Chapter 300: What Lies Beneath
The boy’s mother glanced between Yunice and Owen, trying to determine who was telling the truth. It didn’t take long. She instantly sided with Yunice and snapped at Owen. “Where’s Elsie? Get her out here! If she doesn’t show up, I’m calling the cops!”
Earlier, she’d remained silent because she knew she was making a false accusation and feared Wyatt’s reaction. But now that her son was actually missing, and all signs pointed to Elsie, she had no reason to hesitate.
Ironically, Owen intervened. “This is Yunice’s birthday dinner. If you call the cops now and create a scene, do you have any idea the mess that will create? We don’t even know the full story yet. Stop pointing fingers.”
The woman retorted, “Then go find Elsie! Bring her out here and let her explain herself!”
Owen was at a loss. Frustrated, he snapped and sent everyone to search for Elsie.
Once Owen and Lily stormed off, only Oscar and Yunice remained backstage. Yunice looked over, calm as ever. “Oscar, you should go too. I just need a minute to put on some lipstick. I’ll be right behind you.”
Eager to end the chaos, Oscar nodded and left. Yunice pulled a lipstick from her bag and leaned toward the mirror, carefully applying it. The hallway outside had finally fallen silent. No footsteps. No voices.
Only then did she lift the skirt of her gown and reveal the three-year-old boy fast asleep beneath her makeup chair. No one had found him because Yunice had hidden him under her dress. As long as she stayed seated, who would even think to look there?
She looked down at his hand, still clenched around a military-grade pocketknife, and felt a quiet, heavy sadness. If a three-year-old was already carrying this much anger, it probably meant he was the one hurting most in the entire family.
Just three years old, and he’d come after her with a knife. Someone had filled his head with lies, making him believe Yunice was the villain behind everything that had happened to his family. He was too young to question any of it. He just wanted to protect his parents. He thought hurting her would make everything right—never realizing he was being used.
They were counting on Yunice defending herself—overreacting—so they could turn the whole thing around and pin it on her. So she played it differently. She stayed quiet. Hid him. Let them panic.
Meanwhile, the hotel staff joined the search for Elsie, covering far more ground—and with more care—than Owen or Lily ever could. Even guests from the banquet hall got involved. “Elsie’s such a sweet girl,” someone said. “She wouldn’t just vanish like this. Something’s off—we should all help find her.”
Someone near the elevator control room heard a strange noise. At first, they thought it might be a rat—but curiosity got the better of them. They quietly stepped forward…and yanked the door open.
A sharp scream rang out. Heads turned instantly in that direction. “Wait…isn’t that Elsie? From the Saunders family?” “We found her! Over here—Elsie’s in the control room!”
Someone who didn’t know what was going on started shouting—only to be silenced by a hand over their mouth. “Shhh! Stop yelling—do you even realize who’s in there with her?”
But it was already too late. Owen and Lily rushed over—only to freeze at the doorway. There, inside the elevator control room, stood Elsie…and Paul.
The two looked composed and fully dressed, but none of that mattered. Paul had recently thrown a lavish wedding. Everyone in the capital knew who he was—and everyone knew his wife was Taylor. That was the real problem. He was married. And yet here he was, tucked away in a private corner with Elsie. The implications were clear, and none of them were good.
Owen and Lily instinctively stepped forward, ready to defend Elsie—ready to smooth things over. But before either of them could speak, someone barreled past, knocking them aside. Owen stumbled left, Lily to the right.
No one had seen her arrive. But now that she was here, no one dared speak. She walked straight up to Paul and stopped. Her sharp gaze locked onto him first. Paul’s eyes flickered with guilt, but he held his ground, locking eyes with her as if nothing was wrong—as if he had nothing to hide.
Then Taylor’s eyes moved to Elsie. Elsie stood with her head down, looking fragile and pitiful—like she’d been the one wronged. Taylor’s lips curled into a faint, cold smile. Without a word, she raised her hand and slapped her.
The crack echoed through the hallway. Elsie’s head snapped to the side, the force of the slap leaving her stunned. Her mouth hung open, eyes wide with disbelief. She clearly hadn’t expected Taylor to hit her. Not in front of everyone. Elsie had assumed Taylor would stay quiet—that she’d hold it together to protect her pride. No wife wants to admit her husband’s cheating, especially in front of a crowd. But it was clear—Taylor hadn’t come to play nice. She came to settle the score.