Adriana confronts Matthew with raw emotion as he reveals his intention to propose to Natasha, making it clear that he will never marry Adriana. Despite their four-year relationship, Matthew insists that Adriana will never be more than a rebellious act in his life and offers her material possessions instead of love or a future together. Adriana, devastated but determined, plans to meet Curtis, hoping marriage to him will finally end her torment.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next day, Adriana visits the Clarke Residence, a symbol of luxury and status where Matthew and Natasha live. Although Adriana has been to Matthew\u2019s home many times, she feels like an outsider, trapped in a golden cage rather than a true home. She brings Natasha homemade cookies as a sincere gesture, but the gift is met with cold dismissal and suspicion, intensifying the tension in the room.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Natasha\u2019s polite but pointed treatment, including giving Adriana disposable slippers while others wear proper ones, signals that Adriana is only a temporary guest and will never belong. Adriana\u2019s fragile emotional state worsens as she recognizes former college bullies among Natasha\u2019s friends, who have been invited by Matthew. Feeling isolated and betrayed, Adriana silently pleads for Matthew\u2019s support, but he remains indifferent, leaving her vulnerable to humiliation and heartbreak.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s Proposal<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re proposing, and you want me to help your future wife? Matthew, how are you any different from Mia? Why do you have to be so cruel to me?\u201d Adriana\u2019s voice cracked, raw with emotion as her feelings surged beyond her control.<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t keep it bottled up any longer.<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s expression darkened as he fixed his gaze on her. \u201cStill pretending you\u2019re not starting a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adriana struggled to catch her breath. The one thing she longed for\u2014Matthew\u2019s love\u2014was something he would never offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if I don\u2019t marry Natasha, I\u2019ll find someone else. Maybe a Cohen daughter, or a Hawthorne heiress, but it will never be you. Understand?\u201d His words were sharp, leaving no room for misunderstanding.<\/p>\n
Adriana had no family, no prestigious lineage. She was never meant to be a match for someone like Matthew. For him, bloodlines and status were everything. Taking her in had been his wildest act of rebellion, but a title? That was out of the question.<\/p>\n
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. \u201cI never expected you to marry me. I\u2019m not foolish\u2026 I always knew this would end.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAdriana, you\u2019re an adult now. Be realistic. As long as you behave, when this ends, I won\u2019t leave you empty-handed. Pick any house in Haldoria. I\u2019ll give you a car, money\u2014whatever you want.\u201d Matthew stood and stepped closer, his tone firm. \u201cBe here early tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice was hollow, numb. \u201cI want to get married too, Matthew.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused, mid-step, turning back to look at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m serious,\u201d she added, lifting her chin despite the tears streaming down her cheeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet some rest. I\u2019ll pretend you\u2019re just throwing a tantrum. When you\u2019re ready to end this and settle down, let me know. I\u2019ll find you a decent guy from the company. Middle-class, promising.\u201d His voice was generous, almost mocking, as he turned and left the room.<\/p>\n
He was convinced that someone like her couldn\u2019t do better.<\/p>\n
He had been patient enough.<\/p>\n
He could give her anything\u2014except marriage and a name.<\/p>\n
Adriana collapsed onto the floor, a bitter smile twisting her lips.<\/p>\n
He had shared his bed with her for four years. Now that he was done, he wanted to marry her off to some controllable nobody.<\/p>\n
Controlling her now. Controlling who she would marry later.<\/p>\n
Matthew was truly cruel.<\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t matter. Tonight, she was meeting Curtis. Even Matthew wouldn\u2019t dare interfere with him. If she married Curtis, everything would finally be over.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The next day, Clarke Residence No. 1.<\/p>\n
In Haldoria, every billion-dollar mansion was a creation of Harborton Clarke Estates. Matthew\u2019s home, Curtis\u2019s Clarke Residence\u2014they were the epitome of luxury and status.<\/p>\n
Adriana had been to Matthew\u2019s house many times before. As his intern assistant, she often picked him up here. But each visit left her feeling uneasy.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was because she was an orphan, but Adriana had always been haunted by the idea of what \u201chome\u201d meant.<\/p>\n
Matthew kept her in a lavish apartment\u2014one of the finest in Haldoria\u2014but that was no home.<\/p>\n
It was a golden cage, a place to keep her confined.<\/p>\n
His true home was here. And she would never belong.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna is here,\u201d Natasha greeted her with a warm smile as Adriana entered.<\/p>\n
Natasha stood there, radiating ease and confidence, perfectly embodying the lady of the house.<\/p>\n
Adriana had once wondered what it would feel like to marry Matthew, to stand here as the mistress of this grand home.<\/p>\n
