No Escape from His Gilded Cage

Becoming a bride to settle a debt was never part of my dreams. Yet, my stepbrother's betrayal and a trap party turned my life upside down, shattering my illusions of a joyful marriage. Now, I'm faced with the harsh reality of being married to a ruthless Mafia boss, Alessio Marino. Can I trust his promises, or will my situation be worse than the abuse I endured from my stepbrother? With love stripped from my wedding vows, all I can do is cling to hope for God's mercy and summon the strength to navigate this perilous new life.

Chapters

Chapter 6

Alessio's POV

The atmosphere quivers with tension emanating from Eleonora, and it's almost ridiculous that she wears winter clothes on such an oppressive day.

Although I have a long list of tasks to complete before tonight's darts game, the knowledge that Eleonora will visit Father Coppola today compelled me to instruct Joey to drive past the cathedral. It gives me a chance to keep her within my sight.

However, I never intended to spend the entire day as her fucking chauffeur. Given that she is destined to be my wife, I suppose it's time I get used to taking care of her needs.

Once we are married, she'll have both a driver and a bodyguard at her service, prepared to escort her anywhere her heart desires.

As I struggle to focus on the contract in my hands, I succumb to distraction, shifting my gaze to the enchanting woman beside me. I notice the white lily she clutches, nearly destroyed now, and mutter, "You're crushing it."

Her eyes widen in disbelief, and she gasps, "Come again?"

I gesture toward her hands. "You're holding that flower a bit too tightly."

She glances down, then murmurs, "Oh no." She loosens her grip on the wilting lily, adding with a small sigh, "Honestly, it was already dying when I got it."

As I admire her delicate features, I ask, "Why venture out on such a hot day?"

With a hint of embarrassment coloring her cheeks, she replies, "I had some errands to run." Nervously fidgeting with the flower, she begins to pluck its petals unaware.

"And these errands couldn't wait?" I prod, eager for more of her soft voice.

"Um..." Her fingers quicken, tearing off more petals. "I always meet Father Coppola on Tuesdays to bring him a homemade meal and discuss the baked goods for after Mass."

It's characteristic of her to think of the holy man like this, showcasing her nurturing nature.

She hesitates, her tongue flicking out to moisten her lips as she continues, "I just stopped by Martina's shop to pick out flowers for Sunday, and now I'm heading to grab the ingredients for the cannolis we'll serve after Mass." She finally pauses to catch her breath.

Her tendency to ramble is fucking charming and surprisingly endearing; it reveals the true Eleonora, unguarded and sincere.

Meanwhile, the lily is utterly ruined, and when she realizes it, panic crosses her face. "I'm so sorry!"

Clearly terrified that I would chastise her for the mess in the vehicle, she hurriedly scoops up the fallen petals, glancing around as if seeking an escape.

Just then, Joey finds a parking space near the grocery store, prompting me to say firmly, "We're going in with her."

"What?" Eleonora exclaims, her wide eyes betraying her shock.

"This isn't open for debate," I reply as I step out of the SUV, taking pleasure in this assertive exchange.

I stand waiting for her to exit, and when my hand lands gently on her lower back, she nearly jumps, startled.

I pay no mind to her reaction, confident she'll grow accustomed to my presence once we are married.

Joey lingers a short distance behind as we enter the store, and I grab a shopping cart.

Eleonora casts me a confused glance, but her courage fails her; she doesn't question why I've chosen to accompany her.

As we head toward the baking aisle, shoppers' eyes fixate on me, their fear palpable as people scatter in our wake, making Eleonora glance nervously up at me.

"What do you need?" I inquire, redirecting her attention.

Shaking her head slightly, she retrieves a crumpled note from her purse and quickly moves from one ingredient to another, hustling to gather supplies.

By the time we reach the checkout, the cashier avoids eye contact, scanning items with trembling hands.

The overwhelming sense of fear in the store is something I've carefully crafted over the years-an aura that speaks to power.

Eleonora extracts a few dollars from her bag, and I interject, "Let me take care of this."

"It's meant for the parish," she protests, uncertainty flickering in her eyes, but I choose not to repeat myself.

Ignoring her objections, I present my black unlimited card to the cashier, covering the meager cost of the ingredients that barely fill a single bag.

I make a mental note to arrange for Eleonora to have her own card soon.

As the payment processes, I remind myself not to forget this.

The cashier shakes like hell as she returns my card, which I place back into my wallet while Joey takes the shopping bag.

Outside the store, Eleonora scurries to stay close to me, whispering, "Thank you. I'll tell Father Coppola you took care of everything."

"You will not," I respond firmly.

"But I didn't use the money he gave me," she counters, her expression conflicted. "He'll want to know why."

