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

someone who could save him–his breaths shallow, he muttered, “Call… Elaine.”

Elaine was a patient herself; why call

Ludwik

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

a lucid moment, Ludwik

Elaine battered

if it had been pierced by a thousand needles, bleeding profusely, the pain making her feel weak and suffocated.

Elaine so completely. Had

at Whitney, as if a single glance would exacerbate his condition.

heart, Whitney and Elaine had switched places in

sick because of you. Whitney,

in, roughly pulling her toward

color. Seeing Ludwik in agony shook her to her core. She recalled what Natalie had said, that he had been troubled since childhood, prone to

but ask, “What exactly is happening to

severe emotional issues? It’s been years since he’s had an episode, you malignant woman, you’ve hurt him, hurt Natalie. Ludwik, such a strong man, you’ve shattered his last belief! He’s

staggered back, tears brimming in her eyes. A thousand apologies choked in her throat, all dissipating into a

hurt Natalie.” she

making excuses!” Nolan glared

arrived in her wheelchair, noting Nolan’s harsh demeanor toward Whitney. Everyone around

as she feigned concern, “What

a hysterical fit and he asked for you. He probably

softened considerably when addressing Elaine. After all, even psychiatrists were often helpless against

knack for medicine; I’ll take a look at him

said, “Ms. Valentine, are you lingering here to continue agitating Ludwik? Don’t you understand that you are the 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 you. The truth will come out one day, and you will face the consequences! You

quickly at the departing Nolan, her face freezing for a moment before she sneered.

whispered with a chilling laugh, “Right now, everyone sees you as the culprit, while I’m the one who donated a kidney, and Ludwik is touched by my gesture. You’ve lost completely,

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

sentence was spoken with

not understanding her meaning.

in Elaine’s laugh was evident as she thought of the half ring she had snatched, giving her the upper hand. Whitney would never know how she

smile, “From now on, his beloved will only be me. You just watch as I cure him and bask in our