Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 812

Last night was almost a disaster. If Ludwik hadn't stepped in just in time, Whitney would have been gone for good, like a perfectly roasted duck slipping right out of your grasp.

And Bryce, with his slimy tactics, was ready to play dirty. "Even if I let you go, Ludwik, you're just gonna turn around and rat me out. How about I just keep you both here? When the cops show up, I'll just tell them you were having an affair with my wife, drugging her at your wedding, making things look suspicious. Who do you think they'll believe, you or me?" "Tiana was livid. "Bryce, you're the lowest of the low!"

Just then, Ludwik signaled someone outside, and Shane walked in, an outsider to their drama but wearing a smug smile. "Mr. Lutz, sorry to burst your bubble, but I heard everything you just said about framing Ludwik. I'll be sure to repeat it to the cops." Bryce's face turned ashen. How many people had Ludwik brought to crash his place?

With Shane now in the mix, Bryce knew he was in for a rough night.

"Look, you have no right to take my wife away. This is a family matter!" Bryce snapped, his anger summoning a few more hired goons into the room.

Ludwik glanced over, his eyes narrowing, ready for a fight. "You know, getting into a brawl won't end well for you. You really don't want the cops finding your house full of hired muscle, do you? Let Whitney go, and I'll overlook tonight's misdeeds." "You think I was born yesterday?" Bryce scoffed, signaling his goons to attack.

Ludwik sprung into action, engaging them in a fierce battle.

Shane joined in, but since they had already called the police, they hadn't brought any backup, leaving them outnumbered.

But Ludwik knew Bryce wouldn't dare let his goons stick around for long. If the cops caught them, it would be hard to explain, especially with ties to the notorious Patrick family. Was Bryce really willing to drag them into this mess? That's why Ludwik had stormed in alone tonight. Bryce had too much to hide.

Seizing a moment, Ludwik and Shane managed a powerful kick to Bryce's shin, sending him stumbling backward.

Ludwik then rushed to Tiana and Whitney, pulling them to safety, his knife at Bryce's chest. "Call off your men! Bryce, don't make me end you. You know I've got nothing to lose. I'd consider it justice for Whitney."

Caught off guard, Bryce felt the knife pierce his skin, his neck forced upward, unable to move.

Gritting his teeth, Bryce glanced at Whitney, her face flushed with fury. He had been so close to having her.

"I can't die here."

"Get out," Bryce hissed, defeated for the moment.

Even if Whitney got away tonight, this wasn't over. Bryce had other plans, and soon enough, Ludwik, Whitney, and Tiana would all pay.

But for now, he couldn't afford to die at Ludwik's hand.

Ludwik eased up, pushing Bryce against the wall with a kick. "You really do love your life, don't you?"

Signaling Shane to retreat, Ludwik made a quick exit, his gaze fixed on Whitney, looking radiant despite the ordeal. Gently lifting her face, he hurried her downstairs.

Outside, Parker was waiting with the car, ready for their escape.

"Ludwik, is Whitney okay?" Parker asked, offering a blanket.

Ludwik wrapped the disheveled and dazed Whitney carefully.

"She's been drugged by that scumbag Bryce. Look at her!" Tiana fretted.

"Should we take her to the hospital?" Shane suggested.

"It's... pointless," Whitney managed to say, her cheeks burning with an uncontrollable fever. The drugs were too potent for any immediate antidote.

"Ludwik... hold me..." Her consciousness was fading, her arms entwining desperately around his neck.

Shane coughed awkwardly, looking away.

Ludwik's expression darkened, both from annoyance and a stirring heart. "Hang in there. We'll be home soon, Whitney. This isn't the place."

"But Mr. Lippert, even if we get home, what can you do? You're how shall I put this-out of commission, right?" Shane couldn't help but tease, eyeing Ludwik playfully.

"Out!" Ludwik's patience wore thin.

Parker quickly intervened, redirecting Shane's attention and suggesting Tiana join him in the front seat, all while Ludwik and Whitney prepared for a swift departure to safety, away from Bryce's twisted world. Parker slid into the driver's seat and hit the road, but it didn't take long for the atmosphere inside the car to turn awkward.

The back seat was as steamy as a sauna, and to top it off, this car had no privacy partition.

Ludwik couldn't tame Whitney's wild side no matter how hard he tried. He kept wrapping her in a blanket, but she'd kick it off, nuzzling against his chiseled jaw and chest in an unrestrained manner.

In the stifling silence, Ludwik shot Parker, who kept glancing in the rearview mirror, a frosty look. "Parker, for heaven's sake, blindfold yourself!"

"...Come on, Ludwik, how am I supposed to drive blindfolded?" Parker replied, a twitch at the corner of his mouth betraying his amusement.

Ludwik retorted, "And why exactly do you keep looking back here?"

Parker, slightly embarrassed, adjusted his glasses, his eyes twinkling mischievously as he pondered. Tiana, sitting next to him, blushed, flustered. "Parker, just focus on driving, will you? Stop being nosy."

Suddenly, Parker turned his gaze towards her, scrutinizing her flushed face. A faint memory seemed to flicker in his mind. In a husky whisper, he mused, "Tiana... have we ever been intimate like this? Like Ludwik and Whitney... I feel like there's a memory of us being just as passionate."

At his words, Tiana's grip tightened.

Was he recalling something? Her heart raced.