Love Beyond the Mask by Adelaide Sinclair

Chapter 1164

Whitney wiped away her tears, trying to hold it together. Right now, she had no room in her heart for anything else—she just wanted him to make it through.

Bryce Florence, old grudges, past betrayals-none of that mattered anymore. Not with his life hanging in the balance.

He wasn't worth dying for, not really. Not when it came down to it.

Whitney stood frozen outside the operating room for a whole hour. Not a sound from inside. Her legs felt like dead weight, her body drained and shaky. Finally, she collapsed onto a chair, exhausted.

She was the only one in the hallway. Everyone she cared about was scattered across the hospital in different rooms.

Tonight was going to be a long, lonely night.

Her thoughts drifted to the little baby she'd just helped save. Sammy had said Ludwik had given her a nickname-Little Pumpkin. He'd told his son, "Your sister's real name, that's up to your mom."

Whitney stared at the operating room doors, her eyes filling again. She whispered, "I did everything I could to save the baby. Now it's your turn-wake up from this surgery, okay? Come pick her name yourself."

were at their worst. And in the middle of all

after she found out, he kept

to find their daughter again. "Ludwik, if you don't wake up and take care of

She needed him to fight, to survive. That bullet to his stomach could take

on her daughter's condition after the surgery. She had to know how the little

got a word out before

room? Uncle Shane said Dad went after Bryce—the bad guy—and got really, really hurt. Is he okay? I'm scared... I asked Uncle Shane but he said he didn't actually see Dad, so he doesn't know! Is Dad going to

not like everyone else—he's tough as nails.

to sound

of love and frustration for both boys. "Sammy, don't be hard on Danny. He's in surgery right now, but I won't let anything happen to him. Now tell me has your

"She hasn't woken up, but the doctor said it's just the anesthesia. Her breathing's

her chest

receiver. "I just checked on your daughter in the NICU. Whitney, you stay with Ludwik-focus on

me know right away. I'll get the best surgeons