The Gilded Years A Novel Mga Nobela at Kwento

"I'm sorry, Gene. I got tricked by that man because of my lack of judgment. I was wrong! Please help me convince Mom and Dad that I won't ever do something like this again, alright?" I scoffed. "Nicki, you know very well who's the real contributor to improving our hotel's business. Yet, you made use of your status as the daughter of Hayes Group's owner and told everyone it was made possible through your efforts. "What's more, you've even worked with your clients to secretly raise funds and register a shell corporation to steal our parents' business. Am I right?" Nicki's face turned pale. She felt extremely flustered and uneasy. "You… You knew about that, too?"

It was the image of a ring, the band had a sapphire glow, and a large diamond sat on top of the ring. “There's no way.” Disbelief creeped into my voice. It was the famed Sapphire treasure. There were only five of them in the world. It was beyond anything an average man could buy. The caption was right there. [Leon is such a darling, getting me this for our one year anniversary.] My insides twisted. One year? He had been seeing her for a year? In our years of engagement, Leon had never gotten me more than a flower bouquet. “Diana, are you listening?” My father's voice chimed, jolting me out of my depressed state.

Golden had spent the last two years for that moment, so he continued without realizing that the sky had darkened hours ago. Golden had read a lot of books since he was born, a frightening number for a six-year-old kid. Even though the people knew that he was a bookworm, no one could even imagine how many books he had really read. When Golden finished the thick book he was reading, the Last Wish System finally reacted in his mind.

She checked out her fingernails, giving me an 'I told you attitude. "It was never meant to happen Nellie. There's something about that man." I pause thinking of a word to describe it. "He's alluring." I decided to use the word he had used on me yesterday and it fit perfectly to describe him. "You're keeping me on the edge, Gia. I need to see this man who has you feeling this way."

I didn't want to question her or make her relieve her bad past but her words sounded unbelievable. "I never knew you went through a lot sis, I'm truly sorry. As for Stacey, I recently met her at the hotel I'm in, and I kind of felt like she wasn't lying." I said softly. "That's what golddiggers do, they trick and lie. That lady is a professional gold digger who can easily manipulate you, so avoid her at all cost and stay away from her." she said. "Okay, thank you for making things clear to me. I will talk to you later, I love you." I whispered.

-----------Glimpse----------- The stillness of the penthouse felt just like some gilded cage pushing me down. I still could hear my mother’s rasping breaths in my head alongside seeing a hopeful smile on my brother’s face when I told him about tuition. Survival along with books in addition to breath that is what the money represented for me. Under a man who looked directly at me as though I were some poison wrapped up in pearls, I found myself still wrapped well in silk I’d never truly own.

Money removed curiosity, I had power now and I could control things … I stepped onto the pavement and straightened slowly. The Gilded Cage loomed ahead, its bronze doors reflecting the city lights in distorted streaks of gold. From the outside it resembled a high-end private club. Those who mattered knew it was the city’s most exclusive underground gambling den. I adjusted the charcoal-grey silk trench coat draped over my tailored black suit. The fabric sat perfectly against my frame, structured and deliberate. My hair, once soft waves that framed a softer woman, was pulled back into a precise low bun, not a strand out of place.

She took her wedding ring, a cheap silver band Julian had picked out in five minutes, and dropped it down the drain. The next night, the Gilded Academy was glowing. Every rich student was there, wearing clothes that cost more than a house. Julian stood on the stage with a microphone. Bianca was tucked under his arm, wearing a sparkling red dress. She looked like she had already won. "Everyone, listen up!" Julian called out. The room went quiet. "Tonight is about the future. And in my future, there is no room for shadows. I am officially announcing my divorce from Ivy Thorne. She was never one of us, and today, she is finally gone."

Every time I thought of Justin’s hazel eyes, warm and molten like autumn whiskey, her shadow loomed larger, reminding me I was a speck in his world of boardrooms and billion-dollar deals. The Gilded Spoon was a pulsing hive when I pushed through the heavy oak doors, its chandeliers dripping gold over mahogany tables draped in crisp white linens, candles flickering like tiny promises. The air was thick with sizzling steak, the oaky bite of red wine, and the low hum of conversations—deals being sealed, dates unfolding in the soft glow. I tied my black apron around my waist, the frayed fabric hugging my hips, and pulled my hair into a loose ponytail, strands teasing my neck. I clocked in, grabb

The silk dress, deep scarlet, scandalously low-cut, clinging to every curve like liquid sin had been chosen to be noticed, or perhaps to let her disappear inside someone else’s hungry gaze for a few hours. When she stepped into the VIP section of The Gilded Lily, the sheer decadence of the place hit like a fever dream. The bass throbbed inside her ribcage. The air was thick with expensive cologne, spilled champagne, and inescapably, that same ambergris note that had haunted George’s house. Here, though, it felt predatory instead of domestic. “There she is!” Serena shrieked over the music, sliding a chilled crystal flute of something golden toward her. “Drink up, baby. Tonight we toast the de