Chapter 13 - The Echo of the Betrayal
Elena felt the ground shifting beneath her feet, and for the first time since she had planned this wedding, she felt a flare of genuine terror. David’s retreat was not just a physical step back; it was an absolute withdrawal of his mind. She saw the light of trust die out in his eyes, replaced by the cold, paranoid glaze of a hunted animal. "David, look at me!" she demanded, her voice rising, dropping the delicate facade entirely as she took a aggressive step toward him. "Whatever is written on that piece of paper is a lie! Someone is trying to sabotage us! Hand it to me right now!" She reached out aggressively, her gloved fingers snapping forward to grab the note from his grip. But David was faster. He flinched away violently, sweeping his hand back out of her reach, his eyes flashing with a dangerous, unstable light. "Don't touch it!" he snarled, his voice a low, guttural rasp that made Lily flinch and cry harder. "Don't touch me!" The rejection was complete and brutal. The wedding guests inside the chapel were still humming, blissfully unaware, while outside, the central structure of their relationship was collapsing into dust.