For a moment, I respect her bravery in challenging me.

"Then just don't tell him the reason and keep the money for yourself," I suggest, watching her freeze in astonishment, as if I were fucking crazy.

"I can't lie to Father Coppola, and I certainly won't keep the parish's funds."

She makes the sign of the cross, clearly incredulous, and I let out a soft chuckle. "Why not?"

"To lie and to steal," she marvels, looking utterly aghast.

My lips curl into a mischievous grin as I lean closer, reaching out to caress her cheek. She flinches, her complexion paling.

Unfazed by her strong reaction, I maintain eye contact as I lean in slightly, causing her to hold her breath, and I can't help but laugh softly.

"It's not theft if I'm the one paying for it. I'm explicitly telling you to keep the money, which ultimately belongs to me."

Instead of responding verbally, she emits a small squeak and gives a nervous nod.

I raise my head slightly and meet her gaze once more. "Calm down, Eleonora. I have no intention of murdering you.

A surge of air escapes her lips, and sensing I've toyed with her emotions long enough today, I guide her toward the SUV. "Get in."

She dashes to the truck, like a small rabbit, and hurries inside.

As I settle next to her, she practically squishes herself against the far door.

I realize it's somewhat twisted, but I can't deny the fucking thrill I feel from her evident fear; a smile creeps onto my lips.

There's something undeniably intoxicating about the hunt for my little rabbit-this blend of vulnerability and strength in her captivates me endlessly.

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June was an ordinary architect struggling to pay rent, completely estranged from her high-society mother. But one night, she was kidnapped and beaten in an abandoned warehouse by Gage Becker, the city's most ruthless billionaire, who demanded payback for her mother's sins. Gage pointed a high-definition camera at June's battered face and video-called her mother, threatening to release the footage and ruin her upcoming billion-dollar wedding. "I will never throw away a billion-dollar marriage for a useless daughter." Her mother's cold voice echoed through the warehouse before the line went dead. From that moment, Gage systematically destroyed June's life. She was publicly humiliated and forced to hack off her own hair with a cigar cutter. She was blacklisted from every firm in the city, evicted by her landlord, and violently mugged in a freezing New York blizzard. Curled up in an icy tunnel waiting to die, June felt a suffocating despair. She hadn't spoken to her mother in months. Why did she have to endure this hell for a woman who didn't even care if she lived or died? Why was a monster like Gage so obsessed with driving her to the grave? When Gage's armored Maybach pulled up, he stepped into the snow to mock her, waiting for her to finally surrender and beg for his mercy. But the absolute humiliation snapped the last thread of June's sanity. Instead of crying, she lunged forward with feral energy and sank her teeth directly into the devil's flesh.

Action Modern Romance

9.3

Escaping Into The Dangerous Devil's Arms

9.3

My father ordered me to marry into the cursed Vaughn family. Their heirs were rumored to die young from a mysterious genetic agony. My sister Kayden laughed, saying she wasn't going to waste her youth planning a funeral. So, I became the sacrificial lamb. When I refused, my father slammed his hand on the table and threatened to throw my dead mother's ashes into the city dump. "You are a struggling actress with no money and no power. You have no choice," he told me coldly. To make matters worse, my own agent drugged my drink at a business dinner, trying to sell my body to a sleazy investor just to secure project funding. I was completely cornered, suffocating under the weight of their cruelty. I couldn't understand how my own flesh and blood could be so vicious, treating me like a worthless pawn to be traded and discarded. But none of them knew that while escaping the drug-laced dinner, I crashed directly into the terrifying Vaughn heir, Algot. When his glowing crimson eyes locked onto me during a violent episode of his cursed pain, we discovered an impossible truth: my physical touch was the only cure for his agony. Looking at the dark bruises he accidentally left on my neck, I chose not to run. Instead, I pulled out the private business card he gave me and dialed his number. "You need me," I whispered to the dangerous billionaire. "And I am going to use you to destroy them all."

Action Billionaire Modern Vampire

7.7

His Cruel Game, Her Perfect Escape

7.7

On the first anniversary of our reconciliation, I thought my tech mogul husband and I had finally turned a corner. Then I discovered our entire marriage was a spectator sport. It was a cruel, year-long revenge game orchestrated by him and his lover, and I was the punchline. For their amusement, I was poisoned with food contaminated with dog feces, publicly humiliated with a twenty-million-dollar auction scam, and beaten until my ribs broke by his family's private security. I endured it all, playing the part of the clueless, loving wife while they laughed about it in a group chat called "The Jillian Andrews Comedy Hour." But their grand finale was a step too far. I overheard him calmly planning to leave me to die in a remote cabin during a blizzard, a "tragic accident" that would finally set him free to be with his mistress. He thought he was writing the final chapter of my life. He didn't know I was about to use his murder plot as my own perfect escape. I faked my death, vanished into thin air, and left him to explain to the world how his beloved wife disappeared off the face of the earth.

