Chapter 5: The Gilded Cage

Clara’s POV

"Does this mean it’s settled?" Mr. Sterling’s voice was full of hope, his eyes bright as he looked between me and Kiran.

My heart plummeted. "No," I blurted out, the word feeling like a gasp for air. "I... I don’t think I want to get married right now."

Mr. Sterling’s smile faded, but he nodded kindly. "It’s okay, child. I’m not forcing you. If that is your choice, it is totally fine."

I let out a breath of relief, but it was cut short when I caught Mrs.Victoria’s gaze. 

She was staring at me with a look so sharp it felt like a physical blow. She didn't say a word, but her silence was a death sentence.

After dinner, I hurried to the kitchen to help the head maid with the dishes, desperate to hide. 

until the heavy swinging door slammed against the wall. I turn around, my heart leaping into my throat.

Mrs. Victoria stood there, her face a mask of cold, aristocratic fury.

Before I could even mutter a greeting, her hand blurred through the air.

SLAP.

"Ma'am, I—" I started, my voice trembling.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed, her voice low, dangerous vibration. 

"Why would you refuse to marry him?" she snapped, her patience clearly at its breaking point.

I clutched my burning face, my blood boiling with hidden annoyance.

 "I’m sorry, but I can’t. Marriage is a big deal. I can't just bind myself to someone i don’t know much about."

Her expression shifted instantly. 

She reached out, her fingers cold as they stroked my cheek. 

"It doesn’t matter," she whispered. 

"I’m sorry I hit you, Clara. I was just... disappointed. 

But listen to me. Once Leo and I have control of the company, I will make sure you get a divorce. This is temporary."

"I can do anything else for you," I pleaded. "But not this."

Her grip tightened. 

She reached down and pinched the skin of my hand, her nails digging in until I winced. 

"Why are you making this so hard? I’m trying to be 'cool' with you because you did a great job with the documents, but don't ruin it.

 Do I really have to threaten you about your family again to make you see reason?"

I looked at the floor, my eyes stinging with angry and tears. 

"No. I'm sorry."

"Good. Now go out there and tell my father you’ve changed your mind."

As I walked out of the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of Kiran standing in the shadows of the hallway. 

He was leaning against the wall, a strange, dark smile playing on his lips. He had seen everything. 

He knew I was being hunted, and he looked almost... amused.

I walked back to Mr. Sterling, my voice trembling.

 "I've thought about it. I... I want to marry Kiran." I murmured, my voice trembling as I avoided Mr. Sterling’s eyes.

Mr. Sterling looked concerned. "Child, ."is this what you really want.”

I felt Mrs. Victoria’s eyes boring into my back, her hand tightening around her drink. 

"It's my choice," I lied, the words tasting like ash. "I want it."

"Wow! A perfect match!" Mrs. Victoria chirped, her fake joy loud and jarring. 

"When will the wedding be? Tomorrow?" Mrs. Victoria chirped, her eyes shining with a greedy, triumphant light.

Kiran stepped in, his hands in his pockets. 

"I wouldn't mind doing it today," Kiran stated, his eyes cutting toward me with a silent, sharp warning. 

Mr. Sterling laughed, his face brightening with joy. "You must have been waiting for this for a long time, Kiran! But the sun is already setting. Let’s not rush a lifelong commitment in the dark. What about tomorrow?"

He turned to me, his voice softening. "And Clara... why don’t you and Kiran go see your mother today? She should hear this news in person."

"We... we don't have to see her, sir," I stammered, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I’ll just tell her over the phone. I wouldn't want to overwhelm her."

"Then it is settled!" Mrs. Victoria interjected, her voice sharp and triumphant. "Tomorrow, you will be married."

As she headed toward the massive front doors to leave, she caught my eye with a cold, commanding look. "Clara, dear, come help me with my wrap. I need to check something before we depart."

I followed her out to the stone steps of the grand entrance, the evening air hitting my face like a cold slap. 

Leo was already standing by their car, leaning against the sleek black door with a smirk that made my skin crawl. 

Once we were away from Mr. Sterling’s hearing, Mrs. Victoria’s face shifted back into a mask of ice.

"Do not worry about how you will explain this to your mother," she hissed, the moonlight making her jewels glitter. "I will explain to her. I’ll tell her exactly why this marriage is 'necessary' and ensure she is here tomorrow."

Leo stepped closer, his shadow stretching across the gravel driveway. 

He leaned in, his voice a low, oily whisper. "Now that you're becoming his wife, getting information out of him won't be that hard, right?" He chuckled, a sound that made my blood run cold. "Don't disappoint us, little cousin-in-law."

They climbed into the car and drove away, the red taillights disappearing into the dark.

 I stood on the porch, feeling the silence of the night press against me.

 I stumbled back to my room and collapsed onto the floor, pulling my knees to my chest.

What am I going to do? The walls felt like they were closing in. I thought about running—just disappearing into the night—but the image of my mother and Maya stopped me. 

I was a prisoner. I wanted to scream, to run over to Kiran’s villa and yell at him. Why is he doing this? Why did he agree to marry a me?

 But I stayed on the floor, silent and broken, knowing that tomorrow morning would bring a cage I could never escape.

The Wedding Day

 a blur of white lace and heartbreak. I was at the bridal shop, staring at my reflection as if I were looking at a stranger. 

Mrs. Victoria picked out a gown for me—heavy, expensive, and suffocating.

My mother and Maya arrived shortly after. 

my mom didn't ask many questions; Mrs. victoria had already poisoned her mind with lies about how this was a "good opportunity."

