"The Gilded Cage: Playing with Fire" Chapter 4
After thinking it over, I decided to place the DV camera on top of the air conditioning unit.
I spent a few moments adjusting the angle until I heard the sound of rushing water from the bathroom fade, prompting me to hurry back onto the bed.
To my surprise, when Mr. Weston walked out, he cast a highly complex glance in my direction.
I twisted my waist, striking an incredibly seductive pose.
"Mr. Weston, come here~"
Chapter 7: Change Rooms
He let out a smirk, his row of yellow teeth making my stomach turn.
"Let me make a phone call first."
Mr. Weston stared thoughtfully at the air conditioner for a moment, instantly sending a jolt of pure terror through me.
Did this bastard find out?
My heart rate accelerated in a flash, and I felt as though all the blood in my body was running cold.
"I want to change rooms."
spoke into the phone with a completely blank expression, leaving me utterly stunned.
What? Change rooms?
Connecting it to the remark Mr. Weston made before entering the bathroom, the realization hit me instantly.
He knew all along! He knew everything.
My head buzzed as I desperately suppressed the rising panic inside me.
"Mr. Weston, why are we suddenly changing rooms? Isn't this one perfectly fine?"
"As for why we are changing rooms, I think you know the answer better than anyone, don't you?"
Even at this point, I kept the smile plastered on my face, forced to play dumb.
My phone was sitting right under the bed, and I wanted to send a message to Christian, but Mr. Weston marched over, threw my phone straight into the trash can, and clamped his rough, heavy hand tightly around my chin.
"My beautiful girl, I don't know how much that Christian pays you every month to make you risk your life for this kind of dirty business."
"But since you've fallen into my hands today, I must make you understand that there are some people you simply shouldn't cross."
With that, he hurled all my clothes back at me.
"Put them on."
His commanding tone made me shudder involuntarily.
I scrambled to pull my clothes back on in a frantic rush, but Mr. Weston scooped me up in a bridal carry, blindfolded me with a black cloth, and threw me into the back of a car. By the time I was released, I found myself inside a completely different room.
My heart sank, and in that exact instant, total panic took over.
In our circle, countless women have been played to death or quietly eliminated due to conflicts between their benefactors.
I was terrified that I would share the same fate.
Having lived a pampered life for eight years, I knew my retribution would come eventually, but I never expected it to strike so violently and without warning.
I leapt off the bed, searching frantically for an exit in a state of sheer terror, only to look up and see four surveillance cameras neatly arranged in the corners of the room.
ADVERTISEMENT
I knew things were disastrous. The door was locked from the outside, and right then, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed, and a man built similarly to Mr. Weston barged in with a thoroughly lecherous grin.
"My little beauty, here I come~"
He advanced toward me with a menacing laugh, scaring me half to death.
At that moment, only a single thought consumed my mind.
"I cannot let him touch me."
Running for my life, I grabbed a vase from the table on my way past and shrunk into the corner.
Yet he showed no fear whatsoever, closing the distance step by step.
The man's footsteps were incredibly loud, each stride hitting my heart like a heavy sledgehammer.
I understood my current predicament better than anyone; if the mission failed, Christian would most likely discard me without a second thought.
But if I let myself be defiled by a man like this, my reputation would be entirely ruined if word got out.
The man pressed closer and closer. I swung the vase with all my might, but the physical disparity between a man and a woman was too vast. The man effortlessly kicked the vase right out of my hands and grabbed me by the hair, throwing me forcefully onto the bed.
"Bang..."
My head slammed against the nightstand, bringing tears of sharp pain to my eyes, but the man pinned me down instantly, sitting on top of me as he viciously tore at my clothes.
My collar was ripped open in a gaping tear, and his disgusting mouth began to suck at my skin.
Seizing a sudden opening, I clamped my teeth hard onto his neck, drawing a sharp cry of pain from him. He responded with a vicious backhand slap across my face.
"Bitch, quite the sharp teeth you've got."
The blow left me dizzy and disoriented, my entire head ringing loudly.
In that instant, I gave up all resistance.
To hell with it, let him do what he wants. What's the big deal about sleeping with a pig? Anyway, the money Christian gave me is more than enough to squander for the rest of my life. Worst comes to worst, I'll just flee the country. Who would even know me out there?
