Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



Sweat trickled down Sammy's pale forehead, a sign of his internal turmoil. His body was losing heat, making him shiver.

"Sammy... Sammy? What's wrong with you?" Danny, noticing his brother's daze and the chill in his eyes, shook his arm in alarm.

"It's nothing!" Sammy breathed deeply, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts he couldn't share with Danny.

Just then, the sound of a car horn echoed from the driveway.

Parker's footsteps approached from outside, "Sammy, Danny, I think Ryan's back."

Sammy nudged Danny, "Bro, let's pause our chat for today. You head back. Ryan might not dare to mess with me, but if we keep meeting like this, it'll raise Florence's suspicions! Remember, I'm supposed to be a patient here, under Ryan's 'care'. Got it? If anything comes up, just ping me a secret code on your smartwatch."

Danny, clearly reluctant, made a face, "But Sammy, I still want to hang out with you..."

"Our mom's safety is more important!" Sammy cut in sharply.

Danny fell silent at once. They were their mom's little guardians, and her wellbeing was their top priority. As boys, they had to protect her at all costs.

Danny, feeling inadequate next to Sammy's bravery, pouted, "Fine, I'll endure. As her guardian, I won't let you down. If you need my help with your act, just tell me."

"I will, buddy. Miss you already."

"Me too, best bro!" Danny, trying to be brave, wiped away his tears and quickly left, waving goodbye at the door before taking his grandma's hand. "Danny, I'll drive you and your grandma home," Parker offered.

As they descended the stairs, they ran into Ryan.

Ryan wasn't surprised to see Parker, but he was on edge at the sight of a boy who looked like Sammy but obviously wasn't.

"Mr. Doonan, who is this kid?!" Ryan demanded.

Parker's smile didn't reach his eyes, "Dr. Ryan, Sammy has a twin brother. Didn't Florence mention it? Sammy's started remembering bits and pieces, including his brother. They just met today, nothing to worry about. We'll be out of your hair in no time."

Ryan's forehead beaded with sweat. He didn't believe for a second that Sammy hadn't said anything to the boy.

Sammy, always one step ahead, what was he planning?

"Mr. Doonan, bringing Sammy's family here is like pouring fuel on the fire, especially when you know Florence's bodyguard lives next door..." Sammy's voice cut in from upstairs, "That bodyguard just went out. Dr. Ryan, if you don't let my brother leave now, he might run into him." Ryan's face turned ashen. Sammy's interruption had given Danny and Natalie the chance to slip away.

Fuming, Ryan interrogated his daughter, "How long did that twin and Sammy talk upstairs?"

"Quite a while," replied Ryan's daughter, tasked with keeping an eye on Sammy.

Sammy, unafraid of her reporting back, descended the stairs with an air of maturity beyond his years. His piercing gaze fixed on Ryan.

"What are you looking at? You're

bringing trouble to my doorstep, and you think you're right? What will

Florence think when she finds oute

you've been meeting with your family? She might tear you apart!" Ryan scolded, "I've told you before, go back home. Don't drag me down with you!"

"Florence is too caught up in her own drama to care. Didn't she call you about some prenatal vitamins yesterday?"

Sammy smirked, changing the subject, "Hey, why is the baby in her belly so weak? She's been here several times in just a month. Could it be an IVF baby? I read that IVF babies are hard to maintain."

"Why do you care so much? IVF babies!" Ryan scoffed, dismissing Sammy's interest, "A three-year-old researching pregnancy? Have you even mastered the medical mysteries I taught you?"

Sammy ignored him and suddenly grabbed his shirt.

Ryan turned around, meeting Sammy's cold glare.

"What's this about my mom being pregnant and then miscarrying while under your care? What exactly did you do to her? Was it a fetal transplant? Speak up!"

Ryan was speechless, his legs weak under Sammy's intense scrutiny.

He couldn't confess; Ryan struggled to maintain his composure, forcing a smile, "I don't know what you're talking about. Don't pin this on me Sammy, I've never wronged you. If it wasn't for me, would you have survived Florence's wrath? People should be grateful. You're pushing me to the edge. Please, just leave. I have my own family to worry about."

Ryan felt his secret teetering on the edge of exposure. Sammy's insight was terrifying.

Sammy's eyes glinted with

unyielding determination, "You're no

saint; you've done terrible things. But younoveldrama

d me, and I won't forgett

just want the truth about my mom. If her baby is still out there, it'd bemy sibling. Do you even care?

You people are heartless!

Ryan's lashes fluttered, a silent acknowledgment of the weight behind Sammy's words.

Sam stared intently at the slight tremble in her belly, his suspicions locking onto something unsettling within Florence.

What if that dirtbag didn't even lay a finger on Florence?

From the whispers he caught, Florence had taken advantage of the man's drunken stupor to conceive. As for what the scumbag himself did, Sam was in the dark.

Florence was desperate for a child.

And his mom was pregnant, completely oblivious to it!

It was a damn twisted twist of fate.

He had two moves to make to get to the bottom of this.

First, he needed to sneak into Ryan's study and find the medical records of Florence's procedure. That would bring him face to face with the truth! Second, he had to get closer to Florence, by any means necessary, to snag a sample of the amniotic fluid for a stealthy paternity test with his mom! If... this kid really was of his mom's blood...