CHAPTER 5

The Golden Cage

The morning sun bled through the heavy velvet curtains of the Thorne Penthouse.

Liora opened her eyes, momentarily disoriented by the sheer opulence surrounding her.

The ceiling was high, decorated with subtle gold leaf patterns.

The bed was large enough to fit four people comfortably.

Then, the memories of the previous night flooded back.

The car crash. The fire. The rebirth.

And the devil who had saved her.

Liora sat up, her body still feeling the lingering effects of the sedative.

She looked at the bedside table and found a set of black silk clothes.

There was a small, handwritten note on top of them.

Wear these. Breakfast is in ten minutes. Don't be late.

The handwriting was sharp, aggressive, and perfectly controlled.

Mavric Thorne didn't ask; he commanded.

Liora dressed quickly. The silk felt like a second skin.

She looked at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror.

The reflection showed a woman who looked fragile, but her eyes were lethal.

She walked out of the guest suite and followed the scent of fresh coffee.

The penthouse was even more massive than it had appeared at night.

It wasn't a home; it was a fortress of glass and steel overlooking the city.

Mavric was sitting at a long marble dining table.

He was dressed in a crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He was reading a digital tablet, a cup of black coffee in his other hand.

He didn't look up when she entered.

"You're two minutes early," he noted.

"I like punctuality. It’s a trait I find rare in people of your social standing."

Liora pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

"I’m not 'people of my social standing' anymore, remember?"

"I’m a woman who has nothing left but a contract and a husband who hates her."

Mavric finally looked up.

His obsidian eyes swept over her, taking in the way the silk hugged her frame.

"I don't hate you, Liora. I simply haven't decided if you’re worth the trouble yet."

A maid placed a plate of eggs and avocado toast in front of her.

Liora took a bite, realizing she hadn't eaten since before she died.

"The White family's bankruptcy is already trending on every news site," she said.

Mavric sipped his coffee calmly.

"It was an easy kill. They were over-leveraged and built on lies."

"But don't get comfortable. Silas White is like a cockroach. He’ll find a way to crawl back."

"I know," Liora said, her gaze hardening.

"That’s why I need to start my own foundation."

"I can't just be the 'Hidden Wife' who hides in your penthouse all day."

Mavric set his tablet down.

"The contract states you stay under my protection."

"To the world, you are recovering from a 'nervous breakdown' caused by your family’s scandal."

Liora slammed her fork down, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

"A nervous breakdown? That’s the best excuse your PR team could find?"

"I have work to do, Mavric. I need to reclaim my mother’s jewelry line."

Mavric leaned forward, his aura becoming heavy and oppressive.

"You’ll do what I say, when I say it."

"Until I’m sure you’ve fully neutralized the Project Icarus threat, you are a guest in my cage."

"A golden cage is still a cage," Liora hissed.

"Then learn to sing, little bird," Mavric replied, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Or learn to fly. But if you fall, don't expect me to catch you again."

The tension between them was a physical weight.

Mavric’s phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at it and frowned.

"My Head of Security is downstairs. We’re moving to the Thorne Manor."

"The Manor?" Liora asked.

"The penthouse is too exposed for a long-term stay," Mavric explained.

"The Manor is a private estate. It’s where my mother lives."

Liora’s heart skipped a beat. The Mother-in-Law.

In her past life, she had heard rumors about Mavric’s mother.

She was a cold, aristocratic woman who believed in bloodlines and purity.

"She’s going to hate me," Liora said bluntly.

Mavric stood up, grabbing his blazer from the back of the chair.

"She hates everyone. You aren't special."

He walked around the table and stopped behind her.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, his grip firm.

"But as long as you wear that ring, she can't touch you. Remember that."

Liora looked down at the massive diamond on her finger.

It felt like a shackle, yet it was her only weapon.

"Why did you really sign that contract, Mavric?"

She turned her head to look up at him.

Their faces were inches apart. She could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes.

"Was it just for the Icarus code? Or were you bored?"

Mavric’s gaze dropped to her lips for a split second.

The air between them seemed to vanish.

"I don't get bored, Liora. I get curious."

"And right now, you’re the most curious thing in this city."He let go of her shoulders and stepped back.

"The car is waiting. We leave in five minutes."

The drive to the Thorne Manor took nearly an hour.

The estate was located on the outskirts of the city, hidden behind high stone walls.

As the gates opened, Liora saw a sprawling mansion that looked like a modern palace.

Lush gardens, fountains, and a private security force that looked like a small army.This was the true heart of the Thorne empire.

