Love beyond the mask ( Whitney )
Chapter 544

Four hours had passed, and Dr. Ford hadn't come out as promised.

Ludwik stood there, his calm slowly ebbing away.

Danny, his eyes reddened, whispered to Parker, "Uncle Parker, didn't you say Grandma's surgery would only take four hours? Why isn't it over yet? Daddy looks so pale."

"Right... I did say that, but only if everything went smoothly..." Parker trailed off, almost slapping himself for potentially jinxing it.

"Danny, just hold your horses," Whitney stood up and walked over to comfort her son, "Not every surgery can be timed to the minute. The doctors have to adjust based on what they encounter. Let's just wait patiently. Look, since Dr. Ford hasn't come out halfway through signaling any complications, that's a good sign."

Her gaze shifted towards Ludwik, still as a statue.

Ludwik caught her glance, realizing she was comforting him. Her face was so gentle, igniting a longing in him to hold her close.

He looked down, his voice nearly a whisper, "Whitney, can I hug you?"

Whitney found herself unable to refuse, seeing him at his most vulnerable, as if he were a child about to lose his mother.

She approached, offering a tissue, her slender shoulders leaning into his sturdy embrace.

Ludwik held her tight, his chin resting on her soft neck, his stubble grazing her skin painfully.

His masculine scent enveloped her, causing her to lose focus.

But the moment was brief; he let her go, advising, "You should sit down, standing too long will tire you out."

"I'm fine, try not to worry," Whitney started to say.

His lips finally curved into a slight smile.

In that moment, the air seemed to still, hinting at a brighter future...

Clang-

The OR light went off, and the sterile doors slowly opened.

Everyone held their breath.

Dr. Ford, mask removed, appeared, followed by a successfully operated-on Natalie.

Ludwik's gaze turned fiery red.

Approaching, Dr. Ford shared the good news, "Mr. Lippert, Natalie's surgery was a success. The spinal cord donated by Florence matched perfectly, and there were no signs of rejection. Natalie will wake up from the anesthesia soon, and you'll be able to talk to her." Ludwik remained silent.

Parker, unable to contain his excitement, nudged him, "Ludwik, come on, Natalie's going to wake up soon!"

"That's wonderful! Natalie's such a good person, blessed by fate," Tiana couldn't help but cheer.

"Take my mother to her room," Ludwik managed to say, his voice restrained.

As Natalie was wheeled into her room, still unconscious, Ludwik turned to give Whitney a deep look.

The woman, holding her son, smiled back at him.

This moment, so precious, Ludwik wondered if his mother would be happy knowing Whitney was carrying his child again.

She would be.

It would be the best gift upon waking up from surgery.

Half an hour later, Natalie woke up with a faint consciousness, opening her eyes weakly.

"Mother," Ludwik stood tall by the bed, his large hand holding Natalie's.

Natalie complained, "It hurts, Ludwik... this has to be the last time I endure such pain. If there's a next time, I won't go through surgery again, just let me go."

The room fell silent, watching the frail elderly woman on the bed.

A tear welled up in Ludwik's eye as he reassured, "It won't happen. You're going to be fine this time. You have to trust me, and Whitney, she's right here. She's a naturopath, remember?"

"Whitney?" Natalie turned, her voice anxious, "Is Whitney here to see me again?"

Whitney stepped forward, taking her hand.

Natalie held both their hands together, crying with joy, "You're both here, with me. That makes me so happy."

Ludwik's gaze on Whitney was warm.

She didn't pull away, only staying for her son's sake.

He looked away, his eyes narrowing.

"Grandma, what about me? Did you forget me? You were so worried about me during the surgery!" Danny ran over, trying not to cry.

"Of course, Danny, Grandma misses you... and misses Sammy too."

Natalie had just woken up, her thoughts still fuzzy. Her longing for Sammy silenced both Whitney and Ludwik.

Ludwik turned, his voice cold, "Is Florence still in the OR?"

Parker replied, "She just donated her spinal cord, should still be out of it. My guys have her watched in the OR; she's not going anywhere for now." Ludwik's fists clenched, a cold fury in his eyes as he turned to leave.

"Ludwik."

Whitney called after him, stepping out.

"You've had a rough day, take a rest," he frowned, gesturing towards the sofa in the room.

But Whitney shook her head, "No, I have something to tell you, and get Dr. Ford here too."

Her expression serious, Ludwik's gaze flickered, sensing the gravity of her words.

Soon, Dr. Ford joined them at the corner.

Whitney took a deep breath, facing Ludwik, "Ludwik, Natalie's spinal deterioration, I believe it was caused by Florence."

The room went silent as Ludwik's intense gaze met hers, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Dr. Ford, shocked, exclaimed, "Ms.

Valentine, are you suggesting Florence orchestrated this whole scenario including the spinal donation? How could that be

nel

possible, her matching Natalie's rare spinal type and blood type perfectly?"

In the serene atmosphere of the quaint town, Whitney nodded with a calm certainty, "It's exactly as it seems. Imagine, if she had known, beforehand that she and Natalie shared the same rare blood type, this scheme would hardly come as a surprise. Ludwik, the night Natalie was kidnapped by Elaine her spine was punctured by a needle, leaving behind a significant mark. Did Parker mention this to you?"

Ludwik's breath turned icy as he pondered her words, silently acknowledging her statement.

Whitney pulled up the photo on her phone again, presenting it to them, "I confronted Elaine about it. That night, Natalie disappeared from her clutches for four whole hours. At the same time Sammy went missing, Natalie was gone too. Four hours, plenty of time for Florence to inject Natalie's spine with a lethal toxin. Elaine said, when the kidnapper saw Natalie again, her body was covered in bruises, and she was incredibly weak. By then, she had already been poisoned. But when I arrived at the cabin in the woods to rescue her, I couldn't detect her pulse. It must have been a very aggressive poison, a chemical agent that rapidly altered Natalie's spinal genes, causing the blood in her spine to necrotize and cease regeneration. Her leukemia must have developed suddenly, didn't it? Very abruptly?"