Chapter 4- breaking the chains
1117 Words
Elena sat at the edge of the king-sized bed, staring at the glittering diamond on her finger. The ring mocked her, its brilliance a reminder of the trap she couldn’t escape.
Marriage. A word she once dreamed of, wrapped in fairy tales and tender love. Now, it was nothing but shackles.
“No. I can’t surrender. If Damian thought he could cage Elena sterling forever in his golden cage he is wrong.”
“I will make him regret it for wanting me to be his wife, I will make his life hell , make him hate me, while in his dreams he would plead for divorce.” Elena Lough and told herself and began to plan what to do in her head.
The first attempt came at breakfast.
The long dining table stretched like a battlefield between them. Damian sat at the head, newspaper in one hand, coffee cup in the other. His composure was perfect, unreadable, as though last night’s spectacle had never happened.
Elena arrived late, deliberately dressed in casual clothes—ripped jeans, an oversized shirt, her hair in a messy bun. If her stepmother see Elena in this look she would have fainted .
“Good morning,” she muttered, flopping into her chair and reaching for the bread with her bare hands. She eats as if she was never told eating manners in sterling family.
Damian’s eyes flicked up briefly. His brow arched. For a moment, she thought he would be furious and might scold her. But instead, his lips curved into a small, amused smirk.
“You look… fresh,” he said smoothly, folding his paper. “Different from the perfectly polished heiress society drools over. I like it.”
Elena froze. Like it? He was supposed to hate her for being unrefined, not praise her!
She clenched her jaw. “Well, get used to it. I don’t plan to dress up for you.”
“Good,” Damian replied casually, taking a sip of his coffee. “Less time wasted on appearances means more time for yourself. I’ll have a stylist send over some comfortable outfits later.”
Her jaw nearly dropped. Spoiling her? For this? Elena is so furious , “how can ruthless Damian who always wants perfect in everything , how l look fresh in this messy hair bun, over size cloth and I’m eating like a pig do I look cute?” Elena can’t imagine what’s is going ruthless Damian head.
Her second attempt was sharper than first one.
That afternoon, she demanded to go shopping—alone. She expected him to refuse, to bark orders, to cage her further or he would let her go only with the bodyguards but Instead, he raised an eyebrow.
“You want freedom?” he asked.
“Yes,” she challenged, crossing her arms.
“Then take it,” he said simply, handing her his black credit card. “Spend as much as you want.”
Her heart skipped. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She wanted him to say no, to fight, so she could scream back at him. But instead, he gave her more.
“Are you mocking me?” she hissed, glaring at the glossy card.
“No,” Damian replied, leaning closer, his voice low. “I’m giving you what you want, Elena. Doesn’t your father usually lecture you about limits? I don’t set limits spend as much as you want, I Damian Blackwood can support his wife to spend limitless.”
She stormed out, furious. But when she returned hours later with nothing but a cheap bracelet she’d bought out of spite, Damian only smiled.
“You’re adorable when you’re stubborn.”
Adorable. The word stung. He was turning her rebellion into affection. Elena went back to her room and locked the door and pull her hair why Damian is not angry with her or hate her and began to think what to do next.
Her third attempt was desperate.
That evening, at dinner with influential partners, she decided to embarrass him. Wearing the gaudiest dress she could find, she laughed too loudly, spilled wine “by accident,” and even challenged one of his business associates about politics.
Whispers spread at the table. She was sure Damian’s reputation would c***k. She thought Damian would shout at her and asked her to apologies to them.
But instead, he laughed—actually laughed. His hand settled possessively on hers as he addressed the table.
“My wife has a sharp tongue,” he said smoothly. “That’s what I love about her. She speaks when others cower.”
Her face burned. The table chuckled approvingly, his words turning her reckless act into charm.
Later, when they returned home, she snapped.
“Why don’t you get angry?!” she demanded, slamming the door behind her. “Why don’t you shout at me, hate me, regret marrying me?!” “I did everything against you to make you hate me?”
Damian cornered her against the wall, his towering presence making her breath hitch. His gray eyes darkened, smoldering with something unreadable.
“You want me to hate you?” he whispered, his voice low and dangerous. “Impossible.” “Don’t even dream .”
Her chest heaved. “Why?”
His lips brushed her ear, his hand braced firmly beside her head. “Because every time you fight me, every time you resist me… you make me want you even more.”
Her knees weakened, her heart pounding against her ribcage. As if her heart almost out.
No. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She wanted chains to break, not tighten. And yet, with every battle, Damian didn’t weaken—he spoiled her, twisted her rebellion into something that only bound her closer to him. “ No I don’t want this, I need to think an other way to let Damian hate me, so that I can get out of this golden cage.” Elena once again encourage herself after loosing her attempts.
And the scariest part was… a tiny, treacherous part of her heart didn’t hate it. In stead in one corner of the her heart she feels good for being spoiled by Damian which she never gets to experience from her family. She had to hear her stepmother in everything she do, how she should dress to attend party and to be elegant as daughter of sterling, how much to spend when she go shopping but this ruthless Damian he is giving her or letting her have which she missed or dream her life to be.
Will Elena be able to make Damian heat her…
- Writer
