Chapter 232


    In the dead of night, Whitney curled up in a windowless ward, herplexion deathly pale, her gaze


    distant and unfocused.


    The door swung open, and a nurse carrying a tray of food stepped in, her tone kind as she said, “Ms.


    Valentine, please eat something.”


    Whitney nced at the tray, only to find leftover scraps that had gone cold!


    Her senses sharpened immediately, her eyes fixed on the masked nurse as she knocked the tray over.


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    “Did ine send you?”


    The corner of the nurse’s eye twitched with malice, but her voice maintained its innocence. “Ms.


    Valentine, I’m just a regr nurse. Mr. Lippert has instructed us to take good care of you. Please don’t


    make things difficult for us.”


    Disregarding her, Whitney seized the moment when the door was ajar and bolted out.


    Little did she know that two burly security guards were waiting outside, who swiftly grabbed her and


    dragged her back to the room.


    “Let me go, let me out!” Whitney’s screams were those of a woman teetering on the edge of


    reason.


    As the nurse tidied up the mess and left, Whitney noticed the surveince camera in the room dimmed.


    Momentster, the door burst open again, and the nurse returned with the guards.


    With the door securely shut, the nurse sneered, “Ms. Valentine, time for your IV.”


    “What IV? Show me the prescription first.” Whitney was on her feet in an instant.


    The nurse ordered the guards to pin her down. As the syringe hissed with its sinister contents, she said


    with a low chuckle, “We’re quite professional at treating depression, dear. You don’t need to see the


    prescription! Just know that after a few more shots, your baby will be arriving sooner than expected.”


    What?


    Whitney’s face turned ashen; the medication was tainted, undoubtedly arranged by ine.


    She could not let them inject her; she absolutely could not!


    But there she was, awkward with her pregnant belly, powerless to fight back, watching helplessly as the


    drug was pushed into her vein.


    “No!” she screamed, her face drained of color.


    The nurse swiftly retracted the needle and left with the guards.


    Gripped by abdominal pain, Whitney desperately pressed on her arm to slow the drug’s spread


    through her bloodstream. She stumbled into the bathroom, gulping down tap water to induce urination,


    trying to flush out the drug.


    Tearfully returning to her room, she noticed the camera light was back on.


    She slumped to the floor, too drained to even muster a bitterugh.


    Tiana and Valerie searched frantically for Whitney throughout the night. Repeated calls to Nn and


    Parker yielded no clues to Ludwik’s whereabouts.


    In desperation, Tiana dialed Felix’s number repeatedly, but he would not pick up.


    Something felt terribly wrong!


    With no other choice, Tiana hacked into Felix’s address. She and Valerie stormed over and cornered


    him for half a day before he reluctantly revealed a sliver of truth. “Madam attacked Mr. Lippert and beat


    ine. The family doctor examined her and diagnosed her with a tendency for depression. Considering


    multiple factors, Mr. Lippert had her taken for isted treatment overnight…”


    Tiana listened, horrified and furious. A nce at Valerie confirmed their mutual suspicion: with ine


    involved, her fingerprints were all over this.


    “That blind fool Ludwik… I don’t have time for this. Where did he take Whitney?”


    Whitney would be driven mad by Ludwik and ine’s torments even if she was not already.


    Felix looked down ufortably, “Mr. Lippert knows I’m close to Nn and Parker. He didn’t let me


    follow. This is a highly sensitive matter for Mr. Lippert; anyone who probes too deeply is walking a


    deadly path, Ms. Melford. Please don’t act rashly.”


    “Damn it, Whitney is in danger!” Tiana hissed to Valerie.


    Valerie was calmer, asking Felix, “Do you know where Bryce was taken for questioning in Emperor


    City? What are the charges? Is it serious? Please, just give us something.”


    “Bryce had a position in the Emperor City Political Consultative Conference. There’s been


    embezzlement within the council, and he’s been dragged into the investigation.”


    Valerie understood that Bryce would likely be safe but detained for a while.


    That was precisely what Ludwik wanted–to move Whitney and cause chaos in the Lutz family, teaching


    Bryce not to cross him again.


