From Gilded Cage To Boardroom Queen

To save my brother, I willingly became Ethan Thorne's mistress for three years.

I thought if I was good enough, I could eventually melt his cold heart.

That was until I overheard him at a star-studded charity gala, laughing with his friends: Lily? Just a plaything I could buy off. Serena's pregnant. We're getting engaged next month.

In that moment, my heart turned to ash.

In front of everyone, I slammed the priceless pink diamond he had just bought onto his face, then turned and walked into the rainy night.

Later, I became a rising star in the business world, with countless admirers.

But the arrogant billionaire heir, Ethan Thorne, was the one who knelt at my door on a stormy night, his eyes bloodshot: "Lily, please, just look at me again..."

The deep autumn in Manhattan was bone-chilling.

But inside the Ritz Hotel's top-floor charity gala, it was a scene of dazzling elegance, warm as spring.

I sat in a corner of the lounge, staring at the balance on my phone.

Leo's medical bills were almost depleted again.

Ethan brought me tonight, saying he wanted to bid on something for me, a gift for our three-year anniversary.

A part of me actually felt a flicker of hope.

Three years. He had never brought me to a public event before. This was the first time.

Footsteps and hushed laughter drifted from outside the door.

"Ethan, you're really splashing out this time, huh? Thirty million for a pink diamond, didn't even bat an eye."

It was Ethan's childhood friend, Mr. Davis.

"Serena likes it. What's thirty million?" Ethan's voice was lazy, nonchalant.

My heart plummeted.

Serena? Serena Cross?

The heiress from the Cross family who just returned from abroad?

"But what about the one in your lounge? She's been with you for three years, she deserves some credit, or at least some consideration for her effort, right?" Mr. Davis lowered his voice, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Ethan chuckled.

That laugh, thin as the door separating us, pierced through my heart like a knife.

"Lily?" His voice was dismissive, as if he were discussing an unimportant item. "Just a plaything I could easily dismiss with money. Her brother needs saving; she wouldn't dare make a scene."

"Right. Serena's pregnant, and you're getting engaged next month. It's time to clean house, get rid of anyone who shouldn't be around."

I sat on the sofa, utterly frozen.

It was like falling into an ice pit.

Pregnant? Engaged?

Just three days ago, he held me close, whispering in my ear that after Leo's surgery, we'd go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights.

It was all a lie.

The deep affection I believed was real was just a handout after he weighed the pros and cons.

The door opened.

Ethan, dressed in a designer suit, walked in, holding the velvet box containing the pink diamond.

Seeing my pale face, he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?"

He walked over, reaching out to caress my head, a familiar gesture.

I turned my head away, dodging his hand.

His hand froze in mid-air, and his eyes darkened.

"What's with the attitude?" His voice held a trace of impatience.

I stood up, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Are you getting engaged?" My voice was eerily calm.

Ethan paused.

Then, he tossed the box onto the coffee table and tugged at his tie.

"You heard?" He showed no sign of being caught off guard, instead, there was an air of casual frankness.

"Serena's pregnant. The Cross family can help me secure the Southside development project."

He looked at me, like he was reassuring an ignorant subordinate.

"Just be good. This pink diamond is yours, and the money I give you will double every month. You won't lack anything, except that title."

I looked at the pink diamond, sparkling with a dazzling, almost blinding light.

Suddenly, I felt utterly disgusted.

"Ethan Thorne." I called his full name.

"Do you really think my dignity, Lily's dignity, can be bought with money?"

He scoffed.

"What else? Have you paid for Leo's dialysis tomorrow? Without me, you two would have starved on the streets long ago."

He was certain I couldn't leave him.

Because I was poor, because I had a sick brother who was a burden.

I took a deep breath.

I picked up the velvet box from the table.

Ethan's lips curved into a mocking smile, thinking I had finally conceded.

The next second.

I raised my hand and slammed the box squarely onto his face.

"CRACK!"

The box hit his forehead, bounced to the floor, and the pink diamond rolled deep into the carpet.

Ethan's forehead immediately turned red.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Lily! Are you crazy?!"

"Yes, I am crazy." I stared at him coldly. "Consider these three years wasted on a dog. We're over."

