Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 753

Hudson's steady heartbeat reassured Bryce Lutz that the old man was simply asleep. "Well, his heart's beating at a normal pace. Must be dreaming," he mused.

The nurse, relieved, approached Bryce. "Mr. Lutz, it's getting late. Since the boss is resting, maybe you should head home to your daughter."

Bryce, hands in pockets, nodded with a slight, knowing smile. "Guess I'll leave him to it then."

With a confident stride, he left the room, a determined grin playing at the corners of his mouth as he disappeared into the hall.

-

The next morning saw Ludwik Lippert, fresh from his hospital discharge, heading straight to work at the Lippert Group.

Jason, his father, arrived looking worse for wear, anger etched on his face as he took in the visible injuries on Ludwik. "Have you lost your mind? Go home and rest. Rushing to work straight from the hospital, are you trying to give me gray hairs?"

"Father, it's not as dramatic as you think. Besides, you were the one who always said 'bounce back quickly.'"

Ludwik's nonchalance as he took his seat behind the desk left Jason speechless. It was as if his son was suddenly supercharged, a stark contrast to his recent despondency.

"Was last night's brush with death a wake-up call?" Jason wondered, still shaken by the events that had unfolded at the Wilsons' gala—an explosion that had the police and fire departments scrambling, rumored to have been an assassination attempt on Ms. Miller, or perhaps a direct threat to Ludwik himself.

"Could it be the Patricks?" Jason fumed, having heard rumors of Jarvis Patrick's vendetta against Ludwik at the gala.

"Everyone knows it, but we lack proof."

Jason's fury was palpable. "The audacity of the Patricks, to come after my son, my family, after everything. They already have everything they could want; why can't they leave us in peace?"

"Father, don't dwell on it. The Patricks have always been ruthless. Last night was likely Jarvis acting out again, with Wade ready to throw Brielle under the bus to save his skin. She publicly clashed with me, after all. We'll see soon enough how this plays out."

Jason's eyes hardened. "Wade Patrick is a snake."

Ludwik, however, was already looking ahead, planning to leverage his recent ordeal into a business advantage. "I believe Phineas will see through the Patricks' schemes. I've already laid the groundwork for a partnership with Inko Group that the Patricks can't match. I'll meet with Phineas tomorrow."

Reassured, Jason left with a warning for Ludwik to stay vigilant against the Patricks' machinations.

Ludwik suspected last night's explosion involved more players than just Jarvis—perhaps even Bryce had a hand in it. The thought lingered as he opened his files for the day's work.