Dr. Harper cleared his throat, trying to sound more confident than he felt, "Your son's condition is stable. He has a small hematoma in his brain, but after some tests, we've noticed it's gradually shrinking. It leads me to believe he's been receiving effective treatment. If we continue on this path, I'm optimistic about a full recovery."
Whitney was skeptical. Could Dr. Ryan have actually managed to treat Sammy successfully?
Sammy let out a silent sigh of relief, raising an eyebrow, "See, Mom? I wasn't kidding. My head was messed up, but thanks to Dr. Ryan, I'm almost back to normal. You can relax now. Can we go?"
"But we're here already. Don't you want to see Grandpa?" Whitney grabbed his collar, steering him toward Grandpa Hudson's hospital room.
"Oh, Grandpa..."
The TV in the hallway interrupted their conversation. "Breaking news: Ludwik was arrested last night by the police. He's suspected of conspiring with his cousin Justin to murder his best friend, Parker, following accusations from the victim's brother. The case is under investigation..."
Whitney and Sammy stopped in their tracks, stunned.
Patients around changed the channel, but Whitney couldn't help pulling out her phone to search for news. Sure enough, Emperor City was buzzing with the story of Ludwik's arrest.
The comments online were a frenzy.
"Can't believe Ludwik, kidnapping brides and now suspected of murder? How low can you go?"
"Such lawlessness, thinking he's untouchable as Harmonia Country's prime bachelor. A true disgrace to his family."
"I've heard rumors about his ruthless ways. Right after he joined the Lippert family, he ousted his adopted brother, Jarvis, didn't he?"
"Did you hear? He got someone pregnant while kidnapping another man's wife. A real piece of work, that one."
"And there's talk of a mental illness, tied back to his days as an illegitimate child in Banyan City. His mother was the other woman in a high-profile affair."
"Have you seen Mrs. Lippert's divorce announcement? Such drama. Apparently, Jason had been unfaithful with Natalie for years, leaving Mrs. Lippert depressed and under his control."
Whitney's heart raced as she scanned through the venomous comments, disbelief and anger mingling in her chest.
"This is too much," Sammy muttered, anger flashing in his eyes as he read the cruel words aimed at his grandmother and the unjust accusations against his grandfather.
Refusing to let the slander spread, Sammy whipped out his tablet from his backpack, his fingers flying over the screen. Moments later, Whitney's phone buzzed with the notification that the trending search had crashed, and the defamatory terms about Natalie began to disappear.
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