chapter 14:2:the cage with velvet chain

(The Past)

Maria didn't need to turn to know who was hugging her. The familiar pressure of his arms, the possessive grip—it could only be him.

She struggled, panic flashing in her eyes, but the more she resisted, the tighter Mike held her. He rested his head on her shoulder, inhaling her scent like it was a drug he couldn't get enough of.

"Why do you keep trying to leave me?" he whispered, his voice low and almost tender. "Can't you see I love you? No one else does—your parents hate you, the guy you like treats you like air. But I see you. I want you. I need you."

Maria stiffened as he gently turned her to face him, his hand gripping her chin.

"I don't want to be with you!" she snapped, eyes blazing. "You're a monster. You've ruined my life. You make me sick."

He didn't flinch. He leaned closer, fingers brushing her lips. "Then let me be your monster," he said, his tone soft but threatening. "I want to be the only thing in your world. I want to erase everyone who distracts you from me. If that makes me a monster… so be it."

Maria recoiled, disgusted. "You already are one," she hissed. "You've already done enough with you actions. Just disappear."

Instead, Mike pressed his forehead to hers, voice cold and steady. "If I'm a monster… then you'll be the wife of a monster babydoll. you think I have made everyone go away from you baby i have not yet shown my bad side and you are already afraid if I do show my bad side what are you going to do then hmm baby in this life, the next, and even in death—you're mine, Maria."

He abruptly lifted her over his shoulder as she shouted and fought, carrying her to his car. She screamed at him to let her go, but he ignored her, shoving her into the back seat and slamming the door shut. The driver, sensing the tension, quietly walked off toward a nearby store.

he use one hand to hold her hand in place as he removed his ties slowly he lean closer and tied her hand with his tie as he use his teeth to unbutton her blouse the driver came out of the car and walk to the store far from the car. Mike kiss Maria chest to her neck then slowly to her lip as his hand Trace her hip slowly making her shiver then he spread her leg .Maria struggled but her strength was weak compared to him he removed his belt and kissed her slowly as he lay in btw her legs

The hours were torture for Maria she experienced pain and pleasure at the same time.

Maria's eyes burned with hatred. Mike sat beside her, reaching for the documents she had tried to steal and handed them back with a smile. "Destroy them if it makes you happy," he said calmly. "But I'll still love you. No matter how much you try to hurt me."

From that month on, Maria's life was chaos.

She tried everything to make Mike hate her—ruining his business deals, embarrassing him at public events, even feeding information to his rivals. She dressed like a clown to formal galas and gave away the expensive gifts he bought her. But no matter what she did, he didn't push her away. He'd smile, call her "his little troublemaker," and act like she was just throwing tantrums.

Ivy, always whispering venom, told her this would work—that Mike would finally give up on her. But instead, Maria only found herself trapped further.

One night, in a desperate act to gain Chris's attention, she crossed a line. Mike had stormed in, eyes cold and furious, shielding her with his coat and dragging her away without a word. She didn't know what he did to Chris—

Locked away in the mansion, Maria was left isolated. She was kept in a golden cage she was feed, giving the best clothes and Mike always have sex with her he became crazy and bondage sex interests him the most

Sometimes, she'd lash out—try to escape, scream, even hurt herself just to be free. But no matter what she did, Mike remained—calm, dangerous, and always there.

Maria's body felt numb, her soul adrift.

Days passed, but her heart stayed trapped between rage and resignation. Her body bore the bruises of Mike's twisted affection, but her mind was far more scarred.

And yet, like a cruel joke, he never stopped smiling at her—as if none of it was wrong. As if keeping her locked in a golden cage, treating her like a toy, was his way of loving her.

Still, Maria refused to give up. Every humiliation only fueled her need to escape and make Chris love her instead.

She started doing foolish things—stealing confidential documents from Mike's office and handing them to his enemies. Mike's response? He laughed, gently ruffled her hair, and handed her even more sensitive papers with a grin. "If breaking me makes you happy, go ahead, babydoll."

He didn't care.

Not even when she sabotaged every social event he brought her to. She showed up in outrageous costumes, insulted his business partners, embarrassed him in front of investors—yet all he did was smile like she was a child throwing a tantrum.

But then came that day.

She stripped in front of Chris at a private gathering, desperate to spark something—anything—in him.

Mike arrived like a storm.

He didn't speak. He simply walked up, tore his jacket off, and wrapped it around her trembling form before dragging her away.

Whatever he did to Chris, she never found out. But from that moment, Mike stopped pretending.

Maria was thrown into a cold, steel cage in his private mansion, stripped of her dignity, her choices, and her voice.

Every night he visited her.

No words.

No mercy.

He treated her body like it belonged to him and only him. He took her again and again, each time more brutal, more possessive—until she could no longer tell if it was hatred or some twisted desire that kept her breathing.

She fought back.

She stabbed him—twice.

She poisoned his drinks.

She destroyed his property, tried to escape a dozen times, even attempted to kill herself.

He never let her die.

He never let her go.

And the worst part? She still kept listening to Ivy.

Ivy told her: "Just keep going. Make him hate you. Then you'll be free."

So Maria gave everything Mike gave her—jewelry, clothes, protection, money—to Ivy.

She used Mike's influence to help Ivy enter the entertainment world, thinking it would be her escape route. But instead of salvation, it became her downfall.

The media tore her apart.

They painted her as talentless, reckless, shameful.

A joke.

And all the while, Ivy rose higher—using Maria's face, Maria's pain, Maria's gifts.

Maria became nothing more than a scandal to the world and a prisoner to Mike.

Her reputation was in ruins.

Her heart, shattered.

But she was still a fool and still listen to ivy when she saw Oliver on television glowing happy and having family love something shattered inside her she went there when Mike travel for business trip and cause a scene she tried to kill Oliver her own parents arrested her ,her reputation even became more worse she was touterd by prisoners her leg was broken then ivy bailed her out she was happy at least she had a friend then ivy told her that Chris had a heart attack and needs her heart she didn't ask or question anything she just agree to it she always listen to ivy cause ivy and Chris were close so she thinks she was taken to the hospital she was not even allowed to rest they rush her to the hospital and took her heart and exchanged her heart with the failed heart . When Mike came back and find out what happened that was he first day she saw him cried he cried so much but she didn't care instead she told him to leave her alone and he did and her life went worst she was homeless,no one wanted to give her job she heard Chris has left the country ivy was popular word wide if she even get close to her her fans will destroy her then she was kidnapped