Chapter 8: Discarded by Director Christian
Just when I thought in utter despair that I was about to be defiled here today, the door was suddenly kicked open with immense force, and a group of men barged straight in.
"Julian..."
He threw his jacket over me, his face extremely dark.
"You touched my girl?"
The man's face turned pale with shock once he clearly saw who had entered.
"Mr. Julian... you..."
"Bastard."
Julian's gaze suddenly turned fierce, and he slapped the man hard across the face. Terrified by the scene just now, I wrapped my arms tightly around Julian's waist, refusing to let go.
ADVERTISEMENT
His slender fingers constantly rubbed against my face, gently comforting me.
In the end, I didn't even know how I managed to follow him back. When I opened my eyes again, I found him sitting by my bedside, staring at me with burning intensity.
"You're awake?"
The left side of my face was swollen high, and my throat burned as if it were on fire.
"Water..."
A strained sound squeezed out from between my teeth. Julian's eyes darkened slightly, and he turned to fetch some water. Just as I was about to take it, he tilted his head back and took a massive gulp.
"Mph..."
To my utter surprise, Julian suddenly leaned down and kissed me, forcing the warm stream of water into my mouth.
My instinct was to resist, but the man's aura slowly enveloped me, his crisp men's fragrance laced with the scent of tobacco forcing me to take a breath.
Julian was a highly skilled kisser, and my body couldn't help but soften slightly.
But right then, he actually reached out to tear at my clothes.
"No..."
A soft whimper escaped my lips, and my entire body grew tense.
I was still Christian's mistress; if he found out about this...
He would absolutely skin me alive.
Julian ignored my protest. His fingertips carried a burning heat, and everywhere they brushed against my skin, they sent uncontrollable shivers through me.
I had never thought I could have such a powerful reaction to a man, but just as we were about to reach the final step, Julian's phone began to ring.
He didn't even look as he declined the call, but the phone immediately started ringing again without stop.
Only then did Julian pick up the phone with annoyance. When he saw the caller ID, he let out a smirk.
"Darling, do you remember whose number this is?"
That string of numbers had long been deeply etched into my mind.
It was Christian's.
Seeing that I remained silent, Julian answered the call anyway and pressed the speakerphone.
"Director Christian, is there something you need from me?"
"Is Chloe with you?"
Christian's tone was icy, and I could feel that he was already on the verge of snapping.
A profound sorrow filled my heart. He had personally pushed me into another man's bed, yet now he turned around to demand me back from Julian. What did he take me for?
Julian didn't look bothered at all, his tone light and cheerful.
"Am I not allowed to bring back a woman Director Christian discarded?"
"A woman I discarded? Heh."
Christian let out a cold laugh.
"Chloe has been with me for eight years. She belongs to me in life, and even in death, she's my ghost. Open the door now, I'm bringing her back."
Hearing his words, my heart rate accelerated in an instant.
So Christian hadn't given up on me after all.
I was just about to scramble out of bed when I looked down and blushed instantly.
My previous clothes had been torn to shreds, and now I was only wearing a thin slip of a nightgown.
