Love Beyond the Mask

Chapter 220

Tiana slipped out of her scrubs, put on her shades, and dashed down the corridor, only to bump into Dr.

Horatio.

He and another doctor were hurrying from the Nephrology Department to the Oncology Department,

saying, “I just made a promise to Elaine, and now this girl wants even more!”

Tiana froze.

What promise? Squinting behind her sunglasses, she trailed them discreetly.

The stomach cancer ward in the Oncology Department was on the most harshly conditioned fifth floor.

As Dr. Horatio and the doctor entered, a gaunt figure lunged at them, only to be stopped by a

bodyguard. The girl begged desperately, “Dr. Horatio, yes, we agreed on 300 thousand dollars, but now

my dad’s cancer needs proton therapy, and the hospital says it’s another hundred grand. You promised

me that as long as I made the donation, you’d help treat my dad as much as possible. I had no choice.

Please, can you give me another hundred grand? I have nothing left to sell.”

“Shut up!” Dr. Horatio’s face turned stormy as he had the bodyguard silence the girl and drag her into

an emergency stairwell.

Other visitors in the hallway glanced over, assuming it was just a hospital disturbance, and soon lost

interest.

Tiana had thought the same, but then she remembered hearing the word ‘donation’. Thus, she pressed

her mask tighter to her face, inching closer to the stairwell.

To her surprise, Dr. Horatio and the other doctor came out.

Tiana quickly ducked into a patient’s room.

Once they were gone, she frowned and stepped into the stairwell.

In the dim light, the skeletal girl was sobbing. Beaten and bruised, her fists pounded the floor in

helpless anger. “What am I supposed to do? I have nothing left to sell. Why are these doctors so

heartless, leaving Dad to die…”

Tiana watched her for a moment; then it clicked: Why could she not find any leads on those four

transplant patients in Nephrology? Why was there nothing odd about the kidney data? Maybe Elaine

had not struck there at all!

She fixed her gaze on the girl and, following a hunch, asked, “What did you sell that got you 300

thousand dollars from Dr. Horatio?”

The girl looked up in shock. She scrambled to her feet warily.

Tiana tried to approach her, but the girl distanced herself and fled, clutching her abdomen.

Tiana watched her clutch at her belly, her heart racing.

Flashes of the conversation she overheard in the director’s office came back to her.

Dr. Horatio mentioned how shallow Elaine’s surgical scars were.

Lyra corrected him, saying how could a kidney donation scar be shallow…

She thought it through and smirked coldly but lost sight of the girl.

Which patient room was her father in? Damn it, stumbling upon all this was a lucky break, but where

could she find this girl now?

Tiana was almost certain that if she could investigate this girl, she would uncover the truth Whitney

needed.

Whitney had concocted an antidote pill but could not deliver it to Everwood Villa Estate, so she had to

secretly contact Taryn and arrange a meeting.

They decided to meet near Whitney’s apartment.

Taryn arrived with a heavy sigh and tears welling up in her eyes.

“Madam, what on earth is going on? We’re out of the loop in the mansion, only hearing from Elaine’s

confidante maid that you’ve signed divorce papers with Mr. Lippert.

That morning, Mr. Lippert even took you to visit his mother. Xandra and I thought you had reconciled.

After you left that day, the maid said Mr. Lippert threw a huge tantrum in the living room, smashing

almost everything in sight!”

Whitney gave a numb, bitter smile, unsure how to begin explaining.

Taryn was visibly upset. “How did things between you and him escalate to divorce? Now, the child

inside you is left uncertain while Elaine’s openly shopping for furniture and decorating the villa, and in

two days, she’s getting engaged to Mr. Lippert. He’s rushing into this!

Elaine, relying on his empathy, has us treating her like the lady of the house, or else we’re out on our

ears… Alas…”

Listening, Whitney felt sad and powerless.

Sad at how he doted on Elaine, powerless at the thought of the old servants like Taryn and Xandra in

such a tough spot.

Extracting a large packet of pills, she handed them to Taryn. “Listen carefully, Taryn, I can’t go back

now, but there are toxins in Mom’s body! I’m worried about her, so I’ve made this antidote. You need to

secretly give her one pill daily. Here’s a six-month supply; I’ll find a way to contact you after that. If

there’s an emergency and we can’t get in touch, take this to the address, and they’ll know how to

produce this pill.

This medicine will gradually cleanse the toxins without altering her organ’s appearance so she can

avoid Elaine’s inspections. Remember, whatever Elaine feeds her after visiting, you need to remove it

with a stomach pump.

If, in three years, Mom doesn’t pass as the doctors predict, it means she’s recovering. Then, I’ll switch

to a stronger medication, and maybe she’ll wake up. So for the next three years, it’s crucial you protect

her.”

She explained hurriedly, showing Taryn the blood test report.

Though Taryn was not a pharmacist, she could read.

Shaken, she paled and said, “Madam, are you saying that Elaine poisoned Mr. Lippert’s mother?”

Whitney’s voice dripped with scorn. “Who else could it be? Mom didn’t have to become a vegetable.

Elaine’s using the poison to keep her unconscious, slowly eroding her organs, hastening her death, all

within three years.”

“Is that true? But Mr. Lippert checks on his mother every day. How could Elaine dare to be so cruel?”

“The doctors can’t detect it,” Whitney said with a mocking shake of her head, “Besides, he trusts her

completely now. He’d only think I’m being spiteful, trying to drive a wedge between them. That’s why

you must feed the medicine secretly. Without solid evidence against Elaine, if you alert her, she might Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

harm Mom more directly.”

Understanding Whitney’s pain and care, Taryn nodded solemnly, lamenting, “Mr. Lippert has been

deceived. It’s horrifying that Elaine could come up with such a wicket scheme, poisoning Mr. Lippert’s

mother and then donating a kidney. It chills me to the bones…

It’s you, Madam, who’s getting the raw deal, misunderstood by Mr. Lippert, divorced, and yet you’re still

so concerned for his mother. You’re the one who truly cares for her.

Isn’t there any way to expose Elaine for who she really is?”

Her indignation was palpable.

Whitney gently pressed her hand against her chest. “I’ve got a buddy of mine digging into this. To keep

her from making another move on Mom, I’ve got to lay out the truth in front of Ludwik. It’ll be his call

then, but at least Mom’s life will be safe.”

As she spoke, her phone buzzed with a call from Tiana.

“Whitney, I’ve got a lead. I’m certain Elaine is up to no good. She’s crafty. She didn’t go through the

nephrology department for a kidney source. I found a girl who might’ve sold her kidney to save her dad,

but I lost her, darn it!

Now, if we can just find this girl, we’ll have a way forward. Hang tight. I’m staking out the oncology

department every day until I catch her…”

Whitney clenched her phone, her breathing quickened.

After Tiana hung up, Whitney looked up at Taryn with a faint smile. “The truth won’t take long now,

Taryn. Before Ludwik finds out, you guys have to keep Mom safe; thanks for all you do.”

Taryn perked up a bit. “No problem at all. Once Mr. Lippert sees the truth that you’re innocent, maybe

you two can patch things up!”

“Me and him…” Whitney’s voice trailed off into a bittersweet silence, and she could only shake her

head sadly.