Chapter 81 The gilded cage
Chapter 81: The Gilded Cage (Elena’s POV)
The ride to Maya’s house was quiet. I sat in the passenger seat of her red car, leaning my head against the cold glass of the window. My legs were still shivering from the rain, and every time the car hit a bump, a sharp pain shot through my injured knee. I looked at Maya. She was driving with one hand, looking perfectly calm, like we were just coming back from a normal movie night.
"Don't worry, El," Maya said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. her skin felt warm, almost too warm. "You’re safe now. I can’t believe Liam tried to keep you in that tiny, depressing apartment. He’s so selfish."
"He was just trying to help," I whispered, though I wasn't even sure if I believed it myself.
"Help? Elena, he was hiding you," Maya scoffed. "He knew that if you stayed there, he’d be the only person you could rely on. That’s not help. That’s control. My house is different. You’ll have your own room, a hot shower, and we can actually talk like sisters."
I nodded slowly. I wanted to believe her. I needed to believe her because I had nowhere else to go.
When we pulled into her driveway, the gates opened automatically. Maya’s house was huge—a white mansion with perfectly manicured lawns and bright floodlights that made the wet pavement sparkle. It felt a world away from the bench I had been sitting on an hour ago.
Maya helped me out of the car, practically carrying me up the front steps. Inside, the house was silent and smelled like expensive perfume.
"My parents are in Dubai for the week," Maya said, tossing her keys on a marble table. "So we have the whole place to ourselves. Let’s get you upstairs. You look... well, you look like a mess, sweetie."
She led me to a guest room that was bigger than my entire apartment back home. It had a king-sized bed with silk sheets and a walk-in closet. I dropped my broken bag on the floor, the cheap plastic looking pathetic against the plush white carpet.
"First things first," Maya said, walking into the bathroom and turning on the shower. "Get out of those soaked clothes. Especially that hoodie. It smells like Liam’s cheap cologne and it’s giving me a headache."
I pulled off the hoodie Liam had given me. I felt exposed without it, like I was losing my last bit of protection. I showered quickly, the hot water stinging the bruise on my arm where Julian had grabbed me. When I stepped out, Maya was standing in the bedroom holding a pile of clothes.
"Here," she said, tossing a silk robe and a tiny slip dress onto the bed. "Put these on. I threw your old clothes in the trash. They were stained and honestly, Elena, they were doing you no favors."
"You threw them away?" I asked, my heart sinking. "Maya, those were the only clothes I had left."
"And they were trash," Maya said firmly. She sat me down at her vanity mirror and started brushing my damp hair. She was brushing it so hard it hurt, but I didn't say anything. "If you're going to stay here, you have to look like you belong here. I’m going to help you, Elena. I’m going to fix everything."
She pulled out a makeup bag and started dabbing things onto my face. I watched my reflection. I looked pale and exhausted, but Maya was covering it up with thick foundation and bright blush.
"There," she said, stepping back. "Now you don't look like a charity case."
"I feel like a doll," I muttered, looking at the dark eyeliner she had smudged around my eyes.
"You look like a Vance girl," Maya corrected me. She reached down and picked up my cane, which was leaning against the chair. She looked at it with a disgusted face. "And this... we need to hide this. If we’re going to have people over, you can’t be limping around like an old lady."
"People over? Maya, you said it was just us."
"Just for a bit!" Maya smiled, but her eyes stayed flat. "A few of the girls heard you were staying here and they wanted to show their support. It’ll be fun. A little brunch tomorrow morning to cheer you up."
"I don't want to see anyone, Maya. I just want to see my mom."
Maya’s expression shifted instantly. She dropped the cane on the floor and knelt in front of me. "Elena, listen to me. Julian is the one who controls the hospital. If you want to see your mom, you have to play the game. If you look happy and 'fixed' tomorrow, Julian might see that you're ready to be reasonable. Don't you want to save her?"
I felt a lump in my throat. Everything came back to my mom. "Yes. Of course I do."
"Then trust me," Maya said. She stood up and headed for the door. "Get some sleep. I’ve already sent out the invites. It’s going to be a fresh start."
She turned off the main light, leaving me in the glow of a small bedside lamp. I climbed into the silk bed. It was comfortable, but I felt like I was sinking. I reached for my phone to check the time, but it wasn't in my pocket.
I looked at the nightstand. It wasn't there. I checked the floor near my bag. Nothing.
"Maya!" I called out.
The door opened a crack. Maya poked her head in. "Yeah?"
"Have you seen my phone? I think I left it in the car."
"Oh, I have it," Maya said, waving it in the air. "It was buzzing like crazy. Liam and Julian were both calling. I figured you didn't need that stress tonight, so I put it in the kitchen charger. I'll give it back to you in the morning, okay? Sleep tight!"
She shut the door before I could argue. I heard a faint click—the sound of the door locking from the outside.
I froze. I crawled out of bed and limped to the door. I turned the handle. It wouldn't budge.
"Maya?" I knocked softly. "Maya, the door is stuck!"
No answer. I stood there in the dark, wearing a silk robe that wasn't mine, in a room that felt more like a cell than a guest suite. I looked at the window. It was bolted shut.
I sat back down on the edge of the bed, my heart racing. Maya said she was my friend. She said she was protecting me. But as I looked at the pile of my old clothes in the trash can in the corner, I realized she wasn't trying to help me. She was erasing me.
I spent the rest of the night staring at the door, waiting for the morning. Every time I heard a floorboard creak, I hoped it was Liam coming to get me, but then I remembered that I had walked away from him. I had chosen this.
When the sun finally started to peek through the curtains, I heard the sound of several cars pulling into the driveway. Laughter echoed from downstairs—high-pitched, familiar laughter.
I heard Maya’s voice rising above the rest. "She's upstairs! I told you I could get her here. She looks like a completely different person now. Just wait until you see the 'makeover' I gave her."
"Is Julian here yet?" I heard Chloe’s voice ask.
"He’s on his way," Maya replied. "He said he wants to see if she’s 'learned her lesson' after a night in the real world."
I pulled the silk robe tighter around me, feeling a cold dread wash over me. I wasn't at a sleepover. I was the entertainment for a brunch I never asked for.
The lock on my door finally clicked open. Maya walked in, wearing a bright floral dress and a huge, fake smile. She was holding a pair of five-inch heels. "Good morning, sleepyhead! Everyone is waiting downstairs. Put these on. We're going to show them that Elena isn't a victim anymore." I looked at the shoes, then at my swollen, bruised knee. "I can't wear those, Maya. I can't even walk without my cane." Maya’s smile didn't fade, but she leaned in close, her voice a sharp whisper. "You'll wear them and you'll smile, Elena. Because if you don't, I'll tell Julian you tried to run away with Liam last night. And we both know what happens to your mom's treatment if he gets angry again, don't we?"