A mother's fury, a grandfather's shame, and a secret that rewrites Elina's entire life. Just as she demands justice for the crime committed against her, a single sentence from the shadows changes everything: David was never her true husband. The man she calls a monster is the one who holds her life in his hands.
Elina stood frozen, staring at the mysterious woman. Who was she? And how did she know Nikhil so intimately?
Before Elina could utter a single question, the woman stepped forward, her eyes piercing. "My name is Jasmine," she said firmly. "But people call me Jasy."
At the mention of her name, a strange, visible terror washed over Elina's grandfather's face. He looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Jasy didn't waste a second. She looked Elina in the eye and sneered, "You've quite easily pinned the blame for your assault on Nikhil. Tell me, are you absolutely certain it was him?"
"Shut up!" Elina snapped, her voice trembling with indignation. "You have no right to speak to me like that. A woman's dignity has been torn away, and you're standing here making a mockery of it!"
Jasy ignored her and turned to Mr. Louis. "What happened, Grandfather? You know the truth... yet you haven't told Elina who Nikhil really is?"
Mr. Louis stammered, his face pale. "I... I was going to tell her. I just hadn't found the right moment."
David, Jack, and Elina watched the exchange in total shock. What was this secret about Nikhil that made everyone hesitate? Why was the air in the room so heavy with unspoken words?
"I don't know who you are, Auntie," Elina said to Jasy, "and I don't care to know. But I will find out why Nikhil did this to me—at any cost. There isn't a man more disgusting than him."
"Be quiet, Elina!" Jasy shouted, her voice echoing through the hall. "I will not hear another foul word about Nikhil from your mouth. Don't live under the delusion that he is the one who hurt you. Nikhil could never do such a thing. Do you understand?"
David stepped forward to defend Elina. "I was one of Nikhil's closest friends. As far as I knew, he respected women. I never dreamed he would do something like this. But my feelings don't change the facts. Nikhil is the culprit, and he will receive the harshest punishment."
Jack stood beside David, nodding firmly at Jasy. "The guilty will pay."
Without warning, Jasy's hand flew out and struck Jack across the face with a resounding slap.
"Who do you think you are?" David yelled, stepping in. "How dare you step into our home and raise your voice—and your hand—at us?"
Elina looked at Jasy, her eyes brimming with tears. "Jasmine Auntie, every piece of evidence points to Nikhil. It proves he is the predator. As a woman, you should understand how shattered a girl feels after such a violation. What is your relationship with him that makes you defend him so blindly?"
Jasy's eyes filled with a fierce, protective fire. "I know Nikhil better than anyone. He is incapable of such an act... especially against you."
"How can you be so sure?" Elina cried. "How can you be certain it wasn't him?"
Jasy screamed in rage, "Because I am his mother! I brought him into this world. I raised him with my own hands. My son is not a monster!"
David gasped. "His mother? Yes... he mentioned his mother to me many times. But just because you are his mother doesn't make him innocent. The evidence is undeniable."
"What evidence?" Jasy challenged.
"He has Elina's chain and locket!" David replied. "The chain she always wore. I saw it fall from his pocket. If he isn't guilty, how did he get it? A locket doesn't have legs; it didn't walk to him on its own."
Jack stepped toward Jasy. "Let's say we believe you for a second. Then answer this: Where did Nikhil disappear to that night? And how did he end up with the locket? Do you have the answers?"
Mr. Louis suddenly roared, "Enough! A man can hide many things, but he cannot hide his sins forever!"
The police had searched the guest room again but found nothing new. Elina, exhausted and frustrated, yelled at the group, "Stop it! All of you! Nikhil was a lowlife, he is a lowlife, and he will always be a lowlife!"
The words had barely left her mouth when her grandfather did the unthinkable again. He slapped Elina across the face.
"Don't you dare say another word against Nikhil!" Mr. Louis barked at her.
The room fell into a stunned, deathly silence. Why was her grandfather suddenly siding with Nikhil?
"Elina," Jasy said, her voice turning cold and steady. "Your grandfather knows Nikhil. That is why he struck you. There might not be another man like Nikhil in this world, but your delusions are preventing you from seeing the truth."
Elina stood her ground, facing Jasy. "I want the truth. Who is Nikhil? What is his connection to me?"
Jasy leaned in closer. "Nikhil is the reason you are even alive today. Your life exists only because he willed it. You married David... but there was never a real bond between you. And that is for the best, because David could never truly be your husband."
"I've already divorced David!" Elina shouted. "Once he signs the papers, it's over. But I don't understand what you're saying. Tell me clearly—who is Nikhil?"
Mr. Louis looked at Elina, his voice heavy with a truth that shattered her world.
"Nikhil... is your husband."
Everyone in the room recoiled as if they had been struck by lightning.When did Elina marry Nikhil? How could she be completely unaware of her own marriage? What is the dark secret everyone was so terrified of revealing? Is Nikhil truly her husband, or is there a web of lies even deeper than the marriage itself?
To find the answers to these shocking revelations, keep reading "Beneath The Truth," only on Webnovel.