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 eyes lifted.

thought of someone who could save him–his breaths shallow, he muttered,

was a patient

Ludwik gritted his teeth

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

had a lucid moment, Ludwik repeated

repeated pleas for Elaine battered against Whitney’s ears.

a thousand needles, bleeding profusely, the pain making her feel weak

trusted Elaine so completely. Had he lost

to look at Whitney, as if a single glance would

heart, Whitney and Elaine had switched places

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

in, roughly pulling her toward the door.

her to her core. She recalled what Natalie had

couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly is

ordinary, that his childhood was harsh, that he has severe emotional issues? It’s

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

hurt Natalie.” she stammered in

Nolan glared

Nolan’s harsh demeanor toward Whitney. Everyone

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

him. He’s having a hysterical fit and he

when addressing Elaine. After all, even psychiatrists were often

for medicine; I’ll take a look at him

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

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

I’m the one who donated

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

was spoken with a particularly sinister

was icy, not understanding

for me, why he relies on me so much, don’t you? You’ll never know.” The smugness, in Elaine’s laugh was evident as

on, his beloved will only be me. You just watch as