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Gilded Hearts
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2025-10-02 12:41:32-----------Glimpse-----------
The stillness of the penthouse felt just like some gilded cage pushing me down.
I still could hear my mother’s rasping breaths in my head alongside seeing a hopeful smile on my brother’s face when I told him about tuition. Survival along with books in addition to breath that is what the money represented for me.
Under a man who looked directly at me as though I were some poison wrapped up in pearls, I found myself still wrapped well in silk I’d never truly own.
With sleeves rolled up and jaw clenched, Damian stood on the other side of the room. A particular storm brewed within Damian's eyes.
“You think I don’t see through you?” His voice was sharp, practiced cruelty.
“Marrying me was just your ticket. Admit it. You got what you wanted: my name and my money. Isn’t that what gold diggers dream of?”
The word seared through me. For a moment, I almost believed him. Hadn’t I signed my name on that contract, bartered my freedom for funds? What else was it but a transaction?
I had sold myself, even if it wasn’t for diamonds and gowns but for hospital bills and textbooks. My chest tightened with shame; I couldn’t quite swallow.
“I never wanted your money for me,” I snapped, my voice trembling against the fire in his. “I wanted it for my family. For a roof over their heads, for medicine to keep my mother alive. But you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Because everything in your world comes served on a silver platter.”
Damian closed the distance in two strides, his face inches from mine. His anger was a heat I could feel against my skin. “Don’t play the martyr. You’re no different from the low-class women who throw themselves at me for a taste of wealth. You just wear your desperation better.”
The insult burned, but before I could hurl words back, his mouth was on mine. It wasn’t tender; it was a punishment, a forceful claiming.
I pushed at his chest, fists curling in defiance, but his grip was iron at my waist. And the worst betrayal? My body wavered. The resistance bled into something else, something I hated myself for. My lips betrayed me, pressing back against his, a spark catching fire where there should have been nothing but ice.
The kiss deepened, reckless and consuming, carrying us backward until the bed caught me. He followed without breaking the pull, and for a fleeting heartbeat.
He was kissing me hungrily, while his hands keeps on moving from my breasts to my ass
I forgot everything: Edward’s deal, the money, and the venom in Damian’s words. It was only us, tangled in a kiss that felt like it could destroy and save in the same breath.
Then, just as suddenly, he tore away. The loss of him was a whiplash, air rushing back into my lungs. I looked in his eyes until they landed dark and unreadable, and before the certainty of a bare crack of his hand hit the air to my cheek.
The pain burned deep without a sound; I felt air drive deep to my ear, but it was his words that ripped me in two.
"You are nothing but a whore," he smirked, voice like melted sugar, and spoke terribly with disdain.
"A woman who has no self-respect."
The taste was still sharper on my lips, bitter as ash. I grabbed my stinging cheek, thinking about if this was what Damien meant: a man who clearly despised me, and I despised myself for even wanting him back a few moments before.
Damian’s gaze raked over me with venom, his voice low and merciless.
“This marriage will be a nightmare for you, Sophia. And I’ll make sure of it.”
"The countdown to your disaster begins right now," he spat and walked out.
The words cut deeper than did the slap since they promised torment and the silence. At that moment, I realized survival in this marriage would be another kind of battlefield.
Love had no place here, only fire and ruin.
