Emmerdale fans think they’ve cracked who will come to the aid of Belle Dingle,

portrayed by Eden Taylor-Draper, after a telling scene involving Tom King, played by James Chase, on Friday night.

The ITV soap is currently delving into a coercive control storyline with Tom and Belle,

illustrating how the vet is isolating and manipulating his partner Belle. Tom’s appalling and violent behaviour took a turn for the worse recently when he whisked Belle off to Wales under the pretence of a holiday, but in truth, he planned to relocate there without telling his wife, even going as far as applying for a job.

Adding to the tension, Tom stopped Belle from letting her family know about their ‘getaway’ and hid her mobile to limit her communication. However, Belle’s relative Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, has been wary of Tom’s actions, and upon learning about Belle’s sudden departure, she decided to dig deeper in Tuesday’s episode alongside Cain Dingle, portrayed by Jeff Hordley.

They arrived at the trashed cottage in Wales, only to find it empty. In Wednesday’s flashback episode, it was revealed that Tom’s disgusting behaviour had escalated in terrifying scenes. After targeting their dog, Piper, and locking Belle in the cottage, the brave character decided to escape with Piper while Tom was in the shower, according to the Mirror.

Belle managed to get on a bus and made her getaway just as Tom chased after her.

The Dingle favourite then made a dramatic reentry to her family home in Thursday’s episode, while Tom painted himself as innocent by suggesting her erratic behaviour was due to her not taking her medication.

However, when Belle returned to collect some items, she was met with a chilling threat from Tom: “I will kill you before I let you leave this house.” Showing immense bravery, Belle made the decision to leave in spite of Tom’s warnings.

In another turn of events, Tom was seen lurking around the Dingle’s residence the following evening as Sam Dingle (played by James Hooton) let their dog Piper out into the garden. Sensing the opportunity to deceive, Tom ingeniously returned the seemingly runaway pet to the household.

But Vinny Dingle (Bradley Johnson) knew something wasn’t adding up and later expressed his suspicion about Tom’s potential abusive behaviour toward Belle in a confidential conversation.

The scenario further developed at The Woolpack pub where Vinny caught Tom belittling Belle, which propelled him to confront Tom.

In an unexpected twist, Tom publicised that Belle had aborted a pregnancy before wrongly accusing Vinny of having an affair with his wife, marking another alarming development.

In the gripping final moments set in the beer garden, Tom manipulated Belle into promising to keep quiet about his true character. As the episode reached its peak, Belle warned Vinny to keep his distance from her complicated life.

Emmerdale fans have been speculating on Twitter, with many suggesting that Vinny might be the one to expose Tom’s deceit. One fan tweeted: “Vinny knows Belle is being abused #Emmerdale”, and another said: “Ooooooh Vinny could be onto him #emmerdale”. (sic)

Another viewer expressed: “Vinny can see Tom for who he is #Emmerdale”, while a different fan remarked: “Vinny is the kindest soul in the village. He’ll help Belle, no doubt.#Emmerdale.”