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Chapter_140
Panic gripped Whitney as she desperately tried to rouse her uncle, her hands shaking as she pressed them to his shoulders. The shock of seeing him collapse in front of her was almost too much to bear. She couldn’t lose him—not like this. Not after all these years.
Her voice cracked as she shouted for help. “Manager! Someone, please, call an ambulance!” Her heart was pounding in her chest, each beat louder than the next, drowning out the chaos around her.
Ludwik’s departure, the angry outburst from Ashton, all seemed to fade into the background. All that mattered now was her uncle. Keegan’s face was pale, his breathing erratic, and his body trembled in her hands. Whitney could feel the weight of the situation press down on her.
As the manager rushed into the room, panic evident in their expression, Whitney heard the distant hum of sirens growing louder. She didn’t care if anyone was watching. She focused solely on Keegan, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Was this related to his past injuries? The treatments he had been undergoing?
“Keegan, please, stay with me,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched his hand, willing him to respond. She wasn’t ready for this. She hadn’t even gotten the chance to truly understand the depth of the pain he’d been through.
The door opened again, and the paramedics rushed in, taking control of the situation. The air in the room felt thick, the tension suffocating. They quickly checked Keegan’s vitals, confirming what Whitney had feared—he was in serious distress. He was barely conscious, his body weak and trembling.
“He’s in shock,” one of the paramedics said briskly. “We need to get him to the hospital right away.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, they carefully loaded him onto a stretcher and wheeled him out of the room. Whitney stayed close, her heart racing with each step. She couldn’t bear to leave his side—not now, not when everything felt so uncertain.
The manager, still shaken, turned to Whitney. “Should we call someone? Do you want us to notify Mr. Ludwik?”
Whitney nodded, though her mind was elsewhere. “Yes, let him know. But… don’t tell him it’s urgent. He’s got enough to deal with.” She didn’t know why, but the idea of Ludwik being involved again—especially after everything that had just happened—felt wrong. Her uncle needed her. She couldn’t afford to focus on Ludwik’s mess right now.
Once at the hospital, Whitney was kept in a sterile waiting room, her fingers nervously tapping against the armrest. Time seemed to stretch endlessly. How could everything shift so quickly? Just moments ago, she had been hopeful about this reunion, eager to finally bridge the years of silence. Now, all of that seemed so far away.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Ludwik. “How is he? Let me know if you need anything.”
Whitney stared at the screen for a moment, the words feeling hollow. Was this what he was concerned about right now? Elaine’s crisis was clearly far more important to him.
She bit her lip and set the phone aside, trying not to think about him. Instead, her mind was consumed by the one person who truly mattered to her in that moment—her uncle.
The doctor finally emerged, her expression serious but not entirely grim. Whitney stood as she approached, her heart in her throat.
“Miss Tennyson?” the doctor asked. “Your uncle is stable for now, but he’s under heavy sedation. He experienced a severe panic attack, possibly triggered by his recent treatment. We’ll need to monitor him closely, but we’re hopeful he’ll recover with rest.”
Whitney let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. He was going to be okay—for now. But there were so many questions she needed answered. The mystery surrounding his injuries, his cryptic words about the family’s “score to settle,” and the strange man she’d seen him with at the airport—the man who seemed to be connected to something much larger.
“Can I see him?” Whitney asked, her voice still tight with anxiety.
“Of course. But please, keep it brief. He needs to rest.”
Whitney nodded, gratitude flooding her as she followed the doctor to Keegan’s room. He was unconscious, his breathing steady for the moment. His scarred face looked peaceful, but Whitney knew better than to think that meant everything was fine.
She reached out, gently brushing his hand. “I’m here, Uncle. I’m not going anywhere.”
As she sat by his bedside, Whitney’s mind raced with everything she had learned in the past few days. The name Ludwik, the strange tension at the lunch, the secrets her uncle carried. She had to know more. And she would.
But first, she needed her uncle to wake up and tell her everything. She wasn’t going to let the past remain buried any longer.