With that, I turned without hesitation, pushed open the door, and walked into the cold hallway.

"Stop!"

Ethan roared from behind me.

I didn't stop.

The elevator at the end of the hallway opened just then. I quickly stepped inside and pressed the close door button.

The elevator doors slowly shut, cutting off Ethan's enraged face.

Stepping out of the hotel, the cold wind, mixed with a fine drizzle, hit me.

I pulled my thin trench coat tighter and walked into the rain.

My phone vibrated wildly in my pocket.

All calls from Ethan.

I turned it off directly, pulled out the SIM card, and tossed it into a roadside trash can.

I returned to the luxury apartment in the city center.

Ethan's scent was everywhere.

The walk-in closet was filled with designer dresses he bought me, and the vanity table held complete sets of expensive skincare products.

I found an old suitcase.

I only packed a few of my old clothes, a few textbooks, and a five-year-old beat-up laptop.

I didn't touch any of the glittering jewelry or branded bags.

I neatly placed the black card, car keys, and access card Ethan had given me on the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

I took one last look at this "gilded cage" I had lived in for three years.

With a resounding "BANG," I closed the door.

Dragging my suitcase, I took the last night bus.

It brought me to a dilapidated neighborhood.

This was a forgotten corner of the bustling city.

Narrow alleys, puddles of murky water, and the air thick with the sour smell of cheap fast food mixed with sewage.

I knocked on the door of a run-down boarding house with a red light on.

"How much for the cheapest single room?"

The woman behind the counter eyed me up and down.

"Top floor, no AC, shared bathroom, six hundred a month, a month's rent as deposit, plus three months upfront."

"Okay."

I paid the money and got the key.

The room was only about a hundred square feet.

A wooden bed, a shaky wardrobe.

The paint was peeling, and there was a yellowish water stain on the ceiling.

I sat on the hard bed, listening to the sounds of snoring and a baby crying from next door.

It was noisy.

But I felt a freedom I had never experienced before.

The next morning.

I went to the hospital.

Leo lay in his hospital bed, his face as white as paper.

Seeing me, he forced a weak smile.

"Lily, you didn't come to see me yesterday."

"Yesterday... I had to work overtime." I walked over and tucked his blanket in.

"Lily, where's Mr. Thorne? He hasn't been here in a while." Leo asked innocently.

My heart ached.

"Leo," I looked into his eyes and said seriously, "from now on, don't mention him again. We have nothing to do with him anymore."

Leo froze.

He was sick, but he wasn't stupid.

He looked at my swollen eyes and seemed to understand something.

"Lily, is it because of me... Am I holding you back?" His eyes reddened.

"Don't be silly." I held his cold hand. "You're the only family I have in this world. As long as you're okay, I'm not afraid of anything."

As I walked out of the ward, the nurse on duty at the station called out to me.

"Lily, the money in your brother's account will only last for three more days. The follow-up targeted therapy costs fifty thousand per injection. You need to find a way to get funds quickly."

"I understand, thank you."

I walked out of the hospital, standing on the busy street.

The sunlight was blinding.

I touched the necklace around my neck.

It was the only memento my mom left me.

I gritted my teeth, then turned and walked into a pawn shop on the corner.

"Ten thousand." The owner, after examining it with a magnifying glass for a long time, named a price.

"But it's an antique necklace!" I exclaimed.

"Times are tough, young lady. This necklace, this is the price. Take it or leave it." The owner said, like he knew he had me over a barrel.

I closed my eyes.

Leo's pale face flashed in my mind.

"Fine, I'll pawn it."

With the ten thousand dollars, I immediately deposited it into the hospital account.

This ten thousand would only last half a month.

I had to find a job as soon as possible.

I thought that with my degree from a top university, finding a job wouldn't be difficult.

But I underestimated Ethan Thorne's influence.

In one week, I sent out hundreds of resumes.

Either they went nowhere, or after passing an interview, I'd get a call the next day saying I wasn't suitable.

Until I went to a decent internet company.

The HR manager handed my resume back directly.

"Ms. Lily, if you've crossed the wrong person, New York isn't the place for you anymore. Go back home."

