Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )

"Mr. Doonan, understood. We've cut off his only escape route," the bodyguard said.

Parker nodded grimly.

His sharp, piercing eyes, cold as ice, scanned the surroundings as he walked over to the massage chair outside the VIP lounge. He sat down, his tall frame folding as he hunched over, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed like a predator on the glass door of the lounge.

He glanced at his watch, counting silently. Five minutes passed, yet no travelers emerged.

Squinting, he swept his gaze along both sides of the lounge. Still, not a soul in sight.

Not even a janitor.

It was highly possible Bryce had paid to shut down this passage, turning it into his private thoroughfare. But something felt off...

Parker furrowed his dark brows, sensing something wasn't quite right.

If Bryce were picking someone up, he'd definitely be cautious, ensuring Ludwik wouldn't discover the identity of the mysterious person. So why clear the whole place out, making it obvious someone important was coming through?

Why would he invite eyes on his secretive guest?

Parker abruptly stood, his lean and poised figure casting a shadow at the entrance of the empty VIP lounge. His eyes discreetly examined the space, noting the layout and the furnishings.

Then, his attention turned to the shops outside the lounge.

They were deserted too!

And as his gaze swept over the expansive hall, he noticed the abundance of walls.

Lots of walls... perfect for hiding extra manpower.

Parker's handsome face darkened, eyes flashing with menace. He motioned subtly for the eight bodyguards to gather around him.

The bodyguards looked puzzled, but the seriousness in his eyes was unmistakable. "Mr. Doonan, what's wrong?"

"Bryce chose the wrong place, too many walls. Quickly surround-" His voice, low and ominous, cut off abruptly as dozens of goons suddenly poured out from behind the walls.

Parker's words stalled, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint, and he sneered, "Figures, they want to trap me.

The Lippert family's bodyguards turned to him.

-

He coldly smirked, eyes fierce, as he barked, "Fight. Break through them, get into the VIP room, we can't let Bryce and the mysterious guest vanish!"

Inside the VIP lounge.

Bryce glanced at the commotion outside, his gaze icy as he asked, "You're sure Ludwik left midway?"

His trusty secretary nodded. "Ludwik started following you tonight, but our people saw him leave halfway. Now it's just Parker with his guards."

Bryce squinted. "Parker doesn't have Ludwik's cunning. Without him, they're not a threat."

As the fighting outside intensified, Bryce quickly stood, moving to the lounge window. He lifted the curtain slightly and snapped a photo of the chaos outside.

A smirk played on his lips. "I've got over twenty men, way more than Parker's guards. Let's keep him busy here. He probably thinks I'm picking someone up at the airport. Little does he know-"

Bryce's eyes gleamed slyly as he turned. A man dressed identically, looking very much like him, even with the same hairstyle, nodded meekly.

"Sit here, just show your back to the door," Bryce whispered.

The lookalike obediently sat down, his back facing the lounge door, unmoving.

gel.f

With a predatory glint in his eyes, Bryce swiftly headed towards the entrance connecting the lounge to the boarding passage. "Let's distract Parker here tonight. Ludwik's dreaming if he thinks he'll catch us red-handed. Parisa's not landing here; I won't let them see her! Let's go."

His secretary seeing the confidence in Bryce's eyes, nodded approvingly. "Mr. Lutz, your plan is brilliant. Even

if Ludwik were here, he woul Even

u

guess the rendezvous location isn't here. They assume a plane must land at an airport."

Bryce chuckled disdainfully, quickly disappearing down the passage.

Meanwhile, Parker fought on, growing suspicious. Bryce had only just arrived at the lounge when suddenly a mob was sent to ambush him.

The mysterious person hadn't shown up,

Yet attackers kept coming, seemingly to stop him from entering the lounge?

With a piercing gaze, through the chaos, Parker spotted a figure seated behind the curtain in the lounge window. It looked like Bryce.

Did Bryce think he could just push him back and leave with the mysterious guest?

It didn't add up; Bryce knew Parker's skills. Even if the guards were outnumbered, Parker could block the lounge exit. They had to come out eventually.

So what was Bryce doing?

Parker swiftly took down another attacker, signaling his guards to cover him as he dashed to the lounge entrance.

Bryce's figure remained still.

His cold eyes narrowed sharply, a realization dawning, and he shouted, "Bryce! You and your mysterious guest aren't escaping tonight! Think you can just push me back? Don't test me!"

The figure seemed to shift slightly but didn't respond.

Then someone emerged, "Our Mr. Lutz wonders why you're tailing him, Mr. Doonan. But since you are, we're defending ourselves. If needed, Mr. Lutz won't leave the airport tonight. You've no grounds for tailing us, and MrLutz will just wait you out!"

Why was Bryce letting his secretary speak for him?

Parker's sharp gaze fixed on the figure again.

Was that really Bryce, or...

His mind raced, realizing it was a ruse to keep him here.

Where was the real Bryce?

Had he already left the airport?

This wasn't the pickup point?

Suddenly, it all clicked. Bryce had lured him here, only to slip away unnoticed.

The mysterious person wasn't landing here?

So where was Bryce headed now?

Parker's expression turned steely, eyes locked on the 'fake figure'. Bryce hadn't left the lounge during the fight, so he must've escaped inside!

His lips thinned, icy determination setting in, as he backed away into the melee, quickly swapping his cap

with a bodyguard's, whispering, "They've set this up to trap us. I'm leaving the airport; Bryce is already gone!"

"Cover for me, will you? Keep everyone distracted so Bryce doesn't notice I've slipped away," Parker instructed with a sense of urgency.

"But Mr. Doonan, which way are you going to follow him? We didn't see Bryce leave," the bodyguard replied, frowning in confusion.

"He left through the VIP lounge. Chances are, he's headed for the boarding gate," Parker said, as he swiftly moved away.

Making his way back into the main airport terminal, Parker peered through the large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the tarmac. It hit him-Bryce had made his escape via the tarmac!

Quickly assessing the layout from the VIP lounge, Parker deduced which gate Bryce could have used. Without wasting another moment, he dashed toward the escalator...