Action Modern Romance

9.6

I Am Not Your Ordinary Luna, I Am The Rebel Queen

9.6

One hundred years ago, the witches cursed every she-wolf to be barren. It was vengeance for their slain matriarch. It was meant to end the war. Instead, it nearly ended the werewolf race. Werewolves were forced to interbreed with humans to survive, and the once-proud kingdoms fractured. Only one bloodline remained untouched by the curse, the ancient Lycans of Lupenreich, protected by powerful shamanic magic. Coveted by werewolves, hunted by witches, despised by vampires, the Lycans became both salvation and threat. And now, only one true heir remains... Sybil von Rosen was never meant to grow up among humans. Born a Lycan princess through a human surrogate, she was stolen from the castle as an infant by the very woman meant to nurse her, a woman who turned out to be a witch. Hidden beneath a powerful spell that caged her wolf and erased her scent from the supernatural world, Sybil was raised knowing exactly who she was... and exactly what she had been bred for. A womb. A crown. Her bloodline's legacy. But Sybil was never meant to be a broodmare queen. She grew up human with the strength and senses of a shewolf and the magic of the witches, which got transferred to her while she was still in the womb of her surrogate. She's strong, intelligent, disciplined, and lethal. An MMA champion. A combat instructor for a private military contractor. A woman who learned to fight before she ever learned to howl. When the magic of her witch mother begins to fade, and the werewolf King finally tracks them down, Sybil is summoned back to a kingdom that remembers her only as its missing heir. Betrayed by her hybrid fiancé, who abandoned her to marry the princess of their kingdom, Sybil made a decision that will shake three kingdoms. She returned. Not for love. Not for duty. For revenge... But the throne comes with chains. Instead of marrying one Alpha, she is bound to four-the Alpha Guardians of Lupenreich. Ruthless. Powerful. Pureblood. Feared across kingdoms. And fate claims they are her mates. There's only one problem. Sybil cannot feel her wolf, for it was caged deep within her soul. She cannot smell her mates. She is a Lycan princess trapped in a wolfless body. While her four Alphas believe they are claiming their future Luna and Queen, Sybil is already planning something far more dangerous. She will not stand beside a king. She will not be used to breed to secure bloodlines. And she certainly will not be ruled. If the kingdom wants a queen... They're about to kneel to a rebel queen. Because Sybil von Rosen is not an ordinary Luna. She is the last Lycan heir. The forbidden daughter of witches. The mate of four Alpha Guardians. And she intends to take the throne for herself and will bow to no one.

Action Fantasy Vampire Werewolf

8.8

I Slapped My Husband--then I Married His Boss

8.8

Kim Evelyn-known to those closest to her as Ivy-never imagined her third wedding anniversary would turn into a nightmare. Her husband, Rico, didn't just betray her-he brought his mistress into their bed. The pain and humiliation scorched her heart, leaving her no choice but to walk away from the home that once symbolized their love. But Ivy's escape led her into a night that would change everything. Beneath the glimmering lights of an upscale bar, she met Joshua Miller-a dangerously charming man with a captivating smile and an offer too tempting to resist. Revenge. Sweet, calculated revenge. But there was a catch: Ivy had to surrender herself to a game far more seductive than anything she'd ever imagined. As vengeance ignited and passion flared, the line between game and reality began to blur. Dark secrets loomed. Hidden dangers stirred. And Ivy was forced to make an impossible choice-move forward and risk losing everything, or retreat into the scars of her past. Can Ivy take control of this wicked game? Or will she end up the pawn-consumed by desire, ambition, and a betrayal more dangerous than the one she fled?

Action Modern Romance

7.5

My Husband's Secret, My Silent War

7.5

On our third wedding anniversary, my husband's "best friend," Jade, told a room full of people about the night she spent kissing a scar on his hip. My husband, Julian, just laughed. He chose her, not me. That night, I found their secret group chat. They called me "the ball and chain." But the worst message was from Julian. He confessed he'd been swapping my birth control pills with placebos for a year, all while promising to be a sperm donor for her. He had held me while I cried over my "unexplained infertility," telling me I was all he needed. It was all a sick, calculated lie. The next morning, he left for her birthday trip, forgetting it was my birthday too. He told me to stay home. Instead, I got in my car and followed them. I was done watching my marriage die. It was time to burn his world to the ground.

Action Mystery Romance

No Escape from His Gilded Cage

Chapter 6

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