I clutched the resume, my nails digging into my palms.

Ethan Thorne.

He wanted to push me to the brink, force me to come back and beg him.

I stood under the scorching sun, looking at the distant Thorne Industries building.

Towering into the clouds, absolutely domineering.

"Ethan Thorne, you wish." I gritted my teeth, saying each word slowly.

If I couldn't get into a big company, I'd go to a small one.

A place that didn't require background or academic qualifications, only results.

Finally, I joined a newly established real estate agency.

A base salary of fifteen hundred, commission entirely dependent on my sales.

An office without AC, a beat-up electric scooter, and every day, I'd be out on the streets, handing out flyers under nearly 100-degree Fahrenheit heat.

"Excuse me, interested in buying a house? New development in the South District, great school zone!"

I stopped a middle-aged woman passing by and handed her a thick stack of flyers.

The woman waved her hand dismissively, like shooing a fly.

"Go away, go away, it's too hot!"

The flyers scattered across the ground.

I knelt down, picking them up one by one.

Sweat stung my eyes.

My white shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging to my back.

But I had no time to complain.

After half a month, I was tanned and had lost ten pounds.

But I also closed three small deals, earning over ten thousand dollars in commission.

On payday, I bought a roasted chicken and took it to the hospital to share with Leo.

Leo ate heartily, his mouth covered in grease, laughing happily.

Looking at him, I felt it was all worth it.

Just when I thought my life was finally getting back on track.

Trouble came knocking.

That afternoon, my manager suddenly called me into his office.

"Lily, we have a big client tonight, specifically asking to see the villa at South Hill Estates. You're coming with me."

Mr. Peterson rubbed his hands, his face excited.

"South Hill Estates? That's a hundred-million-dollar mansion!"

"Exactly! If we close it, the commission alone will be over a million! You're in luck, kid!"

I felt a faint unease.

How could such a big deal fall to me, a newcomer?

But a million-dollar commission was too tempting.

With that money, Leo's surgery and subsequent recovery costs would all be covered.

I pushed down my doubts and followed Mr. Peterson to South Hill Estates.

The moment I pushed open the door to the luxurious private room.

All the blood in my veins froze.

On the leather sofa.

Ethan Thorne had his legs crossed, a glass of red wine in his hand, looking at me with a half-smile.

Serena Cross leaned against him, dressed in a Chanel maternity outfit, her face full of coy charm.

There were a few other trust fund kids from their circle in the private room, all staring at me with expressions of eager anticipation.

"Mr. Thorne, I've brought her." Mr. Peterson bowed and fawned over him.

I turned to leave.

"Stop." Ethan's voice was cold.

Two bodyguards immediately blocked the door.

I turned back, looking at him coldly.

"Mr. Thorne, if you're buying, let's see the house. If not, I need to get off work."

Serena let out a snicker.

"Ethan, is this the stubborn woman you were talking about? Look at the state she's in now."

She eyed my cheap professional outfit and my tanned, rough skin, her eyes full of disdain.

"Heard you're selling houses? Fine." Serena pulled a stack of cash from her bag and tossed it onto the table.

"Drink these three bottles of liquor on the table, and I'll sign for this hundred-million-dollar villa with you."

On the table were three bottles of expensive, high-proof tequila.

Mr. Peterson was frantically signaling me from the side.

"Lily, drink it! This is Mr. Thorne and Ms. Cross doing you a favor!"

I looked at the three bottles of tequila.

I'm allergic to alcohol. Drinking this much could be fatal.

Ethan looked at me, his eyes holding an air of condescending charity.

"Lily, if you drink it, not only will this deal be credited to you, but I'll cover all of Leo's future treatment abroad."

He was certain I would concede.

Just like every time he had used Leo to manipulate me over the past three years.

I walked to the table.

Serena's smile grew wider.

"A pauper is a pauper, willing to throw away her life for money."

I picked up a bottle of tequila.

I unscrewed the cap.

Then.

With a flick of my wrist.

"SPLASH!"

The entire bottle of liquor was precisely doused all over Serena's Chanel dress, worth hundreds of thousands.

"AHH---!"

