Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1184
"Yeah, Mr. Sheldon's going through the company reports again. Whitney, you
really ought to talk to him. He never takes a break, not even with that cast on his hand. He keeps flipping through those files-
can't be good for his bones to heal like this."
"I wouldn't dare," the maid replied with a worried frown. Despite Hudson's polite and elegant manners, the air around him was
always so intense. Whenever he was quiet, he felt even harder to approach. Honestly, among all the Sheldon staff, Hudson was
the one people tiptoed around-not the old man.
Whitney smirked a little. She knew her dad's temperament better than anyone.
He didn't look scary, but he definitely gave off that cold, distant vibe-like someone you'd see in a marble bust, not at the family
dinner table.
"I'll go talk to him."
"Oh, great! And Whitney, could you bring in the chicken noodle soup Mrs. Sheldon made? You know your dad wouldn't let the
Sheldons come in to see him. He's so stubborn." The maid handed over the thermos.

Whitney took it, walked to the study door, and knocked softly—twice.
"Who is it?" came Hudson's deep voice from inside.
"It's me, Dad."
Whitney pushed open the door.
Sure enough, there he was, lounging on the couch, his injured leg propped up on the coffee table, a nurse's pillow under it. Even
in hospital scrubs, he had that same cool, dignified look-like a CEO who'd just walked out of a magazine shoot. For his age, he
didn't look old at all. If anything, he seemed younger these days. Whitney noticed that the nurses who changed his dressings
always treated him with extra respect.
"Whitney?"

Hudson looked up, silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He took them off, pinched the bridge, and managed a faint smile.
"You've finally got time to visit your old man? I heard Ludwik's surgery went well. That's a relief. And that little baby-Sammy told
me you did the operation yourself. Very impressive."
"You went to see her?" Whitney asked, surprised.
Hudson nodded. "She's my granddaughter, after all. Broke my heart, seeing her so tiny and helpless. She looks just like you, you
know When you were born, I missed out on watching you grow up Lots of regrets there. You must've been just as adorable as
she is now."

His voice was rough, lower than usual-vulnerable.
Naturally, the conversation slid into old, sore places. Hudson stared at the blurred lines on the documents, finally asking in a low,
hesitant voice, "How's your mother today? Any better?"
There was a kind of gentle sorrow in the way he spoke, a sadness that made Whitney's heart ache.
She looked at him and said, "Dad, if you care so much, why don't you just go downstairs and see Mom for yourself?"
"She doesn't want to see me. To her, I'm just... the villain. The one who hurt her."
Hudson tossed the papers aside, his cold blue eyes going distant, struggling to hide the pain.
"You're such a coward," Whitney
shot back, unable to help herself.
"You've been hiding your feelings for years, and now that you finally have the chance, you're acting like a turtle with its head in its
shell. You're scared of your own shadow."
Hudson was a little stunned, but he couldn't argue with her.
Honestly, even just a cold, angry look from Parisa would be enough to break him apart.
"I am a coward. I just don't want to upset her by showing up."
"But how do you know she'd even be upset to see you? Maybe... maybe she's

finally ready," Whitney hinted, trying to nudge him forward.
Hudson froze, staring at her. "Whitney, what exactly did you say to her?"
Seeing how anxious he was, Whitney quickly clarified, “I didn't pressure her—well,
okay, maybe I did... a little. But I didn't try to sway her either way."
.