All Chapters of The Gilded Cage: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

I wanted to start living for myself. After hearing everything, Daniel stood frozen, his breathing turning shallow and uneven. His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to process my words. "All these years… Elaine, why… why didn’t you ever tell me?" I turned away, my voice steady. "Some things don’t need to be said—they’re understood without words. "And some things… saying them wouldn’t have made a difference."With that, I closed my eyes, exhausted, unwilling to look at him any longer. Sunlight crept through the window, casting its glow in neat, golden lines, yet it never quite reached either of us. Daniel hunched over, his broad frame seemingly crushed under an invisible weight. He buried his face in his hands. A long silence stretched between us, broken only by the barely restrained sound of a choked sob. …From that day on, it was as if Daniel and Anna had become entirely different people.Daniel moved his entire office into my hospital room. During th

For half a month, I waited anxiously, my hopes slowly fading. Then, with a soft ding, a new email arrived. It was an email from Westbridge Institute of Technology. The professor wrote that he still remembered me and was willing to offer me another chance to study. I clapped a hand over my face, letting out a silent scream as my heart pounded wildly in my chest. I did it. At thirty-five, I had pulled myself out of the abyss once again. The future stretched before me like a glowing path, unfolding step by step. Nine years later, I boarded a plane to Westbridge, this time with Samuel by my side. Before leaving, I compiled every shred of evidence against the Sterling family—their crimes, their corruption, everything they had done over the years—and submitted a detailed report. With that, I put the final period on that chapter of my life.As the steady hum of the plane filled the cabin, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep. And once again, I dreamed of my eighteen-y

And so, the Sterling family crumbled, vanishing like smoke until nothing was left.Daniel suddenly let out a laugh, muffled behind his hands.He laughed and laughed, until tears slipped through his fingers, his shoulders shaking with something between grief and bitter amusement.This was their fate—the price for trampling all over Elaine’s heart.Their downfall was nothing but karma.…Epilogue 2Unlike the fallen Sterlings, Elaine had thrived.She earned her doctorate from Westbridge Institute of Technology in just four years.She never forgot the dream she had at eighteen—to become a pioneer, a leader in her field.After returning home, she founded Laine Technologies, securing hundreds of millions in investment and rising to prominence in the tech world.At an academic conference, she caught the eye of a renowned industry leader.He was young, brilliant, and deeply in love with her.He pursued her relentlessly, unwavering in his devotion, until Elaine finally smiled and said yes, ste