    Valerie pulled a reluctant Tiana away.


    Back in the car, Tiana tried to locate the tracker in Whitney’s watch, but it was silent. Where had


    Whitney been taken?


    17:22


    Before dawn, Ludwik, restless and uneasy, drove for hours to reach the secluded sanatorium


    /


    nestled in the mountains.


    He slipped into the hospital room to find the woman lying in bed, her beauty marred by exhaustion.


    Her hair tangled with tears on her pale, almost translucent face. Curled up tightly on her side, her hand


    rested protectively on her belly as if, even in sleep, she feared for her child.


    He was not sure if bringing her here for treatment was the right decision.


    Had he frightened her? Was that why she was so scared?


    His hand reached out unconsciously, caressing her cheek before he snapped back to reality, his eyes


    turning cold as he withdrew his touch.


    “Don’t pity her just because of her vulnerability. Has her acting not deceived you enough?” He warned


    himself.


    He sat stiffly beside the bed, staring at her swollen belly, craving a cigarette. The pack slipped from his


    grasp and fell to the floor with a tter.


    The sound jolted the woman awake, her eyes wide with terror.


    The door opened, and the doctor walked in, followed by the same nurse fromst night, carrying an IV


    bag and syringe. “Ms. Valentine, it’s time for your morning nutrition.”


    “Get away! That’s not nutrition; it’s meant to induce mybor! You won’t harm my child again!”


    Whitney thrashed in panic, hurling anything within reach at them.


    “Whitney!”


    Ludwik furrowed his brow, confused by her panic, reaching out to gently restrain her.


    As Whitney saw him, sheshed out with a p, her eyes zing with red–hot hatred. “Ludwik, your


    heart is so cruel. They injected me with somethingst night, and they will kill your child. It was ine;


    she must have bribed the doctors!”


    Ludwik held her down with a firm grip, his brow furrowed in skepticism. “What nonsense are you


    rambling about? ine had no clue about this sanatorium; I found itst minute. How could she


    possibly have the doctors in her pocket by now?”


    ine appeared in the doorway, a hint of a smirk on her lips. She was prepared, and Whitney was


    likely to be at a loss for words.


    True, she had not had the time to bribe any doctorsst night, but she had her influential parents


    backing her up. With the weight of the Bartels family’s healthcare connections, what could not be


    arranged?


    “I’m not talking nonsense.” Whitney lifted her hand, pointing to the security camera. “Do you even know


    what they’ve done to me? They’ve been serving me scraps, trying to make me sick. Last night, there


    was a period when they turned off the camera, came in, pinned me down, and force–fed me


    medication. You won’t believe me? Go check the tapes!”


    17.10.


    “Ms. Whitney, we understand you’re under a lot of stress, but these usations are simply unfair. I was


    practically begging you to eatst night.” the nurse retorted.


    Ludwik’s expression hardened, and he gestured for the director to bring up the security footage. On the


    screen, the nurse indeed seemed sincerely encouraging Whitney to eat, but the meal was knocked to


    the floor by Whitney’s own hand.


    It was only upon seeing the footage that Whitney realized how the nurse had cunningly stayed out of


    clear view of the camera. From the distance, the leftover meal was indiscernible!


    Pointing to a missing segment in the recording, the nurse exined, “This is when Ms. Whitney was


    being helped with her personal hygiene and changing clothes. Mr. Lippert, we turn off the cameras for a


    few minutes during such times to maintain privacy as security personnel monitor the footage live. If


    there’s an issue, the director can arrange for a dedicated 24–hour surveince for Ms. Whitney.”


    “They’re lying!” Whitney pressed her lips together in frustration. “Ludwik, I wouldn’t lie to you. You have


    to get me out of here; our baby is in danger. The medication they’re using is all meant to harm the baby


    and induce premature birth–it’s all ine’s doing!”


    Ludwik looked at her, taking a deep breath, and instructed the doctor, “Open the IV bag right now and


    test its contents on the spot. If there’s anything wrong with it, I will move you to another hospital


    immediately,” he assured Whitney.