Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 537

Florence's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she took a deep breath. "Then I'll be waiting for you in the operating room."

Her words hit Ryan like a hammer to the heart, sending his pulse racing.

---

An hour later, Whitney was writhing in agony from stomach pain. She made her way back to the self-service kiosk to print out her test results, which were still pending. Heading towards the information desk to inquire about the delay, she was intercepted by a nurse. "You're Dr. Bill's patient, Whitney, right? Dr. Bill mentioned your test results came back a bit concerning. Please follow me to his office for a follow-up."

Concerning?

That word usually meant something serious. But Whitney felt in tune with her body and sensed no significant issues. She could self-diagnose to an extent.

In the office, the previous doctor sat behind his desk and pulled out a blood test report. "Ms. Valentine, here's the situation. Your bloodwork is a bit complex, indicating it's not just a simple case of gastritis. To rule out the possibility of benign or malignant tumors in your stomach, we need to perform an endoscopy. The procedure requires anesthesia, and due to a high volume of patients, there might be a wait. Are you okay with that?"

"Tumors?" Whitney glanced over the report; indeed, the indicators were off. She confirmed her name; it was her report. Shaking her head, she said, "It can't be that serious. Maybe it's just the acute symptoms that are skewing the bloodwork. I've had stomach issues before, sensitivity to certain foods. But a tumor, that's highly unlikely. I'm really uncomfortable right now; could we start with an IV?"

Seeing her organized refusal, the doctor hesitated, conflicted. "I'm sorry, Ms. Valentine. Our hospital follows a strict diagnostic protocol. Given the abnormalities in your test results, I can't just proceed with an IV treatment. If there's a serious issue with your stomach, misdiagnosing could lead to me facing medical liability. If the endoscopy shows everything's clear, we'll get you on an IV right away."

frowned deeply. She had been at the hospital for an hour; heading to another facility would mean more waiting, likely without being seen before

let's do

culprit. Pulling out her phone, Whitney messaged Tiana on Facebook, "Do you think our lunch at the hotel was off? My stomach's a mess."

you were in, so I managed to bump you up

nodded and followed

examination room, devoid of other patients. A masked male doctor was already inside, preparing the medication. Whitney unfamiliar with the endoscopy, process, noticed something amiss as the doctor began to hook

I

involve spraying anesthetic into my throat,

finish, Whitney felt a sudden paralysis. Looking down, she saw the doctor had swiftly inserted the needle into her hand. Within seconds, the anesthesia took effect. Her eyes glazed over

eve

sealed shut. In a final effort, she pulled off the doctor's

man. The doctor paused, then quickly averted his

the beautiful woman on the bed closed her eyes, sweat

them, approaching him. Ryan clenched the surgical tool in his

Ryan sanitized his hands and exited, taking a medical kit from the nurse that contained a vial. He put on his mask and crossed over to the last building of the hospital, where Florence was anxiously waiting in a room, nearly bursting out to ask about the situation. Seeing

door behind them. In a moment of moral conflict, Ryan held the medical kit closely, his gaze flickering, voice husky. "Ms.