As they stepped out of the black Rolls Royce, a butler greeted them.

"Welcome home, Master Mavric.

Welcome, Madam Liora."

The "Madam" felt strange in Liora’s ears.

Mavric didn't acknowledge the butler; he just walked straight inside.

The interior was filled with priceless art and antique furniture.

It was a cold kind of beauty a place where one was meant to be seen, not heard.

Suddenly, a sharp, feminine voice rang out from the grand staircase.

"Mavric! What is the meaning of this scandal in the papers?"

A woman in her fifties, dressed in a flawless Chanel suit, descended the stairs.

Her eyes were like chips of blue ice, and her face was frozen in a permanent scowl.

This was Beatrice Thorne. The Matriarch.

Her eyes landed on Liora, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

"And who is this... creature you’ve brought into our home?"

"Mother," Mavric said, his voice completely devoid of warmth.

"This is Liora White. My wife."

Beatrice stopped on the last step, her hand clenching the banister.

"Wife? Have you lost your mind? The White family is in ruins!"

"They are commoners! Thieves! And this girl is the one who caused the police to raid their home!"

"She is a Thorne now," Mavric said, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

"Which means she is your superior in this house, Mother."

Beatrice looked like she had been slapped.

"You would insult your own mother for this... this little snake?"

Liora stepped forward. She didn't hide behind Mavric.

She knew that if she showed weakness now,

Beatrice would devour her.

"Mrs. Thorne," Liora said, her voice calm and regal.

"I understand your concern for the family's reputation."

"But I assure you, the White family’s downfall was a necessary amputation."

"A Thorne doesn't associate with rotting limbs. We cut them off."

Beatrice stared at Liora, her eyes narrowing in surprise.

She had expected a crying girl or a gold-digger who would beg for mercy.

She hadn't expected a woman who spoke the language of power.

"You have a sharp tongue, girl," Beatrice hissed.

"Let's see if you have the stomach to back it up."

She turned to Mavric, ignoring Liora completely.

"The banquet for the Grand Duke is in three days. If she is your 'wife', she will host it."

"If she fails to impress the guests, I will personally see to it that this 'marriage' is annulled."

"Agreed," Mavric said before Liora could protest.

Beatrice swept out of the room, her silk skirts rustling like a warning.

Liora turned to Mavric, her eyes blazing with anger.

"A banquet? In three days? I don't know the first thing about Thorne protocols!"

Mavric looked at her, his expression unreadable.

"Then you better start learning. My mother is right about one thing."

"A Thorne wife must be a queen. If you can't rule a ballroom, you can't rule a company."

He started to walk away, but Liora grabbed his arm.

"You’re setting me up to fail! You want her to find a reason to kick me out!"

Mavric stopped and looked at her hand on his arm, then at her face.

He leaned in close, his voice a low, intimate rumble.

"If I wanted you gone, Liora, you’d be back in that car wreck by now."

"I’m not setting you up to fail. I’m testing your steel."

"Prove to me that you’re not just a hacker hiding in a dark room."

"Prove to me that you’re the woman who can stand beside me at the top of the world."

He pulled his arm away and walked toward his study.

Liora stood in the middle of the grand foyer, surrounded by the ghosts of the Thorne ancestors.

She looked at the ring on her finger.

The "Hidden Wife" was now in the center of the storm.

She had three days to prepare for a banquet that would decide her fate.

But they didn't know one thing about her.

In her past life, she had spent years studying these people from the shadows.

She knew their secrets. She knew their weaknesses.

And she was about to show the Thorne family that the "creature" they invited in...

...was the most dangerous one they had ever met.

Liora walked toward the library, her steps firm and loud on the marble floor.

She didn't need a teacher. She just needed a laptop.

By the time the sun set, she had hacked into the guest list of the Grand Duke’s banquet.

She saw the names of every powerful person in the country.

And she saw the one name that made her

blood run cold.

Marcus Miller.

He was on the list as a guest of a minor shareholder.

A slow, dark smile spread across Liora’s face.

"So, you're still trying to climb the ladder, Marcus?"

"I’ll make sure that when you fall this time... there won't even be a ladder left."

Mavric, watching her from the doorway of the library, felt a shiver of anticipation.

The woman he had married wasn't a mouse or a queen.

She was a goddess of vengeance.

And for the first time in his life, Mavric Thorne found himself wanting to see a woman succeed.

"Don't disappoint me, Liora," he whispered to the shadows.

"Because the show is just getting started.”

END OF CHAPTER 5