Serena shrieked, jumping up, the pungent smell of alcohol instantly filling the room.

"You bitch! Are you crazy?!" She pointed at me, trembling with rage.

Dead silence filled the private room.

Everyone gasped.

Mr. Peterson was so terrified his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the floor.

Ethan's face instantly darkened to an extreme. He abruptly stood up and grabbed my wrist.

His grip was so strong, it felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

"Lily, are you asking to die?!" His voice was gritted through his teeth, filled with towering fury.

I met his furious glare, a cold smile playing on my lips.

"Mr. Thorne, didn't Ms. Cross enjoy her drink? I just helped her with a little washing. No need to thank me."

I forcefully pulled my hand free.

"Your dirty money? I find it disgusting."

"BANG!"

I turned, kicked away the bodyguard blocking the door, and strode out of the private room.

Behind me, I heard Serena's crying and Ethan's sound of smashing a glass.

I walked along the tree-lined road outside South Hill Estates.

The night wind blew, and I realized my back was completely soaked.

In that moment, I was genuinely afraid.

Ethan could crush me as easily as an ant.

But I was even more afraid of bending my spine again.

Returning to my rental room, I was utterly exhausted.

As soon as I lay down, Mr. Peterson's call came in.

"Lily! Don't bother coming in tomorrow! You crossed Mr. Thorne, and if you want to self-destruct, don't drag the company down with you!"

The call was abruptly cut off.

I looked at the black screen of my phone and let out a bitter laugh.

Another job gone.

The next day, I started sending out resumes again.

But this time, the situation was worse than before.

The entire real estate industry had blacklisted me.

I walked under the scorching sun, looking at the mere three thousand dollars left in my bank account, feeling a despair I'd never felt before.

Was I truly no match for him?

Just as I squatted on the curb, burying my face in my arms.

A pair of gleaming black leather shoes stopped in front of me.

"Ms. Lily, our CEO would like to see you."

A man in a sharp suit handed me a business card.

"Sterling Group, CEO's Executive Assistant."

I froze.

Sterling Group? That was the only business giant that could contend with Thorne Industries.

I followed the assistant to the CEO's office on the top floor of the Sterling Group building.

A tall, slender figure stood by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

His features were sharp, his gaze deep, exuding an aura of authority that needed no anger.

Sterling Group CEO, Julian Vance.

"Lily?" He eyed me, then gestured to the sofa opposite him. "Sit."

I sat down, a bit reserved.

"Mr. Vance, you wanted to see me..."

Julian pushed a file across the table to me.

"I've seen the proposal you did in college for urban renewal. It was brilliant."

I paused.

That was my work from junior year, which won a national gold award, but after I started being with Ethan, I never touched such things again.

"Ethan Thorne is blacklisting you." Julian said directly. "No one in New York would dare hire you but me."

He looked at me, his eyes sharp.

"I'm giving you an opportunity. Sterling Group is bidding for the Southside land, and I need someone familiar with grassroots operations and with enough ambition."

"A base salary of ten thousand, five percent project commission. Fail, and you're out."

Five percent!

That Southside land was worth billions, so five percent was tens of millions!

My breath hitched.

"Why me?" I couldn't help but ask.

Julian smiled faintly.

"Because yesterday at South Hill Estates, you poured a bottle of liquor on Serena Cross."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I like people with grit."

I took a deep breath, stood up, and nodded firmly, my voice steady.

"Mr. Vance, I won't let you down."

From that day on, I officially joined the Sterling Group.

I worked like a maniac.

Daytime, I was on-site, doing background checks; nights, I pulled all-nighters revising proposals.

The Southside land was a complex situation, involving many resistant homeowners and long-standing disputes.

I visited each family, doing individual outreach.

Once, I was even bitten on the calf by a dog released by a grumpy homeowner.

After getting my rabies shot, I hobbled back to knock on doors.

Julian saw my relentless effort.

He began to personally mentor me, teaching me the cunning and deception of the business world, teaching me how to read people.

Under Julian's guidance, my growth rate was astonishing.

In just three months, I secured eighty percent of the demolition agreements for the Southside project.

A week before the bidding conference.

Ethan Thorne made his move.