Chapter 178: Shackled Truths

Chapter 178: Shackled Truths
“Lift that,” one of the officers said. And just like that, the continued to turn everything upside down.

I sat frozen at the edge of the room, my fingers clenched tightly together, my breathing uneven. 

Titan stood near the door, arms crossed, his jaw tight. Kian was pacing slightly, his eyes sharp, watching every move they made.

“Raise the mattress.” One of the officers commanded.

They moved immediately. Two of them bent down and lifted the mattress.

And then “There it was.”

My ears rang. Everything inside me went still.
“What…?” I whispered.

The officer reached under the bed and pulled something out slowly.

A velvet box.

My chest tightened painfully as he opened it.
It was the missing jewelry. It glittered under the light like it was mocking me.

“No…” I shook my head, stepping back. “No, that’s not–how is that there? That’s not mine! I didn’t…”

My voice broke. I couldn’t breathe. How did it get there?

“I didn’t put that there,” I said. Panic creeping into my voice. “I swear, I don’t even know how it got there!”

The officers exchanged looks and then one of them stepped forward.

“I’m sorry, miss,” he said firmly, pulling out handcuffs. “But this is a serious case. This jewelry is one of a kind. We have to take you in for questioning.”

“No!” Titan snapped immediately. “That’s ridiculous.”

Kian stepped forward too. “There has to be a mistake. You can’t just…”

“I’m sorry,” the officer repeated, already reaching for my wrist.

I stumbled back.

“Please,” I whispered, tears already falling. “Please, I didn’t do anything. I didn’t steal anything. I swear…”

The cold metal snapped around my wrist. The sound echoed in my head like a gunshot.

Everything inside me shattered asI cried softly.

“You’re making a mistake.” Titan said.

“You don’t understand what you’re doing.” Kian said angrily.

But the officers didn’t listen. They held onto me gently but firmly. “Let’s go.”

My legs felt weak as they led me out of the room like I was a criminal.

“I didn’t do it…” I whispered again, but it felt like no one could hear me anymore.

The moment we reached downstairs, everything exploded.

“Elara?” Edward’s voice sounded furiously.

My head snapped up.

He was already moving toward us, his expression dark with anger, his eyes locked on the handcuffs around my wrists.

“What is this?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Why is she in handcuffs?”

The manager stepped forward quickly. “Mr. Edward, we’re very sorry, but the jewelry–it was found under her bed.”

Whispers everywhere. Edward’s gaze shifted to me.

For a second, I thought  maybe he would doubt me too.

Tears blurred my vision. “It’s not me…” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Edward, I didn’t…”

“That’s impossible.” His voice cut through everything.

“There is no way Elara could steal anything,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can swear on my life.”

My breath hitched.

“She wouldn’t do something like that,” he continued. “Why would she steal something she can afford? I can pay for it. Easily.”

The room fell silent again.

“Someone put it there,” Edward said, his tone turning colder. “Someone is trying to frame her. You need to investigate properly before making accusations like this.”

Tears spilled down my cheeks. He believed me without hesitation, without doubt.

Edward wheeled closer. “I trust you one hundred percent. You could never do something like this.”

Something inside me broke completely. Not from pain but from the weight of his trust.

“You trust her?” Vivian’s voice sliced through the moment bitterly.

I stiffened. She stepped forward slowly, her arms crossed, her eyes filled with anger as she looked at Edward.

“You think you trust her? How can you vouch for her when you don’t even know her?”

Edward turned to her instantly. “Shut up, Vivian.”

His voice was cold.

“I know Elara,” he continued, his eyes narrowing. “She’s a good person. She would never steal anything. If she wanted something, she would ask.”

“Really?” Vivian said, tilting her head. “You know her that well?”

“Yes,” Edward snapped. “And you should mind how you talk.”

For a moment, it looked like Vivian would explode.

But then… she smiled. A slow, dangerous smile.

“Okay,” she said softly. “Since you trust Elara so well… since she’s such a good person… since she loves you so much…”

My heart stopped.

“Why didn’t she tell you she’s a healer?”

My breath caught in my throat. Edward didn’t move. The world… stopped.

“What?” he said finally. His voice was low.

Kian stepped in immediately. “Vivian,” he said sharply. “That’s enough. We have visitors here. This is not the time.”

His eyes flickered toward the manager and the officers. Warning but Vivian didn’t care.

She shrugged lightly.

“Fine,” she said. “Let’s leave that topic.”

My chest tightened.

But then she turned back to Edward and what she said next destroyed everything.

“Do you know she’s cheating on you?”

My heart dropped. “No…” I started, shaking my head.

But she didn’t stop. “Do you know she goes behind the mansion? To the fence?” Vivian continued, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “To see a man?”

My entire body went cold. 

“Almost every evening,” she added, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “They stand there like lovers. Talking, laughing, an…”

“That’s enough!”

Kian’s voice thundered through the room. Everyone went silent.

His chest was rising and falling, his expression tight with anger.

“Stop talking,” he said firmly.

For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. The tension was unbearable.

Then suddenly a phone rang.

The manager stepped aside quickly and answered it.

“Yes… yes, sir… I understand.”

We all stood there in silence. My heart was pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else.

After a moment, he ended the call and turned to Edward.

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience,” he said. “Elara is free to go. Management believes this must have been a mix-up. We won’t be pressing any charges.”

The room went still again. The officer stepped forward and unlocked the handcuffs.

“I’m sorry,” the manager repeated with a slight bow. “We’ll take our leave now.”

Edward didn’t respond. He was still looking at me. No… through me.

The manager and the officers quickly excused themselves and walked out of the mansion.

The door closed behind them. Then Vivian spoke again.

“You say you love Edward,” she said, taking a step closer.

“Yet you have the power to see… and to heal.”
My heart pounded.

“And you watched him suffer for months,” she continued, her eyes locking onto mine. “You watched him go through pain. You watched him struggle.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Do you still want all of us to believe that you love him?”

The words hit me like a slap. I opened my mouth. But nothing came out. My throat felt tight. My chest burned.

I slowly turned my head and looked at Edward. His eyes were on me.

And in that moment I realized something. This wasn’t about Vivian anymore, or the lies.

This was about the truth I had been hiding.
My lips trembled. I didn’t know what to say.