"Don't worry, Clara," my mom whispered, hugging me. "Mrs. Victoria promised this won't be forever."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell her that I was being sold. 

But I just stood there, a doll in a white dress.

The ceremony was short.

 I stood at the altar in the grand hall, looking at Kiran. 

He was staring straight at me, his expression unreadable. 

When the priest asked if I took him as my husband, the word "Yes" felt like it was being dragged out of my throat. Kiran didn't hesitate. He said it instantly.

The drive back to the villa felt like it lasted for hours.

I sat in the passenger seat, the heavy white lace of my wedding dress bunching up around my legs. 

Every time the car hit a bump, the silk rustled, a constant reminder of the mistake I had just made. 

I kept stealing glances at Kiran while he was driving. 

My throat felt tight, and I desperately wanted to ask why he had married me—what he was really planning. 

But the words died before they could reach my lips. 

I tried to read his face, but his expression was like a locked door.

 I couldn’t tell if he was simmering with anger or if he was actually happy with this trap. 

So, I kept quiet until we reached the house.

When we pulled into the driveway, the sun was sinking low, casting long, bloody streaks across the stone. 

Kiran didn't wait for me; he simply locked his car and walked away.

I followed him inside, the hem of my dress dragging across the floorboards. 

Yesterday, I entered his house as a maid. Today, I was entering as his wife who will have to bear his name.

 It felt wrong. It felt like a sacrilege.

"should... should i make some tea for you," I whispered, 

the sound of my own voice startling me in the quiet foyer. 

Kiran paused with his hand on the doorknob of his study.

 He turned to look at me, his dark eyes scanning my face with coldness that made my skin crawl. 

It wasn't the gaze of a husband; it was the look of a man who had just bought a piece of furniture he didn't really want.

"Don't bother," he stated, his voice clipped and hollow. "I’m going out. Don't wait up for me."

He didn't even take off his jacket. He simply turned back around, walked out the front door, and drove away. 

The roar of the engine faded into the distance, leaving me standing alone middle of the dark living room, surrounded by silence.

9:30 PM

The house felt haunted. 

I didn't know where I belonged anymore—was I still a maid, or was I the mistress of the house? 

I didn't dare go into his bedroom, so I stayed in the parlor. 

I took a long shower, trying to scrub the feeling of the wedding off my skin, and put on an oversized white shirt that stopped just above my knees.

I figured I would just sleep on the chair until I knew the rules of this twisted game.

 I went to the kitchen for a glass of water, my hair pinned up in a messy bun.

SLAM.

The front door hit the wall with a violence that made me drop my glass. 

He was back. And even from the kitchen, I could feel the darkness radiating off him.

Kiran walked in. He looked different—unstable. 

His eyes were bloodshot, glowing with a dark intensity that made my skin crawl. 

He walked straight toward me and, without a word, reached out and pulled the clip from my hair, letting it fall over my shoulders.

I jumped back in shock. "Sir—I mean, Kiran—"

He grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me flush against his chest. 

His breath was hot against my skin. "Are you trying to seduce me, little rat, he growled, his voice vibrating against my neck.

I froze, my heart hammering so hard I thought he could feel it through my chest.

 "Seduce you?" I stammered, my mind racing in a million directions. "How... how am I seducing you? I was just getting a glass of water! I'm sorry if I did something—I didn't mean to—"

"A short dress? Your hair up to show your neck?" 

His eyes were sharper than I had ever seen them. 

I realized then that he had taken something. He was high, and the drug had stripped away his restraint.

I tried to push him away, 

But he pinned my wrists against the cold surface of the fridge, his body pressing into mine like a wall of solid heat.

 I could feel the darkness radiating off him, the air between us was thick with the scent of whiskey and the sharp, chemical edge of the drugs.

"You smell so good," he whispered, his face dipping toward my shoulder. "Will you satisfy me tonight?" he muttered.

"Please... Kiran, stop," I whimpered, my breath hitching as I tried to shrink away. "You’re not yourself... you don't know what you’re saying."

Suddenly, he stopped.

 He pulled back just an inch, his heavy breathing ghosting over my skin. 

He reached up, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped my eye. 

The touch was surprisingly gentle, which made it even more terrifying.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice a low and dangerous. 

"You don’t want this?" he asked calmly.

I kept my eyes squeezed shut.

 I couldn't bring myself to look at him. 

I felt his fingers wrap around my chin, his grip firm as he forced my head up.

"Look at me," he commanded.

I opened my eyes slowly, staring into his.

 "His eyes were dark with a heavy, unfiltered sexual tension that made my skin flush."

He tilted his head, searching my face. 

"Don’t you want this?" he repeated. "Or... is it going to be your first time?"

My voice was shaking so hard I could barely form the words. 

"I... I’ve never kissed anyone before," I choked out. "I wanted my first kiss to be special. I didn't want it to be like this."

A dark, slow smile spread across his lips—a look of pure, predatory triumph. "So... I’m going to be your first eh?" he smirked.

He shifted his hand to my neck, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw as he tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. 

He bend down his head, his lips inches from mine.

 I could feel the heat radiating from him. He reached out with his other hand, his fingers grazing my lower lip, tracing the shape of it.

"Your lips are soft, little rat," he whispered, his voice dropping to a gravelly purr. 

"I've been wondering what it would feel like to kiss them." his eyes was gazing over mine while saying it.

My eyes went wide, my heart beating so fast. A horrifying thought raced through my mind: 

Was this the reason you agreed to marry me? I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.

"If it was," he leaned in, his lips brushing my ear, "what would you do? You’re mine already, I can do anything I please with you."