The next morning, Ludwik bumped into Orion in the hospital lobby.
The devilishly charming man was at the reception desk asking the nurse, "Where's Whitney's room? She's my girlfriend, could you please help me out?"
The query made the nurse blush slightly as she eagerly pointed him in the right direction.
Felix shivered at the sight, glancing beside him to see Mr. Lippert's face turning a shade of blue. Ludwik stared coldly at the flashy bouquet in Orion’s arms.
He turned and frowned at Felix, "Find out why Whitney is staying in this hospital. She doesn’t seem injured."
He thought she was just here to visit Danny and to pick a fight with Elaine.
Felix nodded and made a call. Ten minutes later, as they walked towards the room, he reported back to Ludwik, "Apparently, it was Tiana who got injured during the kidnapping incident at the cave, and she's the one registered. Ms. Valentine is here keeping her company."
"Are you sure it's Tiana who's hospitalized?" Ludwik had a feeling Whitney was hiding something.
"Cough, cough! Daddy, I want a bag of chips, go buy it for me."
Danny, fearing Sammy would be exposed and not quite believing it was Tiana who was hospitalized, immediately shouted.
"Felix, go buy a bag of chips." Ludwik, sitting upright on the couch, casually picked up some paperwork.
"I won’t eat the ones he buys." Danny pouted.
Ludwik raised his eyes sternly, about to speak, but the little guy crossed his arms, "If you don’t go, I’ll ask mommy to buy them for me, and then I’ll go home with her."
Ludwik choked on his frustration, dropped the paperwork, and stood up with a cold face.
Seeing daddy leave, Danny secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At the vending machine, Felix hesitated before saying, "Mr. Lippert, Danny wants chips, but you’re buying a rawhide stick, which is tough to chew."
"And? He has a complaint?"
Felix quietly shut his mouth, opting out of the father-son war.
"Nurse, could you tell me which room Whitney is in? I’m her boyfriend."
A smooth baritone voice came from the reception desk.
Hearing that woman's name again, and again about her boyfriend, Ludwik's face turned thunderous as he looked up.
He saw Bryce, a man of impeccable dress and genteel demeanor.
After the nurse once again eagerly provided directions, they huddled together whispering, "Ms. Valentine is really lucky, two handsome men visiting her in one morning."
"Oh, how I envy her, juggling two men, one dark and mysterious, the other warm and gentle, having both in bed must be exhilarating…"
Bang!
The sudden thud on the desk startled the nurses as they looked up to see a towering and strikingly handsome man with an ominously dark expression.
Ludwik could barely contain his anger, "Is this how your hospital manages visitors? Letting any Tom, Dick, or Harry in to see the patients, how is my son supposed to rest properly?"
The nurses were bewildered by his fury, puzzled by his outburst.
"Sorry, sorry…"
"Notify the director to kick those two intruders out."
"..." ??
"What are you looking at? Tell your director I’m Mr. Lippert." Ludwik stormed off, leaving a trail of icy anger behind him.
The nurses were left stunned, taking a few seconds to recover from the shock.
Felix watched Mr. Lippert leave, his mouth twitching at the sight of his boss steaming with jealousy.
Upstairs.
Orion burst into the room, "Whitney, I came to see how you’re doing. Heard about your son’s kidnapping, everything alright?"
He was surprisingly serious, and Whitney was momentarily touched and surprised.
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