Love beyond the mask (Whitney)



That little bit of sweetness seemed to give him the courage he needed to finally open that locked drawer.

Hudson Sheldon lowered his head, unlocked it, and with all the strength he could muster, carefully took out the photograph he'd cherished for years. "Whitney, look, this is a picture of your mom and me from back when we were classmates."

It wasn't just the two of them in the photo, though.

It was a group graduation photo, with several students standing in a row.

The young Hudson was indeed dashing, handsome in a boyish way, standing at the far left with an air of youthful innocence.

Whitney Valentine scanned the faces until she found her mother. Her beauty was undeniable, with her delicate features and almond-shaped eyes that seemed to sparkle with a mix of snow and ice. When she smiled, it was as if that ice was about to melt.

Her mother wasn't looking at her father, but in the photo, her father had slightly tilted his head towards her.

"Did you fall for her first?"

"Of course," Hudson reminisced, a rare hint of bashfulness in his deep-set eyes. "Parisa was never the type to make the first move. She didn't know how."

"I chased her for ages. At first, I even tricked her into pretending to be my girlfriend. It wasn't until we graduated that she finally started to like me back."

Talking about Parisa was like talking about a treasure.

Whitney was touched by the tenderness in his eyes. Back then, her father's unrequited love must have been sweet and sincere. He was from a wealthy family, and she remembered him saying that the Tennyson family wasn't quite up to par with the Sheldon family's prominence. Prejudices like Emma's tore them apart.

Holly Walker, with her ruthless schemes, swooped in and stole what wasn't hers...

Whitney felt a whirlwind of emotions. They had been each other's first love, such a beautiful love.

Her mother had been deeply loved, surely it had been sweet.

"If only mom were still here..." she murmured, heartbroken.

Hudson blinked away the emptiness in his eyes, forcing back tears. "If I could trade my life for hers, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Dad!"

"All these years, I've lived long enough, lived through the days without your mother. Back then, I was the only suitable heir for the Sheldon family. Hugh Sheldon was disabled, and your grandmother was too traditional to let your aunt join the company. The responsibility was heavy on my shoulders."

"These years, it's been the responsibility to the Sheldon Group that kept me going. But deep down, I'm just a hopeless romantic. Whitney, now the Sheldon Group has you. I've decided, once I officially pass it on to you, I'll head to Banyan City and buy a place by your mom's resting place. I'll stay with her."

"Dad..." Whitney called him softly, feeling a pang of sadness as she saw how worn he was. "You're living too pessimistically. You should have the zest of a middle-aged man."

"Huh." Hudson gave her a sidelong glance. In the soft light, she looked so much like Parisa.

He stared, lost in thought, his eyes warm with affection. "How am I still middle-aged? This gunshot wound took a while to heal, but my heart's been old for a long time."

"Old man, nothing!" Whitney protested, keen to lighten the mood. "You still look dashing. Don't talk about handing over the Sheldon Group to me just yet. You need to manage it for at least another ten years, no slacking off. That way, I can relax with my two sons and live the life of a true heiress."

"You. You're nothing like Parisa in that regard. You've inherited my youthful arrogance instead."

"Hehe." Whitney giggled, her fingers lovingly tracing the only photo of her parents together. Hudson had carefully framed it, but the years had faded its colors, leaving only a dull yellow. In the photo, both her father and mother smiled, shy yet radiant.

"Dad, Mom's gone now, but maybe

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in heaven, she knows the truth about why you 'left her.' Maybe she sees how much you've missed her all these years and has already forgiven you. You shouldn't let it weigh you down. People can't live only in the past; you have to look forward too."

Whitney tried to encourage him to move on, but Hudson replied, "I'm free now and can remember your mom. A lifetime isn't enough to reminisce."

Such devotion bordered on obsession.

Whitney suddenly recalled how, when she first returned to the Sheldon family, she thought her father was a scoundrel. He had a family but took her back out of guilt, using her resemblance to her mother to reminisce.

Then, one night, she heard Hudson say he wanted to divorce Holly, but couldn't because of the family. This had been his thought for many years.

That was when Whitney began to understand her father's heart.

It belonged to her mother.noveldrama

They were meant to be, but circumstances tore them apart.

"Seeing you like this, understanding your thoughts, I suddenly wish mom could come back to life," Whitney whispered, a selfish hope.

"As I said, I'd trade my life for hers."

Hudson leaned back in his chair,

closing his eyes with a gentle resignation, his tall frame slumping into a weary posture. "I've lived long enough on my own. Even if she never tooks my way again, even if she hates me, as long as she's alive, how wonderful that would be."

Whitney shared that same fantasy.

Seeing Hudson's furrowed brow and weary spirit, she knew this trip down memory lane had drained him emotionally. She didn't want to hurt him any further.

Gently, she draped a blanket over him, feeling a pang of guilt. "The Sheldon Group isn't too busy lately; don't overwork yourself. And since Ludwik Lippert is back in the country, once he's settled, I'll talk to him about taking care of the kids."

Once everything was sorted out, I'd be able to head back to the Sheldon Group and help you out."

"No rush!" Hudson frowned slightly and gently grasped her delicate hand, his eyes filled with depth. "I've heard the chairman of the Inko Group has run into some trouble. With the way things are shaping up in Emperor City, there's bound to be some upheaval.

Ludwik and the Lippert family have just regained their footing, and with their aerospace technology collaboration with Inko Group, he's right in the spotlight. You shouldn't put any more pressure on him right now."

"I'm pressuring Ludwik?" Whitney felt a surge of frustration, wanting to vent to her dad about that infuriating man who kept her in the dark, making her feel like a fool.

But on second thought, she decided not to burden her father with her grievances.

In a huff, she said, "He's acting like he can handle everything single-handedly and won't say a word when I ask him. It's not me who's giving him a hard time; it's him who's making things difficult for me. If he doesn't need me, why should I push myself on him?"

"You're just being a bit childish," Hudson chuckled affectionately, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Whitney pouted, allowing herself a

touch of childishness in front of her

father. After all, Ludwik seemed oblivious to her, and if she couldn't complain here, where could she? "I'm not being childish. I've been more than patient with him! You have no idea what he's been up to lately!

If it weren't for the fact that we owe him for helping us reclaim the Sheldon Group and that we're partners, I'd have packed up and taken the kids back

to the Sheldon family ages ago.

I don't want to be tangled up with him anymore."