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Chapter_238
As Ludwik cradled the fragile baby in his arms, his mind was a storm of panic and confusion. The small form, weak and bloodied, stirred slightly, a faint cry escaping its lips. But it was barely enough to break through the torrent of guilt and anger that churned within him.
He turned back toward Elaine, his face pale with the weight of her betrayal. The baby in his arms was proof of the nightmare she had helped to create, but something in him refused to fully accept it. There had to be more. This couldn’t be the end. He had to find Whitney—he had to make sure she was alive, that she wasn’t lost to him forever.
“Tell me what happened to her, Elaine,” Ludwik demanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Where is she? Where is my Whitney?”
Elaine, her eyes narrowed with a cold, unreadable expression, stepped back. For a moment, she said nothing, her gaze flickering to the baby in Ludwik’s arms, and then to the cliff’s edge. The wind howled, but it couldn’t drown out the tension in the air between them.
“I told you, it’s too late,” she said finally, her voice laced with venom. “You never cared about her or the child. You were too busy with your own little empire to even notice what was happening. You’re too late, Ludwik. She’s gone. And so is everything you thought you could save.”
Ludwik’s grip on the baby tightened, his pulse racing as anger surged through him. No. He wouldn’t believe her. He couldn’t believe her. Not now, not after everything he had endured. He couldn’t let her win.
“No!” he shouted, taking a step toward her, his voice cracking with desperation. “Tell me where she is, Elaine. Now!”
But before she could respond, the sound of an approaching helicopter cut through the tension. Ludwik’s eyes snapped upward, instinctively searching for any sign of help. The helicopter was coming in fast, its spotlight cutting through the darkness like a beacon of hope. His heart pounded harder in his chest as he turned, running toward the aircraft without another glance at Elaine.
The door of the helicopter swung open, and Jaxon’s voice came over the comms: “We’ve got the coordinates, Mr. Lippert. We found something—something that could explain all of this.”
Ludwik didn’t hesitate. “Go! Get us to her, now!” he barked, still clutching the tiny, trembling baby. His mind raced, replaying the words he had just heard from Jaxon. Another baby. Hidden. Alive.
Could it be possible that there was more to this—more to the story that Elaine had been spinning?
“Get in!” Jaxon’s voice crackled again, urgency in his tone.
Ludwik climbed into the helicopter, still holding the baby close to his chest, his heart pounding with both fear and determination. As the doors slammed shut, the helicopter began to lift off, the wind howling around them as they ascended into the night sky.
“Jaxon,” Ludwik’s voice was tight, his grip on the baby firm, “What did you find? What’s going on?”
“We found the surveillance footage,” Jaxon replied, his voice somber. “Tiana took Whitney. It’s all there. And the child—there’s another one, Ludwik. Hidden in the shadows, just like we thought.”
Ludwik’s pulse quickened. His mind couldn’t keep up with the barrage of revelations. Another child? Hidden? What was the truth? What had happened to Whitney?
He looked down at the baby in his arms, the tiny form still struggling to stay alive, and felt a surge of determination.
“Tell me everything,” Ludwik demanded, his voice hard with the need to know.
Jaxon hesitated, but then began. “We’ve been tracking Tiana’s movements for the past few days. She was in contact with Elaine. We think she was helping her, Ludwik. Helping her hide something. The baby—it’s yours, but it was never meant to be. This whole thing was a setup from the start. Whitney… she was just a pawn in this game, and now—”
“No,” Ludwik cut him off, his voice sharper than ever. “You’re telling me she was just a pawn? You’re telling me this is all some twisted game?”
Jaxon didn’t respond right away. Instead, there was a long pause, as if he were weighing his words. “I’m sorry, Ludwik, but yes. The child was never meant to survive. It was all part of Elaine’s plan. And Whitney… she was in the middle of it all. But now, we have to find her. We have to make sure this doesn’t end here.”
Ludwik’s thoughts spun. He was reeling. His heart ached with each new revelation, each new twist in the nightmare he was only beginning to understand.
“Where is she?” Ludwik’s voice cracked as he turned to Jaxon, desperation flooding his every word. “Tell me where she is. I don’t care what it takes. We’re not stopping until I find her.”
Jaxon’s eyes met Ludwik’s, and for a moment, Ludwik saw a flicker of something—concern, perhaps. “We’re headed to the coordinates we just received. It’s a long shot, but it’s the only lead we’ve got.”
Ludwik nodded grimly, his jaw clenched. He held the baby close, his thoughts on Whitney, on what Elaine had done, and on the truth that was still slipping through his fingers. But no matter how twisted it all was, there was one thing he knew for sure: he would find her.
And he would make sure no one, not even Elaine, would tear his family apart again.