Latest chapter
Gilded Hearts Chapter 42
Damien POVThe heavy doors of the penthouse felt like a prison I had finally unlocked.I checked my watch. Past midnight.Three months.For three months, I had played a part. I had been the good grandson. The kind husband. I had sat through dull dinners-, nodded at meaningless conversations, and pretended I cared about Sophia’s small, insignificant life,.Today, the lawyers confirmed it,.The inheritance was mine.I didn’t have to pretend anymore,.I pushed the door open, a dark sense of freedom curling through me,.She was there, waiting—like she always did. Her eyes held that soft, irritating concern that had once made my skin crawl,.“You’re so late-,” she said quietly,.“I know.”I dropped my jacket and loosened my tie,. The mask slid off with the fabric. I didn’t need to smile at her again. I didn’t need to soften my voice.She stood, reflexively helpful. “Do you want dinner? I can warm it up.”I didn’t answer,.I walked straight toward her-, closing the space between us until sh
Gilded Hearts Chapter 41
Sophia POVIt was past midnight when the door finally opened,.I looked up from the couch, the book in my lap untouched for hours,. “You’re so late,.” I spoke,.“I know.”He set his jacket down and loosened his tie., his movement were sharp, almost looked like he was irritated. Also there was something off in his voice when he spoke earlier,—too controlled-, stretched thin., like tension pulled taut beneath every word,.I stood without thinking, smoothing the front of my sweater-, the old reflex kicking in before I could stop it,.“Do you want dinner?” I asked. “ I can warm it up-, or—”He stopped directly in front of me,.Too close,.The distance between us vanished in a single step, so sudden it stole the rest of my sentence,. My breath hitched before I even realised why,.“Damian?” My voice dropped instinctively, softer, cautious,.His hand came up to my face, firm against my jaw,. His fingers tilted my chin upward, forcing my eyes to meet his before I could retreat. The touch c
Gilded Hearts Part 2- The Man She Married; Chapter 40
Sophia POVThree months.That was how long I had been married,.It felt strange to think about it that way-, because for the first month-, it hadn’t felt like a marriage at all. Just two people sharing a space-, careful-, distant-, unsure of where to place themselves around each other,.But two months ago, something began to change,.At first, it was small—, easy conversations late at night that lasted longer than they should have,. Sitting together on the bed, talking about work, about things that didn’t really matter, and somehow mattered a lot,. The silence between us stopped feeling heavy,.We started sharing the same bed without awkwardness. No expectations. No pressure. Just presence.Then came dinners,—sometimes out, sometimes at home. Lunches squeezed into busy days. Small routines that slowly turned into habits. He’d ask about my day. I’d ask about his. He listened. Really listened.Damian had become… attentive. Thoughtful. Kind.The perfect husband, anyone would say.There h
Gilded Hearts Chapter 39
Sophia POVI woke slowly-, as I felt a bit of struggle opening my eyes,.I had a really good sleep after a very long time,. I have been struggling in sleeping ever since I came here,. But last night I slept really well,.That alone felt strange.What felt stranger was the warmth as I turned to see the source of this warmth I felt an arm was draped around my waist, heavy and solid-, pulling me back against a chest that rose and fell in a steady rhythm,.My first instinct was confusion. My second was stillness,.Damian.The realization settled quietly-, not with panic-, not with resistance—just awareness,.His hand rested just above my hip-, fingers relaxed-, not possessive,. His forehead was near the back of my head, breath warm against my neck,.Somewhere during the night-, I had shifted closer to him,. Or maybe he had,.I didn’t know which possibility unsettled me more,.For a moment, I stayed exactly where I was-, afraid that moving would break something fragile,. Not the moment its
Gilded Hearts Chapter 38
Sophia POVIt had been two days since I kissed Damian.Two days since I’d made that choiceAnd somehow… nothing had fallen apart.The kiss was an impulse from my side,. I felt the urge to kiss him, and I acted on it,. It’s not like he hasn’t done the same before,.But things had eased into something I hadn’t known how to name yet,.Work felt lighter. Not easier,Hayes Global never became easy—but lighter.People smiled at me more openly now. Not the tight, assessing smiles I’d grown used to, but warmer ones. Respectful. Curious. Almost… kind.Damian hadn’t reverted. Not even once.No sharp remarks. No icy silences. No invisible walls slamming down without warning.At lunch, he still checked in with me—nothing dramatic, just quiet consistency. A message asking if I’d eaten. A coffee appearing at my desk without commentary. A look across the conference table that lingered half a second longer than strictly professional.Even at home, the atmosphere had shifted too. We haven't kissed afte
Gilded Hearts Chapter 37
Damian POVThe gates of Hayes Manor closed behind us with a quiet finality,.I watched them disappear in the rearview mirror for half a second longer than necessary before turning my attention back to the road,. The mansion—its lights-, its symmetry-, its authority—felt different tonight,.Not distant.Not oppressive.Almost… earned.Sophia sat beside me, her posture relaxed in a way it hadn’t been when we arrived,. Her coat was folded neatly over her lap-, her gaze fixed on the blur of city lights outside the window,. She looked thoughtful,. Contained,. Unaware of the satisfaction slowly settling into my chest,.Tonight had gone exactly as planned.Better, even.Grandfather hadn’t just acknowledged me—he had validated me. Not as a reckless heir in need of restraint, but as someone capable of responsibility. Of leadership. Of continuity.CEO.The word surfaced again, steady and undeniable.Edward Hayes did not make casual declarations. When he hinted at retirement, when he spoke of
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