Chapter 1

The Vancewick Dynasty · BOOK 1The air in the forty-fifth-floor reception lounge of the Vancewick global headquarters was not breathable; it was manufactured, purified, and then chilled to a precise temperature that discouraged any kind of physical relaxation. It was rich with the sterile scent of polished Italian marble, the aggressive perfume of custom-arranged white lilies that cost a small fortune, and the metallic, almost electrical tang of billions of dollars. Elara stood near the edge of the towering, floor-to-ceiling windows, the thick, unyielding silk of her haute couture gown a pale, dusty rose pressing against her shoulder blades. The internal structure of the designer dress felt less like clothing and more like a suit of armor she was forced to wear, designed to keep her immobile and polite.She didn't belong here. Every bone in her body screamed for the rough, easy comfort of her old life. She belonged in a studio, in vintage denim, smelling of turpentine and the salt of

Last Updated : 2025-11-17

Chapter 2

The drive from the Vancewick global headquarters to the sprawling Vancewick estate felt less like a transit and more like being driven toward an execution site. Silas had delegated the task of transporting his newly acquired fiancée to a faceless retainer a security detail in a perfectly tailored dark suit who looked like he hadn't blinked since 1995. The vehicle itself was an act of aggression: a black Rolls-Royce Ghost, silent, impossibly smooth on the city highways, and lined with dark, cold, hand-stitched leather that smelled faintly of sterile air and the ghost of power.Elara sat alone, pressed into the deep corner of the back seat. Her pale rose silk dress, which had felt like heavy paper at the party, now felt like a second, clammy skin. She was physically exhausted, drained not by the length of the evening, but by the relentless effort required to maintain a perfect, non-committal facial expression while her entire world was dismantled piece by piece. She kept her spine rigid

Last Updated : 2025-11-17

Chapter 3

Elara spent the next twenty-four hours in self-imposed, volatile exile within the master suite. The fury she had suppressed crystallized into a cold, hard resolution. She had spent the day mentally rehearsing her polite resistance, running caustic comebacks through her mind like a mantra.At seven o’clock, she finally permitted the maid, Lily, to enter. Elara had chosen her battle uniform carefully. She refused the severe, dark colors Lily presented, instead selecting a gown she had brought with her: a simple, but flawlessly cut, deep forest green silk. It was rich enough to pass inspection, but the color was uncompromising, reflecting the raw, defiant hue of her eyes.Lily, visibly nervous, attempted to pin the copper mass of Elara’s hair into the smooth, severe style Silas had clearly dictated. "Mr. Vancewick prefers, if I may say, Miss, the hair to be completely managed, no loose ends."“Then Mr. Vancewick will continue to be disappointed,” Elara stated, her voice quiet and firm. S

Last Updated : 2025-11-17

Chapter 4

Elara did not walk back to the master suite; she fled. The shock of Silas’s possessive claim beneath the table, combined with Lady Eleanor’s cruel scrutiny, had left her shaking with repressed fury. She flew up the cold marble stairs, pulling the tight clasp from her hair as she went, the heavy copper strands tumbling loose around her shoulders.She dismissed the nervous maid, Lily, with a curt nod at the door and slammed the entrance shut. The first thing she did was tear the expensive dress off her body, the silk hissing as it fell in a heap of defiant green onto the polished wood floor. She was breathing heavily, drained, and felt the shame of being marked for possession like a physical weight.She was still in her silk slip, pacing the vast sleeping area, when she heard the sound she dreaded most.It was not a knock. It was the distinct, deliberate click of the electronic smart-lock on the adjoining door, the door that led directly from Silas’s private study into their bedroom. It

Last Updated : 2025-11-17

Chapter 5

The clock on the immense, minimalist digital display had not yet chimed ten in the morning, yet Elara felt as though she had already survived a lifetime of combat. She stood rigid before the enormous, dark wood mirror in her dressing room, staring at the visible evidence of her violation.The mark was a purpling shadow against the pale skin of her collarbone, a furious, deep bruise hidden barely an inch beneath the collar of her simple cotton nightgown. It was the precise, non-accidental location where Silas had pressed his mouth against her skin a cold, calculated declaration of ownership.She was attempting to disguise the mark with her copper hair when a sharp, non-negotiable tone sounded from the intercom built into the wall. It was the sound of authority, not inquiry.A moment later, Mrs. Alastair, the severe housekeeper, entered the bedroom, her face a disciplined mask. “Miss Hawthorne, Lady Eleanor Vancewick requests a private moment. She is already waiting in your sitting room

Last Updated : 2025-11-17

All Chapters of The Gilded Cage: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5