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.

on the ground, his tall and noble frame so vulnerable, shaking as he clutched his head. Suddenly, his eyes lifted.

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

Elaine was a patient herself; why call her?

call Elaine! I need her!” Ludwik gritted

it was Elaine who had stayed with him through the night, saving him. She might know what to do.

lucid moment, Ludwik repeated his

for Elaine battered against

thousand needles, bleeding profusely, the pain making

completely. Had he lost all faith in

even bear to look at Whitney, as if

had switched places in an

sick because of you.

roughly pulling her toward the door.

to her core. She recalled

help but ask, “What exactly is happening

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 been years since he’s had an episode, you malignant woman, you’ve hurt him, hurt Natalie. Ludwik, such a strong man,

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

Natalie.” she

Nolan

harsh demeanor toward Whitney. Everyone around Ludwik had

filling her as she feigned concern, “What happened to Ludwik? Nolan, did he

fit and he

considerably when addressing Elaine. After all, even

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

toward Whitney and with feigned concern she 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

glanced quickly at the departing Nolan, her face

the one who donated a kidney, and Ludwik is touched by my gesture. You’ve lost completely, and

body or his heart. Oh, his heart might already be mine.”

sentence was spoken with a particularly sinister

was icy, not understanding her meaning.

he relies on me so much, don’t you? You’ll never know.” The smugness, in Elaine’s

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