Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 170

In the hospital room, Parker struggled to restrain Ludwik’s shaking hands. Peering into the man’s bloodshot eyes, Parker felt a wave of helplessness. “Ludwik, hang in there, buddy. Just take it easy, the doc’s on his way. You need a sedative.”

“It won’t work. Regular docs won’t work,” Ludwik panted, his body trembling violently, beads of sweat dotting his forehead as his right hand twitched uncontrollably.

A brutal headache clawed at his temples, inciting a mad desire to smash everything in sight. Slowly, his vision. began to blur.

He collapsed to the floor, his large, heavy frame jostling his mother’s hospital bed.

Ludwik’s eyes reddened with distress as he reached out desperately to steady his mother’s bed.

The sight wrenched Parker’s heart. He rushed to Ludwik’s aid, only to be met with an uncontrolled punch that burst open his forehead, blood trickling down.

“Ludwik, what’s wrong with you?” Suddenly, a faint, trembling voice cut through the tension at the door, tinged with concern.

A slender figure dashed into the

e room.

Whitney hurried to Ludwik’s side. His symptoms mirrored those of a violent psychotic episode, where initially. the patient might exhibit aggressive, bloodthirsty behavior, escalating to self–harm, confusion, and insanity.

She reached out to check his pulse, but Ludwik caught sight of her.

His consciousness still intact, the image of her face, along with the sight of his mother lying quietly in bed, pierced his heart with agonizing pain.

“Why is she here?” he looked up at Parker.

Tell her to get out. I don’t want to see her.”

“Get out!” Ludwik’s uncontrollable rage sent objects flying toward her.

Parker saw a porcelain piece heading straight for Whitney’s stomach and kicked her out of harm’s way just in time.

Whitney stood frozen, her mind echoing with his hateful, disgusted curses.

frame so vulnerable, shaking as he clutched his head. Suddenly, his

thought of someone who could save him–his

puzzled. Elaine was a patient herself; why call her?

her!” Ludwik gritted

years ago, during his hysterical episode, it was Elaine who had stayed with him through the night, saving him. She might know

still had a lucid moment, Ludwik

Elaine battered against

as if it had been pierced by a thousand needles, bleeding profusely, the

Elaine so completely. Had he lost all faith in her?

look at Whitney, as

Whitney and Elaine had

still here? Ludwik’s sick because of you. Whitney, you’re a jinx!”

pulling

Seeing Ludwik in agony shook her to her core. She recalled what Natalie had said, that

“What exactly is happening

nerve to ask?” Nolan fumed. “Aren’t you the main culprit? Haven’t I told you that he’s not ordinary, that his childhood was harsh, that he has severe emotional issues? It’s

choked in her throat, all dissipating into a sharp pain

Natalie.” she stammered

excuses!” Nolan glared

wheelchair, noting Nolan’s harsh demeanor toward Whitney. Everyone around Ludwik had turned icy

filling her as she feigned concern, “What

having a hysterical fit and he asked for you.

expression softened considerably when addressing Elaine. After all, even psychiatrists were often helpless against Ludwik’s condition.

a knack for medicine; I’ll take a

cause of his outbreak?” Whitney had no rebuttal for this, but she glared coldly at Elaine, her fists clenched. “If his illness is because his mother was his last thread of sanity, then you are the real culprit. Elaine, you know what I’m talking about. His mother’s vegetative state is linked to

departing Nolan, her face freezing for a moment before she

she whispered with a chilling laugh, “Right now, everyone sees you as the culprit, while I’m the one who donated

have Ludwik, whether it’s his body or his heart. Oh, his

spoken with a particularly sinister

icy, not

You’ll never know.” The smugness, in Elaine’s laugh was evident as she thought of

twisted smile, “From now on, his beloved will only be me.