Chapter 165


    In the darkness, ine emerged from the bushes like a ghost in the night, with two men trailing behind


    her.


    Instinctively, Whitney shielded Natalie behind her, her mind racing with possibilities. Confusedly, She


    frowned. “ine, what are you doing here?”


    Whitney was certain she was up to no good no matter why she was there.


    ine’s coldugh sliced through the night air as she advanced on Whitney, suddenly shoving her to


    the ground.


    “Ah!” Whitney, already exhausted from a long night and without food or drink, copsed onto the grass,


    a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.


    “Whitney! ine, what the hell are you doing?” Natalie cried out weakly, trying to get up.


    ine signaled to one of the men, who immediately grabbed Natalie, forcibly separating her from


    Whitney.


    “ine, stop this! Let her go; she needs to get to the hospital; she’s in danger.”


    Whitney’s eyes widened in panic. She struggled to rise, but ine pressed down on her wrist.


    Crouching down, ine’s eyes were cold, but her lips curled into a sinister smile. “She is indeed in


    danger, which is why I’m here to ‘save‘ her. Who would believe you’re the rescuer? You and your uncle


    plotted her kidnapping. What do you think Ludwik would do if he found out?”


    Whitney’s heart ached, but she quickly regained her wits. “How could you possibly know about the


    kidnapping? It happened so suddenly, yet you arrived even before the cops!”


    ine remained silent, her eyes glinting with malice. She lifted Whitney’s chin forcefully, revealing a


    scar on her wrist. “When you forced me to leave Banyan City, I paid a heavy price to return. This scar is


    a permanent ugliness, a reminder of my humiliation. I swore then to win back Ludwik and crush you


    beneath my feet.”


    Whitney knew arguing was futile. “You left Banyan City because you endangered my innocent child and


    tried to kill me multiple times. Ludwik’s punishment was not my fault. His heart was never yours to


    im; even without me, your engagement was long broken. He has no desire to marry you.”


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    “You’re full of it. Without you, he would have been mine! But soon, you’ll see how I take him from you.


    Bearing his child, loving him, standing by his side? You’ll never get to do any of those things in your


    life!”


    ine’s mocking certainty sent shivers down Whitney’s spine. “What do you mean by that?”


    ine stood, looking down at Whitney’s belly, and smirked with envy. “You’ll understand soon enough.”


    With that, she kicked Whitney’s abdomen.


    Whitney screamed in agony, her vision darkening with pain. She reached for a silver needle hidden


    away, but another man struck her neck with force.


    “Whitney! Whitney!” Natalie tried to rush over, coughing up blood in her panic.


    “Mom…” Whitney’s world went ck as she felt blood trickling down her legs. In her final moments of


    consciousness, she saw ine dragging Natalie away.


    She needed to get Natalie to the hospital, or it would be toote.


    “Ugh!” Whitney woke up in a panic.


    It was still dark above her. Was she being moved? She trembled slightly.


    “Whitney?!” Keegan’s voice, tinged with pain, called out to her.


    “Uncle? How did you find me?”


    18.19


    Keegan, carrying her through the bushes, stumbled in his haste. “Some guy with sses led the cops


    right to me. I barely escaped. Then I found you here in the bushes. What were you thinking, dragging


    that woman with you? Where is she?”


    “Mom’s been taken.” Whitney’s heart raced with worry about what ine might do to her mother–in–


    “Your belly is bleeding!” Keegan paled, “My leg is injured too. That man’s still after me with the cops. I


    need to hide you somewhere first”


    Whitney’s face was ashen as she clutched her aching belly.


    Keegan, limping badly, finally found a remote cabin in the woods.


    Heid her down, and Whitney, gasping for air, asked him to retrieve a medicine packet from her


    pocket. She took a pill to stop the bleeding


    The baby inside her kicked frantically, likely hurt by ine’s kick.


    Whitney’s eyes filled with tears as she gently touched her belly, unsure if the baby was alright. She took


    out some first–aid supplies and instructed Keegan to tear open his pants.


    The area around his prosthetic was a bloody mess, throbbing with pain. Whitney looked on with sorrow


    as she managed to administer the medicine.


    Keegan passed out from the pain


    Whitney waited through the night, holding her stomach and drenched in sweat.


    The next morning, Keegan woke with a fever from the infected wound despite Whitney’s attempts.


    Whitney spoke softly. “Uncle, you should turn yourself in. That man must be Parker, Ludwik’s friend. If


    he’s brought the police, it means we can’t hide this anymore. I wanted to take Mom homest night for


    treatment to prevent you from making a grave mistake. But now….


    The police are involved. It’s toote. You need medical treatment for your leg, and I don’t know if my


    baby is okay. Plus, ine has taken Mom, and that woman’s nothing but bad news. I’m really worried


    about Mom. I want to go out and find her, okay?”


    As she spoke, she broke down in tears.


    Keegan looked defeated, covering his face with his hands.


    His face turned pale and ashen. “I’ve been in agony for a decade and got nothing. Ludwik has no


    mercy! My daughter is still in his hands!”


    “I’ll ask him for mercy,” Whitney said, “I still have his child, and he’ll surely show me some mercy.


    Uncle, don’t walk down this wrong path anymore. If you keep going and forcing him to a corner, he’ll


    really kill your daughter!”


    Keegan had gained absolutely nothing from the kidnapping. The arrival of the police was way too soon,


    and now, he was silent and in fear.


    Eventually, he nodded as if resigning to fate.


    Whitney released a pent–up breath, her voice tinged with urgency. “Let’s get out of here soon. By the


    way, how did you pull off kidnapping Mom yesterday?” The vi was always crawling with security, and


    Ludwik was super protective of Natalie.


    Keegan said honestly, “Someone slipped me Ludwik’s mother’s number, and knowing that the vi was


    Fort Knox, I had to lure her out. Once she stepped out, it was game over–i snatched her.”


    “Who told you?” Whitney’s face suddenly turned ashen.


    “A woman’s voice I’d never heard, and it was a burner number. I was desperate and had no choice at


    the time!”


    Whitney’s heart skipped a beat.


    A woman? Her thoughts shed back to ine, who had eerily pinpointed her and her mother’s


    locationst night, appearing out of nowhere.


    Could ine have tipped off her uncle, using Natalie as a pawn against Ludwik?


    This woman was up to no good, harboring ill intentions towards Natalie!


    *Uncle, we need to go now. I have to find Mom as soon as possible…” Whitney tried to steady herself,


    pushing off the wall to stand up.


    Keegan, however, stared at her thoughtfully. After strapping on his prosthetic, he moved slowly to the


    cabin door, then suddenly mmed it shut with force!


    “Uncle?” Whitney was taken aback, rushing over to yank at the door!


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