Ludwik, with deep-seated aversion, pushed her away forcefully. His face was a mask of disgust, a reaction anyone would have if publicly humiliated on their wedding day.
His expression was as cold as ice, his eyes calm, but his lips curled into a sneer as he said to the woman, “No wonder I feel sick every time I touch you.”
Elaine's face went deathly pale, as if she had just fallen from heaven into hell. She stammered in her defense, “I am clean, Ludwik, I haven’t…”
“The video isn’t fake, and it isn’t doctored,” Ludwik, who worked in tech, could tell at a glance.
The murmurs from the crowd reminded him to check the date.
And sure enough, it was from yesterday.
The woman had always claimed she was pure, doing everything for him, promising to remain chaste after marriage.
He had even felt guilty yesterday because of his fling with Whitney...
But it seemed they were both guilty.
It turns out Elaine wasn’t the pure and innocent victim she portrayed herself to be, not the humble, pitiable figure that tugged at one’s heartstrings.
The woman in the video was a stranger to him, crass and vulgar.
A flicker of revulsion passed through Ludwik’s eyes. How much more was this woman hiding from him? Who was she, really?
At this moment, he was filled with deep doubt.
He could have forgiven her infidelity, truth be told, he didn't care much about that.
But what he couldn't tolerate was being played for a fool, the deceit of pretending to be virtuous and innocent.
“Ludwik, let me explain this after, can we just get through the wedding first?” Elaine pleaded, her voice trembling with anxiety.
Just then, several police officers burst in. They quickly made their way to the stage, flashing their badges, and asked sternly, “Who here is Elaine?”
Elaine’s face turned ashen.
Someone pointed her out.
The officer handcuffed her, saying, “Elaine, based on a kidnapper’s testimony and an anonymous tip, you are a suspect in a child abduction case from a month ago. You’ll need to come with us for questioning!”
Elaine panicked. Hadn’t the case involving Danny been resolved?
Damn it, had Jarvis not dealt with that maimed kidnapper?
She frantically looked around, denying any involvement, “I was a victim, too. Are you accusing me without evidence? Ludwik, you know I was kidnapped along with Danny…”
Ludwik frowned at the officers, “Do you have any evidence?”
“We received an anonymous tip, pointing to some incriminating evidence. Mr. Lippert, this concerns your son, I suggest you take this seriously.”
“Ludwik, they can’t just take me away, they’re slandering me!”
“Yeah, why do you want to take Elaine without showing any evidence?” Ashton stepped forward, shocked by the video but still defending her.
The officer, growing impatient, reiterated, “The abduction case leads back to Jar Rail Corporation, and Elaine has known ties to a high-ranking official there. Mr. Lippert, did you really look at the video of your fiancée?”
Ludwik’s gaze snapped back to the large screen.
The man in the video with Elaine wasn’t clearly visible. But having seen Jarvis’s photos, Ludwik didn’t find it hard to make the connection.
Elaine was having an affair with Jarvis…
When the police caught the kidnapper, he had mentioned the Jar Rail Corporation.
Ludwik had suspected Jarvis’s involvement from the start.
His icy gaze now fixed on Elaine.
“I didn’t, Ludwik, remember how I was injured trying to protect Danny, covered in bruises…”
“Elaine, please come with us for questioning.”
“I…” Elaine clenched her teeth in frustration, grasping Ludwik’s hand, “Ludwik, I’ve waited so long to marry you, I can’t let our wedding be ruined. Let’s just finish the ceremony, please, I love you…”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Love Beyond the Mask