A celebration turns into a nightmare in a heartbeat. Amidst loud music and laughter, a predator strikes in the dark. Elina points a finger at the man she once loved, but as the evidence shifts and shadows deepen, a terrifying question arises: Did David really commit the ultimate sin, or is someone else playing a much deadlier game?
The wedding festivities were in full swing. Music blared through the speakers, and everyone was lost in the joy of the celebration.
In the midst of the crowd, Sarlin approached Elina to ask for forgiveness. "Elina, please forgive me. I didn't know you were my sister. I've been so cruel to you." Sarlin looked truly ashamed of her past actions.
"Don't worry about anything anymore," Sarlin continued. "I won't marry David. I'll announce to everyone tonight that David Smith shouldn't marry me, but you instead."
Elina immediately made Sarlin swear an oath that she would do no such thing. She told Sarlin to forget the past and marry David; seeing them together was the only thing that would make Elina happy.
Unable to break the oath she gave to Elina, Sarlin stood silent for a moment. Finally, she said, "Fine. I will marry David, but on one condition."
"What condition?" Elina asked.
"The moment David and I are married, you must marry Jack. Only then will my heart be at peace."
Elina refused flatly. "No, Sarlin. I won't marry Jack."
But then, Sarlin made Elina swear on their mother's life. Forced by the oath, Elina couldn't refuse again. Right there in the party, Sarlin announced the upcoming marriage of Jack and Elina to everyone.
Meanwhile, David's close friend Nikhil had arrived from abroad just for the wedding. David was busy introducing him to everyone. When they came across Elina, Nikhil was stunned. "Who is she? I've never seen anyone so beautiful. Who is this girl?"
"This is Elina," David replied. "My brother's future wife."
Elina shook his hand briefly and walked away. While the party continued, a waiter approached her. "Ma'am, a gentleman is calling for you upstairs. He asked me to give you this rose."
"Who called me?" Elina asked, puzzled.
"I don't know his name, but he went upstairs," the waiter replied.
Taking the rose, Elina felt a surge of anger. She muttered to herself as she walked toward the guest rooms, "His wedding to Sarlin is in two days, yet he still hasn't stopped bothering me. I'll teach him a lesson today."
Reaching the upper floor, she began calling out, "David! David, stop these games and come out!"
She heard a sound from one of the guest rooms and stepped inside. The lights were off. Sensing someone in the room and assuming it was David, she shouted, "David, turn on the lights! And keep your stupid rose to yourself. Just so you know, I've finally decided to marry Jack."
Suddenly, the door was slammed shut and locked. "David, what are you trying to do?" Elina cried out. "The lights are off, the door is locked... have you lost your mind?"
Before she could finish her sentence, she was shoved onto the bed. The man began to force himself upon her. Elina recognized the scent of the perfume immediately—it was David's signature fragrance.
"David, let me go! You can't do this to me!" she screamed, struggling with all her might. But the man was in no condition to listen. He smelled strongly of alcohol and seemed beyond the point of caring that he was destroying a girl's life.
Despite her desperate attempts to escape, he overpowered her. Against her will, he committed a crime so heinous that, for Elina, it felt worse than death.
Elina fell unconscious. The man then began stripping the jewelry from her body and stuffing it into a bag. As he was about to leave, he noticed a chain around Elina's neck with a locket shaped like a broken heart. He ripped the chain off, tucked it into his pocket, and slipped out of the room unnoticed.
Downstairs, guests began to realize that Elina had been missing for a long time. Just as they started asking about her, a piercing scream echoed through the house.
"NO!"
The atmosphere of the wedding shattered instantly. Everyone rushed upstairs to the guest room. The lights were still off until Lara flicked the switch. The sight before them left everyone in shock. Sarlin quickly grabbed a shawl to cover Elina's body.
David and Jack both rushed to her side. "Elina, what happened? Who did this?" they asked in unison.
Tears streaming down her face, Elina stood up slowly, her body trembling. Her nose was bleeding, and her face bore the marks of a brutal struggle. She stumbled toward David and screamed, "Why? Why did you do this to me, David?"
David's mother stepped forward. "What are you saying, Elina? Why are you blaming David? He has been downstairs with us this entire time."
"I don't care what you say!" Elina cried. "It was David. He did this disgusting thing to me."
Sarlin asked tentatively, "Are you sure it was him? Did you see his face?"
"The lights were off," Elina sobbed. "I didn't see his face, but I smelled his perfume. I know that scent. It was your son, David!"
Grandmother, Sarlin, and the other relatives all spoke at once, insisting that David had been in their sight at the function the entire time. But Elina refused to listen. "He sent a waiter to me with a rose! He told me to come upstairs!"
Though she could barely walk, Elina hurried downstairs to find the waiter. When she found him, she dragged him before everyone. "Tell them! Tell them David Sir gave you the rose to give to me!"
The waiter pointed at David. "Yes, this gentleman gave me the rose to give to the lady."
"See?" Elina screamed. "He planned the whole thing!"
But then, the waiter spoke up again. "But Ma'am... the person who told you to go upstairs wasn't David Sir. It was someone else who called you to the room. It definitely wasn't him."
Elina froze in shock. No one believed her now.
David, with tears in his eyes, tried to pull her into a hug. "Whoever did this to you, I won't leave them alive."
Elina pushed him away with all her strength. "Stop this acting! You're the one guilty, and you're talking about punishing others? I bore every pain because I loved you... I loved you beyond words. But today, my love has shattered. Now, even hating you feels disgusting. No one here might recognize you, but I know the truth. I will see you behind bars if it's the last thing I do!"
Jack stepped forward and hugged Elina. "Whatever decision you make, I am with you. If David did this, I will drag him to court myself."
Elina didn't hesitate. She called the police. When the officers arrived at the Smith mansion, Elina pointed a trembling finger at David.
"Arrest him."
Was it truly David who committed this horrific act? Or is there a massive conspiracy lurking in the shadows that Elina is blind to? Who was the man upstairs, and where is the broken heart locket now?
To find out the truth, keep reading "Beneath The Truth," only on Webnovel.