Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 1169

Suddenly, just as Whitney reached out to check his pulse, the man’s hand shot out and gripped hers tight.

His grasp was strong—surprisingly strong for someone fresh out of surgery—but his fingers were cold and trembling.

Whitney froze, startled. She looked up, only to find herself staring into the deep, hollow eyes of a man who’d just clawed his way back from the brink. Ludwik was awake, his gaze dark and stormy, his brow furrowed as he fixed her with a look that could pierce steel.

He was clearly upset—but not because of anything she’d threatened. No, it was something else. It was what she’d said earlier, about him being “old.”

Getting called old—especially by the woman he loved—hit Ludwik like a truck. That’s just not something you say to a man, especially not when he’s fighting for his life and trying to win you back.

His eyes, usually sharp and intimidating, now looked almost… wounded. He pressed his lips into a thin, stubborn line and dropped his gaze down from her rosy cheeks.

“What, you think I’ve been treating you so badly?” Whitney huffed, rolling her eyes at his pitiful look. “If I hadn’t stayed by your side through that surgery, you’d still be lying on that table—nobody would even bother to claim your body!”

She tried to sound tough, but the tears brimming in her eyes gave her away. She was worried sick, and they both knew it.

Ludwik caught the flicker of fear and concern in her face. For a moment, his battered heart felt something like hope.

He tried to play it cool, but his voice was rough as gravel. “Look, I just had surgery. I’m at my weakest right now, and you go and call me old? That’s like pouring salt in a fresh wound.” He hooked his fingers around her hand, refusing to let go.

“Oh, come on,” Whitney shot back, tugging at her hand. “It’s not like I’m lying. You’re not as tough as you used to be, and you still insisted on chasing after Bryce. What if you’d died out there? What about your three kids, huh?”

Ludwik only tightened his grip, wrapping her whole hand in his. He tried to sit up, wanting to be closer to her.

“Whitney… I’d never leave you. Or the kids. That’s a promise,” Ludwik said, jaw clenched against the pain tearing through his abdomen.

His familiar scent, the warmth of him, surrounded her like a comforter on a cold winter morning—finally giving her heart a place to land. Whitney fought back tears, digging her fingers defiantly into his calloused palm. “Even if Bryce somehow manages to escape, I don’t want you risking your life for revenge. To me, nothing—nothing—is more important than you coming home safe. I know you want to finish this, to protect me. But I need you alive, Ludwik.”

She took a shaky breath. “That bag? It had Bryce’s leg in it. Parker’s already headed back to Saltland Island with it.”

“Is Parker going back to bait them?” Ludwik asked, eyes narrowing.

Whitney nodded. “Phineas is with him. The President’s sending in a SWAT team. As long as Bryce wants his leg back, there’s a chance he’ll take the bait and we can catch him.”

Ludwik’s eyes turned cold. He wasn’t as optimistic. “After I took his leg, those mercenaries hauled him onto a plane and flew him past the border. Parker dragged me out because he thought I’d get mowed down in the crossfire. We were short on backup then—if the SWAT team can’t catch up, we might miss our shot…”