Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 1034

Whitney's eyes dimmed with exhaustion, too weary to feel anger anymore. There were things she hadn't known, and it seemed the answers might lie with two little rascals...

She put her phone away, leaning heavily on the kitchen counter, replaying her conversation with Ludwik in her mind, searching for clues among the tangled words. The question that haunted her was about her mother, a topic dredged up from the depths of her heart where it had been buried for years.

Whitney had come to terms with her mother's supposed death long ago...

But what if there was more to the story?

Unfortunately, the car accident from years ago had become a cold case, covered up by the Valentine family, leaving no records to be found at the Banyan City police station, let alone reopening the investigation.

Her mother...

If she hadn’t died...

Whitney clutched at her chest, a tightness gripping her heart at the thought. The world was vast; if her mother was alive somewhere, why hadn't she come forward?

Impossible, she thought, as the fleeting hope in her eyes faded back to resignation.

-

At the hospital.

When Phineas was wheeled out on a stretcher, his head wrapped in thick bandages and hooked up to a monitor, Parker's eyes turned red as he rushed over, "Uncle."

Mrs. Wilson, with her children by her side, was also crying out in distress, "Phineas! Phineas?"

"Please, everyone, make way. The patient can't stay in a contaminated environment; we need to move him to the ICU immediately," the doctor instructed.

Mrs. Wilson turned pale. "Doctor, didn't you tell us half an hour ago that his surgery went well?"

"The surgery was successful, yes, in that Mr. Wilson didn't suffer any heart or brain failure during the procedure, which is excellent news. But that doesn't mean he's out of the woods yet. He's in a coma, and we can't predict when he'll wake up. We also can't assure you he'll regain consciousness immediately after the anesthesia wears off. The bullet was millimeters from vital nerves; it's a miracle Mr. Wilson is alive."

Parker understood the gravity of the situation. Surgery had saved his uncle's life, but his awakening was uncertain.

"Is there a chance he'll become vegetative?" Parker couldn't help but blame himself for thinking such a thought.

Ludwik, gripping Parker's arm, scolded, "Parker, don't scare Mrs. Wilson with possibilities the doctor hasn't mentioned!"

The doctor nodded, offering a reassuring smile to Parker, "Mr. Doonan, Mr. Wilson has brain activity. Think of the gunshot wound as a severe trauma that didn’t damage the entire skull. Deep down, he's conscious. It's just that his injuries are too severe for him to wake up now. Do you understand?"

"He won't become vegetative?" Parker asked, still anxious.