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Chapter_163
The situation had spiraled out of control faster than anyone could have anticipated. Ludwik, once meticulous in his planning, now found himself blindsided by the sudden revelations. His mind raced, desperately trying to connect the dots between the betrayals and the schemes that had been carefully orchestrated behind his back. Whitney, the woman he had once loved and trusted, had become a pawn in her uncle’s dark, twisted game of manipulation. The thought of it sent a cold fury spiraling through him, each new piece of information hitting like a hammer blow.
His thoughts were shattered as Nolan entered, his face pale and taut with worry.
“Ludwik, there’s more,” Nolan said, his voice tight. “Parker just called. He checked the seaside villa. Whitney’s uncle, Keegan, has taken Natalie, and Whitney’s gone missing. Taryn’s the one who called the cops. It’s clear now—she’s involved with her uncle. They’re working together.”
Ludwik’s heart clenched at the news. His mind flashed back to everything he had built—the empire, the future, the love he thought he had—and now, it was all slipping through his fingers. Despite the chaos, a new edge sharpened his resolve. He wasn’t going to let everything he’d fought for crumble. Not like this. Not because of the woman he once believed he could trust.
“Whitney and Keegan… they’ve crossed a line,” Ludwik’s voice was cold, the determination in his words icy. “If she’s really involved in all of this, there’s no turning back. I’ll make sure of it.”
Nolan nodded, sensing the shift in Ludwik’s demeanor, the transformation from a man in turmoil to one set on a ruthless course of action.
“What do we do now?” he asked, his voice low.
Ludwik’s gaze sharpened. “We get ahead of this. I’ll deal with the Lippert family and their manipulations. As for Whitney and her uncle… we’ll deal with them later. But first, we secure what’s ours before it’s too late.”
At the villa, Whitney’s world spun in a frenzy of fear, guilt, and helplessness. She had never imagined that things would escalate so quickly. Keegan’s relentless thirst for power had her cornered, a mere piece in his dangerous game. The thought of Natalie—frail and ill—being used as leverage twisted her insides. She couldn’t let that happen, but she was caught in her own trap, tangled with the Tennysons and the Lippert family’s chaos.
As she and the assistant sped down the mountain road toward Natalie’s location, Whitney’s mind flickered back to the last time she saw Ludwik. He had been cold, distant—a stranger masked in the skin of a man she once loved. Was it all a lie? Or had she truly lost him? Her heart ached, the pull of their past love warring with the reality of the man he had become.
The car ahead suddenly screeched to a halt, snapping her from her thoughts. The assistant cursed under his breath, glancing back at Whitney before stepping out of the vehicle.
“Wait here,” he ordered, his voice low but urgent. “I’ll check what’s going on.”
Whitney nodded, but a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. She was alone. And the clock was ticking.
Her phone buzzed, and her heart leaped when she saw the message from Taryn: Keegan’s men are after you. They know you’re with me. Get out of there now.
Her fists clenched. What was she supposed to do? If she ran, she would abandon her uncle to whatever fate Keegan had planned. If she stayed, it could mean disaster for Natalie—and for Ludwik. For everything she once held dear.
Before she could make any decisions, the assistant reappeared, his face pale and tense.
“They’re here. Keegan’s men are closing in on us.”
The gravity of the situation hit Whitney like a physical blow. She had to act. Now. No more hesitation. She had to stop the madness before it consumed everyone she cared about.
“I’m going after them,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute.
Back at the police station, the tension in the air was suffocating. Ludwik, though trapped in the web of his own circumstances, was already formulating his next move. He couldn’t let the Lippert family, or the Tennysons, destroy everything he had worked so hard to build. The investigation hanging over him, the scandal, the deceit—they were just more obstacles in a game far bigger than he had ever anticipated.
Just as he was about to take action, his phone rang. It was Parker again.
“Ludwik, it’s bad. We’ve got confirmation. Keegan’s planning something big. And Whitney—she’s disappeared.”
Ludwik’s jaw tightened. “She’s with him. I know it.”
Parker’s voice was grim. “We need to move fast. He’s got Natalie, and he’s making a move on your assets. You need to get out of here, Ludwik. This is bigger than just us now.”
A surge of determination washed over Ludwik. He wouldn’t let Keegan win. Not now, not ever. He had built an empire—his empire—and he wasn’t going to let it be torn down by the likes of Keegan and his family.
“I’m coming for everything,” Ludwik said, his voice a low growl. “And this time, there’s no turning back.”
The game was on.
