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.

disappointment in

motioned to head back to the

still hurts," Ludwik feigned

Despite the fall and his crumpled shirt, his posture remained proud, and even in disarray, there was an

on his charm at the

let him in the

have no shame?

going to refuse a ride to someone who's injured?" Ludwik shot back, a cold look

strategy had worked

it's a tactic worth learning

took his place behind the wheel, the

Whitney pretended to admire the scenery or checked her phone, giving

Ludwik's sullen look, Shane couldn't help

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,

I'll drop you off at the hospital,

old man, and my

car filled with a tangible sense of

hit the

Whitney: "..."

pretend to look outside,

glanced at her, nearly failing to

him, but held back from retorting, not wanting to give

at the nearby

of relief; finally, this man

sympathy, "Whitney, could you lend me some money? Lost 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

being a bit heartless. It was clear Ludwik was trying to get her attention, to make her stay by

Lippert-owned hospital," Ludwik pointed out, indicating the