Whitney sighed, almost defeated.
Parisa just stared, stunned. Her chest rose and fell. In the time she'd missed from her daughter's life, Whitney had clearly been
through a lot. And in her eyes, Parisa could see a cool distance, a hidden sorrow-not the look of an inexperienced girl, but
someone who'd already weathered a storm or two.
"Did Ludwik hurt you?" Parisa's jaw clenched, her voice tight and trembling with anger. "Call him in here."
"Mom!" Whitney hadn't expected her to take it so seriously. She'd just wanted to vent a little, but now her mom was ready to go
full mama bear. "Please don't get upset, okay? This isn't the time for a family showdown."

"Ludwik... well, he was a jerk before, no doubt about it. He misunderstood me more times than I can count! But he's changed.

Lately, he's been trying to patch things up with the kids, and with me too. He's helped out a lot... So, I figure, maybe we're even
now.
I'm not holding onto the past, and you shouldn't be upset about what happened to me. It's all behind us. Once the truth came out,
I realized Ludwik had his reasons, even if he was wrong.
And that's why I want you to meet Dad. Because some things can only be cleared up face to face. Once you talk it out, it doesn't
hurt so much. When you let go, you see things differently."
Parisa looked at her, surprised by the wisdom in such a young face. No one learned that kind of patience and clarity without
having endured something.
Her heart ached for her daughter.
She could tell Whitney was trying her best to get her and Hudson to meet.
But instead of answering, Parisa just shot her a knowing smile, her gaze soft but complicated. "So, what you're saying is, you're
ready to forgive Ludwik? Or maybe you already have?"
Whitney felt like her mother could see right through her. Flushing, she muttered, "Mom, you're teasing me. He's half-dead these
days, how could I still hold a grudge? That'd just make me petty, wouldn't it?"
"If you didn't care about Ludwik, you wouldn't be able to forgive him," Parisa said, her voice gentle but thoughtful. "I don't know
everything you've been through, but from what I've seen, Ludwik's got a sharp head on his shoulders. That kind of smarts is rare
in someone so young, whatever else you say about him."