Lahat ng Kabanata ng Gilded Cage,Fierce Heart: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The sound of fine porcelain clinking against crystal echoed faintly through the grand hall of the Jin family mansion. Hidden behind the gilded doorway, Lin Wei stood motionless, hands folded neatly in front of her, eyes lowered in practiced obedience.To the guests seated around the luxurious dining table, she was just another servant. A shadow.But Lin Wei was not the girl they assumed her to be,she was more than a mere servant,she has dreams.She had a university degree, earned through her mother’s tireless sacrifices. She had dreams—quiet ones—but powerful. And she had a younger brother, Lin Jiahui, a thirteen-year-old with soft eyes and an even softer heart, still in school and full of questions about the world. She was determined to give him the life she never had.She moved silently, her black shoes barely making a sound on the polished marble. This mansion shimmered with wealth—gold-edged columns, carved mahogany doors, paintings worth more than her education—but none of it fel

Lin Wei sat quietly in the high-ceilinged waiting area of Tiaorun Development Group, her file of credentials resting on her lap. The polished marble beneath her feet reflected the luxury around her—bright lights, mirrored panels, and the constant hush of power moving through polished shoes and tailored suits.She wasn’t the only applicant. Four others sat nearby—two of them rehearsing lines under their breath, one checking her makeup in her phone, and one man staring blankly at the wall. No one looked at anyone else.When her name was finally called, Lin Wei rose calmly and followed the assistant through a corridor of frosted glass.The interview was clean, structured, and respectful.Two HR executives sat across from her. A third person, Li Wen, who didn't introduce himself, remained standing behind them, tablet in hand, his gaze unreadable.“You graduated from Country W National University?” one of the executives asked.“Yes,” she replied evenly.“You worked privately as a house man

The invitation came on a Thursday afternoon. Typed, stamped, and sealed with the company crest — a formal notice from Tiaorun Development Group’s executive wing, requesting Lin Wei’s presence at an exclusive real estate investors’ forum scheduled for the following day. “Am I… attending on behalf of someone?” she asked quietly, handing the envelope to Li Wen. The assistant glanced at her without emotion like he always does. “You’ll accompany the CEO. Prepare a notebook and pen. You’ll be seated at his table.” Nothing more. --- The event took place at a luxury hall in downtown Country E. The lobby shimmered in white marble and gold accents, with crystal chandeliers hanging like frozen fireworks from the ceiling. Men in suits and women in silk gowns floated through the space, exchanging smiles laced with calculation. Lin Wei stood near the grand entrance, calm in her modest cream blouse and pencil skirt, hair pinned neatly. She didn’t need to draw attention. She only needed to do

CHAPTER SEVEN: BETWEEN THE LINESThe rain tapped gently against the hotel window the next morning, like soft fingers urging Lin Wei awake.She sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair back as her thoughts quietly drifted — not to the work that awaited her, but to the man who had dropped her off the night before without fanfare, without warmth, yet somehow... with something else.She’d replayed the ride more than once in her head — the way he said it wasn’t kindness, the way he waited for her to enter safely before leaving.It shouldn’t have meant anything.But it did.Not loudly. Not in a fluttering way. Just quietly — like the way a single candle warms a cold room.---At 8:05 a.m., Lin Wei arrived at the office and headed straight to her desk outside the CEO’s private office. She placed her bag down, logged into the system, and began reviewing the morning brief.Moments later, Li Wen approached with a sealed folder.“The CEO asked this to be given to you directly.”Lin Wei acce

The hotel room had grown familiar.Its beige curtains, the faint hum of the air conditioner, the crisp bedsheets that never held warmth long enough — it had become her temporary world. But now, standing in the center of it with an open suitcase and boxes beside her, Lin Wei realized how little she had truly unpacked.Maybe part of her had known she wouldn’t stay long.The week had been long — files, meetings, late nights. But today, Saturday, offered a rare sliver of quiet. No calls.No texts. No reports. Just her and the soft ticking of the hotel room clock.Until a gentle knock at the door.She opened it to find Sheng Tiaorun standing there — no suit today, just a dark grey shirt rolled at the sleeves, black slacks, and a calm, unreadable expression.“I said I’d help,” he murmured, as though reminding her of a promise she hadn’t dared accept.“You didn’t have to,” she said softly.“I know.”She stepped aside.---They worked in silence at first.Lin Wei folded her clothes with care,