Love beyond the mask101-200

Novel Catalog

Chapter_171

In the chaos of the hospital corridor, tension surged with each passing second. Ludwik’s violent outbursts sent ripples of fear through everyone nearby, and as Elaine had narrowly escaped harm, the situation outside seemed to spiral even further out of control.

Her mind raced as she quickly locked the door, trapping Whitney inside with Ludwik. A cruel smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. She had a gut feeling that maybe, just maybe, Ludwik would calm in the presence of Whitney—the woman who seemed to trigger his fury, but also had the power to reach him in ways Elaine couldn’t.

Elaine didn’t care about Whitney. Her only focus was saving herself—maintaining control over Ludwik and his volatile emotions, making sure he remained within her grasp.

Inside the room, Ludwik’s body convulsed in agony, his mind still a turbulent sea of confusion. His body spasmed uncontrollably, his breathing shallow and labored. Whitney, taken by surprise at the sound of the door slamming shut behind her, froze momentarily. The sight of Ludwik—tortured, in pain, and so utterly lost—shattered her composure.

Ludwik’s violent shaking grew worse with every passing moment, his disjointed movements barely registering her presence. His red-rimmed eyes flickered toward her for just a brief moment, but the fierce pain in his head seemed to blur his reality. Yet somewhere deep inside him, something screamed for her, for the one person who had always been his anchor, the one who could understand him even in his most maddened state.

“Ludwik…” Whitney’s voice trembled, both in fear and a strange sense of recognition. “Ludwik, it’s me. I’m here. I won’t leave.”

Her words, shaky as they were, seemed to reach him. His hand, trembling violently, reached out as though searching for something familiar, something real. The softness in his eyes was fleeting, barely there before the rage surged back into his veins, overriding everything else.

“Get out… get out!” he rasped through gritted teeth, his body stiffening as his pain consumed him.

“Ludwik, listen to me,” Whitney urged, stepping cautiously closer. “I’m not leaving. You need to fight this. You’re not alone.”

But his rage had already swallowed his ability to hear her. Every word she spoke slipped through the cracks in his mind, drowned out by the storm of emotions he couldn’t control. As his fury grew, he lurched forward with a strength that took him by surprise, throwing his body upward with an uncontrollable force. The bed creaked under the weight of his frantic movements, and Whitney stepped back instinctively, her heart pounding in her chest.

Elaine’s plan, cold and calculated, was already unfolding. She had known that Ludwik’s mind needed to calm, and if Whitney was the catalyst for that, so be it. It was no longer about saving him—it was about keeping him tethered to something, anyone, before he spiraled beyond reach.

The minutes stretched out, unbearable for both Ludwik and Whitney. The strain of watching him, of seeing him suffer so intensely, wore on her, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. She had abandoned him once before, but not again. This time, no matter the cost, she would stay. She needed him to trust her again—she needed him to believe that he wasn’t alone in his torment.

But Ludwik, lost in his pain, continued to slip further away. His struggles deepened, and each frantic breath seemed to pull him deeper into the abyss of madness. Whitney’s throat tightened as she wondered whether she could pull him back from this dark edge or if she was simply witnessing his descent.

Outside, the storm of business and familial obligations loomed, the pressure from every side threatening to crush him. Elaine’s influence had only tightened her grip on Ludwik, suffocating him under her control. But inside that room, Whitney held a different kind of power—a power far beyond manipulation or influence. It was the power of love, compassion, and the unspoken bond between them that neither illness nor family could completely sever. Yet even in this moment, she wasn’t sure if it would be enough to save him.

“Ludwik, hold on,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. As if those words, fragile and desperate, were the only thing keeping him anchored to this world.

Her words hung in the air, fragile as they were, but Whitney knew that in his mind, every second counted. The battle wasn’t just for his survival—it was for his soul, his sanity, and their future together. If she couldn’t reach him now, if this moment slipped away, she feared there would be nothing left of him to save.

Next Chapter