All Chapters of The gold cage: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

From the very first moment I married Lucas Valeriano five years ago, everyone around me constantly told me exactly the same thing over and over again, as if it was the absolute law of nature and undeniable truth. They told me clearly and repeatedly: “Alessandra, you are lucky. You have everything a woman could ever dream of. You are rich, respected, and married to the most powerful and handsome man in the whole country. You should be happy, contented, and grateful… and most importantly, you must learn to close your eyes, shut your mouth, and accept everything as it comes. Men like Lucas Valeriano were never made for only one woman. Powerful men always have their ways and their pleasures… it is the wife’s duty to stay beautiful, elegant, and understanding, while turning a blind eye to everything else.”Everyone — my parents, his family, friends, society people — all of them drilled this belief deep into my head and heart, convincing me that this was simply how things worked, how the wo

The moment I turned my back on them and walked calmly away from the balcony, I could physically feel the heavy, suffocating tension radiating from behind me. I could almost hear the mixture of pure rage and helplessness vibrating from Lucas, and the bitter, vengeful hatred pouring out from Chloe. I knew exactly what was going through their minds, and more importantly, I knew exactly what awaited me once I was finally alone with my husband behind closed doors. Lucas Valeriano was a man who always demanded absolute obedience, unquestionable loyalty, and complete submission from everyone around him, especially from me — his wife whom he believed existed solely to please him, support him, and never ever dare oppose or contradict his will in any way.For years, I had allowed him to dictate everything in my life. For years, I swallowed my pride, suppressed my feelings, and endured his coldness, his indifference, and his betrayals simply because I loved him and foolishly believed that patien

Days turned into weeks, and weeks slowly dragged into months, and exactly as Lucas had strictly commanded and ordered, my life inside the mansion became quiet, monotonous, and strictly confined within the four walls of our massive home. True to his word, he completely removed me from every aspect of his public and business life. Every invitation addressed jointly to us was now answered by his secretary stating politely and formally that Mr. Valeriano would be attending alone or accompanied by another guest. Newspapers, magazines, and society columns which used to feature my name, my face, and our pictures together regularly now published photos of Lucas appearing everywhere side by side with Chloe — smiling happily, looking affectionate, and portraying the perfect, glamorous couple everyone admired and praised openly.They were seen attending grand galas, business openings, charity events, and holiday trips abroad. Everywhere Lucas went, Chloe was proudly beside him, dressed in the fi

The silence that filled the grand living room was heavier and more suffocating than any storm that had ever raged outside the mansion. It was a silence born not of peace, but of realization, regret, and a painful divide that had opened wide between two people who were bound by law and name, yet stood further apart than strangers. Chloe had stormed out moments earlier, her cries and threats fading into the distance, leaving behind only the echo of her bitterness and the sharp reality of everything that had just unfolded.Lucas Valeriano stood frozen in the center of the room, his tall, imposing frame looking smaller and more vulnerable than it had ever been in his entire life. For years, he had walked through life with absolute certainty, believing that his wealth, power, and status entitled him to do as he pleased. He had viewed his marriage as a mere arrangement, his wife as an obligation, and his actions as justified by the rules of the world he lived in. But now, standing face to f

Chloe’s POVThe moment Chloe stepped out of the Valeriano mansion, the heavy oak doors closing firmly behind her, the polite mask she had worn for so long shattered completely. Her face twisted into a mixture of rage, embarrassment, and bitter disbelief. She had left that house not as the favored woman she had imagined herself becoming, but as nothing more than a discarded outsider, sent away with nothing but empty hands and a bruised ego.For months, she had believed Lucas was fully under her spell. She had convinced herself that Alessandra was merely a lifeless obstacle, a name on a marriage certificate, and that it was only a matter of time before Lucas would divorce his wife and make her the new Mrs. Valeriano. She had spent his money, worn his gifts, and paraded around in places where she thought she was untouchable. But in the space of a single evening, everything had fallen apart. Lucas had chosen Alessandra—cold, distant, quiet Alessandra—over her. He had looked at her with no