Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 384

"Elaine, did you have anything to do with my mom's abduction from Skyfaith Hospital?" Ludwik's voice cut through the air with icy directness.

"What? Isn't your mom resting up at the villa? Why on earth would she be at Skyfaith Hospital? Ludwik, I've been laid up here at TriMed Hospital nursing my injuries. You haven't even dropped by to check on me. How could I possibly know anything about this? Could it be that her health took a turn for the worse? Abduction?" Elaine's voice was weak, brimming with worry and innocence. Ludwik's gaze hardened as he turned to Whitney.

After hanging up the phone, he wasn't one to leap to conclusions without evidence. He immediately instructed Felix, "Pull the surveillance footage from the hallway outside Elaine's room. I want footage from 1 PM today until now. I need to see if she ever left her room!" This would directly verify whether Elaine had any involvement in Natalie's kidnapping.

However, the truth was, after speeding through the footage, Felix found no evidence of Elaine leaving her room.

"Mr. Lippert, Elaine was wearing a red dress. We could see her occasionally passing by the doorway, but she never left. Though, there was a nurse wearing a mask who went into and out of Elaine's room around half-past two."

Whitney leaned in, utterly convinced that Elaine had indeed visited Natalie's room and likely had a confrontation with Sammy, resulting in Sammy's abduction.

Whitney squinted her eyes in determination.

Yet, Ludwik had already made up his mind, his piercing gaze fixed on Whitney, "Elaine hasn't left TriMed Hospital, so what else do you have to say?"

"There's definitely something fishy about Elaine..." Parker chimed in.

"Then explain, what's fishy? Danny handed Whitney's phone to my mom, and she managed to contact her, threatening her to leave her room. Next thing we know, she's abducted at the staircase. Isn't it obvious?" Ludwik interrogated Whitney.

Natalie..." Whitney was

witnessed Elaine assaulting Natalie in the room, and his fate now

the phone to my mom? What kind of scheme did you plot in that room to coax my mother into walking out just to be kidnapped?"

of heartbreak and disillusion. "Mom's not well enough to leave her room, Whitney. I swear, if anything happens to her, you'll wish I had ended you! Where is

Ludwik, just let her go!" Tiana ran over, knowing the stakes were

commanded, his heart turning to stone as he handed

cried out as

Felix, "Did you start a full sweep of the hospital's surveillance? And call the cops,

Sammy? If he doesn't know to look for Sammy, Elaine might... It's a dead end if you don't confess Sammy was in that room. Ludwik won't realize you were trying to help Natalie by bringing Sammy in for a consultation, and

a heart-wrenching decision at her

son close, but

about Sammy, his domineering

meant misinterpretation, confinement, risking Sammy's slim chance

her heart.

in her voice

wanted to use the phone, to connect me and your mother. I did it all to consult on your mother's health. You disagreed, so I had to find another way!

grabbed his shirt, her control slipping away as she

resonating

he heard her right? Another