Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 749

"Can't you see?" Whitney grumbled, awkwardly pinned beneath him. Every word she spoke brushed his lips in an all too intimate way, flushing her cheeks an even deeper shade of red. "I can barely breathe with you on me, let me up!"

"Right... Sorry." Ludwik eased off her gently.

He winced as he got to his feet, softly patting her back. "Feeling better?"

"..." Seriously, she should be asking him that, considering he was the one who needed rescuing.

Whitney was a bit dazed. His sincere and graceful care for her was just like it had been three years ago.

Her heart skipped a beat, swatting away his hand, "Now that you're awake, you're obviously fine.

Be more careful next time. Inhaling smoke from a fire is no joke. And don't try to play the hero; you could have died."

"Thank you, Whitney... Did you really stop because you couldn't bear the thought of looking in the rearview mirror and not seeing me there, finding me passed out on the side of the road?"

"..." She really regretted saving this shameless man again.

"Ha! As if I was the one who found you. Shane did! He was about to give you CPR, but it was too embarrassing, so I stepped in," Whitney glared at him.

At that moment, Shane, lurking nearby with his tall frame, made his presence known.

Hearing her, Ludwik glanced at Shane's disparaging look, his playful smile morphing into embarrassment. "Why are you always everywhere?"

"..." Shane was on the verge of exploding.

Grinding his teeth, he managed a smile, "I should've just given you that CPR, disgusted you a bit. If it weren't for me convincing Whitney, she wouldn't have stopped to help you."

"Yeah. All thanks to Shane's generous heart," Whitney quickly disassociated.

of disappointment in his gaze as he looked

to the car, "Shane, let's

throat still

at him. Despite the fall and his crumpled shirt,

turn on his charm at the drop of

faking the pain but considering he might still have smoke inhalation issues, she sighed and turned to Shane, "Just let him in the car. We'll drop him at the hospital and leave him there." Before Shane could respond,

shame? Do you even know whose car this

a ride to someone who's injured?" Ludwik shot back,

speechless, his strategy had worked

it's a tactic worth learning for future use, maybe

his place behind the wheel, the car heading down Brew

or checked her phone, giving Ludwik

sullen look, Shane

silence, Shane, ever the peacemaker, started, "Ludwik, why were you out there alone? Where's your driver?" "Lost my phone in the explosion, can't contact anyone right now," Ludwik replied, his

maybe Jason. I'll drop you off at the hospital, and they

Just drop me at the hospital. I'm not exactly on good terms with my old man, and my grandma's sick. No one's

car filled with a tangible

nearly hit the

Whitney: "..."

even pretend to look outside, her face

nearly failing to suppress a

glared at him, but held back from retorting, not

soon arrived at the

relief; finally, this

my wallet and phone in the blast, can't pay for treatment." Whitney stared at him incredulously, "Ludwik, do you think I'm an idiot? You're a Lippert, for heaven's sake. Even if you've hit rock bottom, any hospital would recognize

clicked his tongue, thinking Whitney was being a bit heartless. It was clear Ludwik was trying to get her attention, to

This isn't a Lippert-owned hospital," Ludwik