Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 150

When Whitney arrived at the scene, Braxton had already been whisked away to a private hospital, and a crowd had gathered at the gates of the Tarrington Mansion. Braxton was a pillar of the community and head of the city’s administration, and many from the police force, government, and competing corporations had all come together to speculate and gossip.

The gravity of the situation was undeniable; if Braxton were to pass, the scandal surrounding Ludwik would be impossible to contain.

The pressure from these political powers was immense, and there was no doubt that competitors were stirring trouble behind the scenes.

Whitney felt her head spinning, and the cold air she breathed did nothing to calm her nerves.

Braxton had suffered another stroke.

Her mother had taught her acupuncture, a skill Whitney had a natural gift for, especially when it came to treating the brain. Some of her techniques were beyond the explanation of medicine, yet they worked wonders, targeting mysterious points on the body.

As a child, Whitney had even heard her mother speak of using acupuncture to manipulate someone’s memory and temperament by controlling the nerves in the skull, a practice her mother never actually pursued.

Years ago, it was through acupuncture that she had treated a man suffering from nocturnal epilepsy, restoring him to health.

ཋ འཆ ྾རྗ ༠ཆ ༢༅ ༤

Clutching her hands tightly, Whitney’s gaze hardened, and she immediately instructed the driver to take her to Braxton’s private hospital.

At the hospital, Whitney could only make it as far as the foyer. Braxton’s room was at the end of a hallway teeming with well–wishers, with Tarrington relatives standing guard at the very back.

Doctors were bustling in and out as the situation grew increasingly dire.

Whitney could only catch snippets of conversation about Braxton’s condition – a ruptured blood vessel in his brain was causing a hemorrhage, compressing the nerves. They could not operate for fear of aggravating the injury, and he was in a coma, unlikely to survive the night.

The most esteemed neurosurgeons had been summoned, but even they were helpless, declaring Braxton’s time

B = F3 F S

was near.

Tears streaked the faces of Braxton’s relatives, who were at a loss for what to do.

was halted by security, who mistook her for a press member and tried to

let alone speak

paced the hospital entrance, checking her watch incessantly.

and a man with an imposing figure hurried

Bang!

the man. She nearly fell, but he quickly steadied

his worried eyes met hers, and he paused in recognition. “Whitney? What are you doing here in South City?”

to this hospital?” Whitney asked, looking pale and concerned.

I was nearby for a function and came as soon as

moment – Braxton.

Bryce’s mentor be….

flickered with thought, then hope. She grabbed Bryce’s sleeve, urgent. “Mr.

did you… Are you also…” Bryce furrowed his brow.

Braxton was ill.

looked at her with a complex intensity. “Your man has been taken into police custody. Your being

will. I can cure Braxton!” Whitney insisted quickly.

him, you

off. for the night and refuse to operate, afraid of

room, speaking with urgency. “I have a unique acupuncture technique that can stem the bleeding in Braxton’s brain. If he’s left to wait, he’ll

you even have a medical license?” Bryce

have an alternative medicine license back

head, unconvinced. “You’re desperate to save that man, utterly desperate.”

his sleeve, but Bryce walked past her, his expression grave, and entered

tears in his eyes, Braxton’s son

Whitney’s words about Braxton’s condition were

His mentor was on the brink of brain death, kept alive

Bryce stepped out into the hallway, his handsome face drawn

had dismissed the gathering of relatives

entrance, saw Bryce smoking in the chill of the hallway. She managed to get his

hour later, lips pressed,

anxiously on the

shadowed part of the hallway, his expression serious. “Is your