ADVERTISEMENT
You May Also Like
-
CompletedChapter 10
A Thousand Days of Betrayal: The End of My Marriage
Serena thought she had the perfect marriage—a decade of love, from their first school uniforms to a grand wedding. But behind the facade, her husband, Preston, was harboring a dark, intimate secret with her closest friend, Giselle. As she uncovers the web of lies, cruelty, and betrayal that defined her three-year marriage, Serena realizes that her "happy ending" was nothing but a sophisticated trap. Now, she must decide: will she continue to suffer, or will she finally shatter the chains of a toxic past to reclaim her life?Glow-Up|OE13.8k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 10
Fatal Deception: The Billionaire's Secret
Seven years after his wife, Vivian, died in a tragic car accident, Julian thought he was destined to mourn her forever. But when he discovers her appointment for a sterilization procedure, he learns the devastating truth: she never died. Vivian has been living in the shadows, orchestrating a elaborate game of deceit while entangled with his own stepfather, Lucas. As Julian peels back the layers of her betrayal, he realizes that the love he once cherished was built on a foundation of lies, and now, he must decide whether to forgive or destroy the woman who shattered his world.Human Nature|Glow-Up|OE13.1k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 21
Hurtful Love: The Girl Driven Away by the Colonel
In her past life, Elena was the ultimate outsider, defined only by her mistakes and the shadows of others. Disgraced, betrayed, and ultimately discarded by the man she once desperately loved—the cold, stoic Captain Julian—she suffered a tragic end. But destiny granted her a second chance. After being reborn, Elena makes a vow: never again to be a pawn in anyone’s game, especially not Julian’s. She focuses on saving her mother and carving out a new path. However, as she pulls away, Julian finds himself inexplicably drawn to the woman he once scorned. As the truth about the betrayals around her unravels, will Elena finally escape the shadows, and will Julian learn the cost of his cold pride before it’s too late?Glow-Up|Second Chance29.7k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 17
From Scraps to Culinary Queen
Born into a nightmare of abuse, Nora was nothing but a pawn in her mother’s twisted game. After years of being treated as a scrap, she escaped and forged her own destiny in the heart of the culinary world. But when her abusive past resurfaces, demanding her liver to save her mother, Nora doesn't crumble. With a master's hands and a cold heart, she returns—not to save them, but to reclaim what is rightfully hers, one recipe at a time. This is not a story of forgiveness; it’s a story of retribution.Dark Humor|Human Nature|Glow-Up23.1k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 16
Healing from Forbidden Love
Elena has the mind of an eight-year-old trapped in a twenty-four-year-old’s body, and for seven years, her only world has been Arthur, the man who promised to keep her safe forever. But when Arthur brings a new woman, Cassie, into their home and proposes a “goodbye,” Elena realizes her sanctuary is crumbling. To win back his heart, she makes a final bargain: three wishes before she is sent away. As she navigates the pain of being discarded, Elena must decide: is she willing to heal and grow, even if it means leaving the only man she has ever loved?Age Gap|Glow-Up21.4k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 16
A Second Chance at the End of the World
In a world ravaged by the apocalypse, Selene Rivers has spent nine years surviving not just the horrors of the undead, but the icy disdain of her husband, Silas Thorne. Betrayed by lies and haunted by a tragic past she cannot escape, Selene struggles to protect her young son, Andy, while harboring a terminal secret. When a fire tears through their sanctuary, shattering her fragile world, Selene decides to leave everything behind. But destiny has a cruel twist in store: a chance to go back and rewrite the tragedy. Will she find the strength to save the ones she loves, or is she destined to burn in the ashes once more?Prophecy|Glow-Up|Second Chance22.5k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 14
Betrayed by Magic
Nina Sinclair, a wealthy socialite, thought she could conquer anything—including the heart of a struggling street magician, Julian Hayes. She poured her heart, her fortune, and her life into their marriage, only to find herself playing second fiddle to his childhood best friend, Clara. When a dangerous stage trick pushes Nina to the brink of death, she realizes that the "magic" of their love was nothing more than an illusion. Now, with divorce papers in hand, Nina must decide: is she ready to walk away from the man who used her love as a stepping stone, or will she let the past drown her once and for all?Glow-Up19.9k words5 0 -
CompletedChapter 12
Airport crisis triggered by touching a stone
Julian works as a mundane customs officer at Metro City International Airport, where his routine is usually defined by the endless flow of luggage. However, his life takes a terrifying turn when he encounters Fiona, a sophisticated returnee from abroad, carrying a suitcase that seems ordinary—until Julian touches the two unremarkable stones hidden in its lining. An icy chill, like a frozen serpent, surges through him, bringing visions of a water-logged, pale face. Following his gut, Julian triggers the highest security lockdown, unleashing chaos in the terminal. As the investigation deepens, it uncovers a gruesome murder mystery linking Fiona’s missing sister, Snow, and her suspicious husband, Sean. Julian discovers that his touch carries a dark gift: the ability to feel the lingering echoes of the dead. Now, he must race against time to reveal the truth behind the stones before the ghosts of the past consume him too.Human Nature|Dark Secrets|Glow-Up15.5k words5 0