But even entertaining the thought now felt absurd. She was an outsider, forever excluded from a place like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatasha, this is for you.\u201d Adriana extended a small gift\u2014homemade cookies.<\/p>\n
She had baked them herself, as she used to for the children at the orphanage. Worthless in monetary value, but filled with genuine sincerity.<\/p>\n
In Natasha\u2019s world, though, no gift she brought would ever hold meaning.<\/p>\n
Natasha smiled, opening the box, then glanced back at Matthew. \u201cMatthew, I think I saw these same cookies in your car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew\u2019s face darkened, and the atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense.<\/p>\n
He probably assumed Adriana had brought the cookies deliberately to provoke Natasha\u2014and he was furious.<\/p>\n
But Adriana truly had no idea which car Matthew had left them in.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, actually, Mr. Langford has been busy and skipping breakfast. I made extras, so I left some at his office\u2026\u201d she hurried to explain, her fingers trembling with nerves.<\/p>\n
Her body reacted again\u2014the psychosomatic symptoms of her worsening depression flaring up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems Matthew really likes your cookies, Anna. He even keeps them in his car.\u201d Natasha\u2019s voice was soft but sharp, like a knife hidden beneath silk.<\/p>\n
Adriana kept her gaze lowered. The more she spoke, the more mistakes she made. Matthew would only think she was doing it on purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like them,\u201d Matthew said flatly. \u201cI probably threw them out. Felix must\u2019ve dug them out of the trash and left them in the car.\u201d<\/p>\n
Felix Caillet\u2014his driver and assistant\u2014was a convenient scapegoat.<\/p>\n
Adriana stiffened. Trash. The cookies she had risen before dawn to bake, burning her hands until they blistered\u2014were just trash to him.<\/p>\n
He was sending a clear message.<\/p>\n
Natasha smiled gently and handed Adriana a pair of disposable slippers. \u201cRelax. Let me introduce you to my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adriana took the disposable slippers, while everyone else in the house wore proper ones.<\/p>\n
That was a clear sign\u2014Natasha planned to have her over only once.<\/p>\n
Matthew had once told Adriana that Natasha was sensitive because of her previous divorce. But he didn\u2019t realize Adriana was even more fragile.<\/p>\n
An orphan, raised in a cold orphanage, Adriana had learned to read people as a means of survival.<\/p>\n
Matthew noticed the difference in the slippers but said nothing. His silence was tacit permission.<\/p>\n
A silent admission that Adriana would always be just a guest here\u2014only once.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me introduce you. This is Matthew\u2019s assistant. Such a pretty girl,\u201d Natasha said as she led Adriana into the living room.<\/p>\n
Adriana bowed politely, keeping her head down, but when she looked up, it felt like she had plunged into icy water.<\/p>\n
Six people sat there.<\/p>\n
Three were her college classmates\u2014the very ones who had bullied her for years.<\/p>\n
Mia, Rufus Jones, Camelia Meyer.<\/p>\n
Her body froze. Trembling uncontrollably, she glanced at Matthew, silently pleading for help.<\/p>\n
Maybe Natasha didn\u2019t know her past. But Matthew did.<\/p>\n
He knew Natasha had invited them.<\/p>\n
Yet he still forced Adriana to come.<\/p>\n
Did he want her to break? To be destroyed?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The chapter closes on a poignant note of Adriana\u2019s deep vulnerability and the harsh realities she faces within the gilded walls of Matthew\u2019s world. Despite her longing for love and belonging, she remains painfully aware of her outsider status\u2014an orphan caught between the cold expectations of status and the cruel indifference of those around her. The emotional weight of rejection and control weighs heavily on her, yet beneath it all, a fragile hope persists as she clings to the possibility of a future beyond Matthew\u2019s shadow.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
This moment captures the essence of Adriana\u2019s struggle: the yearning for acceptance and the resilience to endure humiliation and heartbreak. The stark contrast between her genuine sincerity and the cold, calculated world she inhabits underscores the theme of isolation amid luxury. Though battered by cruelty, Adriana\u2019s spirit is not yet broken, setting the stage for the complex journey of self-discovery and empowerment that lies ahead.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the emotional turmoil Adriana faces as she confronts the ghosts of her past amidst the opulence of the Clarke Residence. Surrounded by former tormentors and caught in a web of power plays, Adriana\u2019s resilience will be tested like never before. The tension between her and Matthew is palpable, and the arrival of familiar faces from her college days hints at a confrontation that could unravel long-buried wounds.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Adriana navigates this fragile moment, the dynamics between her, Natasha, and Matthew will become even more complex. Will Matthew\u2019s silent complicity reveal a darker side to his intentions, or will Adriana find unexpected allies in this gilded cage? The next chapter will explore the fragile line between vulnerability and strength, leaving readers eager to see whether Adriana can reclaim her dignity or if the weight of her past will finally break her.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Time Tried to Heal Me But I Refused to Listen by Kael Niro Senn 5 When Time Tried to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-comeback-queens-crown-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23916\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}