Chapter 28 – Prove It, Angel

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• Velvet Chains   Chapter 136 – The Devil’s War Room

  The drive back from the Mirage Casino was silent, tension wrapped around them like smoke. Valerio kept one hand on the wheel, the other on his gun, knuckles white. Sera sat beside him, eyes fixed on the rain-slicked streets as Eros City blurred past the windows. Her pulse hadn't slowed since the ambush. Neither had his.They said nothing until they reached the estate.Valerio’s private compound was on full lockdown—armed guards doubled at the gates, surveillance drones sweeping the perimeter, and Matteo waiting by the front door, blood still on his sleeve."It was a setup," Matteo growled. "Cael Delacroix never came alone. He had two snipers on the east building. We didn’t even spot them."Valerio's jaw clenched. "We underestimated him. Never again."Sera followed them into the war room—a vast, windowless space below the main house with concrete walls, tactical maps, and screens showing every inch of the city.Valerio shed his coat, grabbed a bottle of scotch, and poured himself a gla

• Velvet Chains   Chapter 135 – A Fire in the Shadows

  Sera woke to the sound of rain pounding against the roof. Not the gentle kind, but a furious, sweeping storm that made the steel-walled safehouse groan under its weight. For a long moment, she lay there wrapped in Valerio’s arms, their bodies tangled under the sheets like two vines grown into each other.His chest rose and fell steadily. For once, he was completely at peace. Vulnerable.She studied him in the dim light filtering through the blinds—his strong jawline, the shadows beneath his eyes, the faint scar on his collarbone that always made her wonder how close he had come to death.And how many times he had dragged himself back from it.Her fingers trailed softly over his skin, memorizing him. She didn't know how long they’d have this quiet. With enemies creeping closer and betrayal inside their walls, peace felt borrowed—stolen, even.Valerio stirred, groaning low as he blinked awake. "You’re staring, angel.""I like watching you when you’re not trying to be the devil."He chuc

• Velvet Chains   Chapter 134 - Blood in the Marble Halls

  The Thorne estate was nothing short of a fortress—opulent and imposing. Marble floors gleamed beneath Sera’s feet as she followed Valerio through its endless hallways, each turn lit with golden sconces and guarded by statues that looked more like silent sentinels than art.But nothing could distract her from the storm swirling behind Valerio’s calm exterior.He was too quiet. Too still.They entered a conference room deeper in the estate—long glass table, walls lined with ancient weapons, a chandelier dripping crystal light overhead. Four men were already seated. All wore tailored suits, but their expressions were taut with unease."They've been waiting," Valerio said to Sera, gently brushing his knuckles against her arm before nodding toward the adjoining sitting room. "You can wait there. I won’t be long."She didn’t argue, but her eyes lingered on him.Valerio leaned down, voice low. "I need you close, but I don’t want you hearing this. It might change how you see me."Her breath h

• Velvet Chains   Chapter 133 – Bloodlines and Vows

  The morning sun cast golden slants across the silk sheets as Sera woke slowly, the scent of Valerio’s skin still clinging to her like a second soul. For once, the mansion felt quiet—not with absence, but anticipation. The kind that made the air buzz beneath the surface.Today, everything would change.Again.Sera swung her legs out of the bed and stepped onto the warm marble floor of the panic room, now familiar in its luxurious claustrophobia. She hadn’t meant to sleep here. But Valerio hadn’t left her side. His promise last night still echoed in her ears—“For more than a little while, angel.”A soft knock came at the secure door.It was Navarro.“Boss says it’s time,” he said simply, voice respectful.She nodded once, her mind already shifting into battle-mode.She showered quickly, letting the heat melt away her stiffness. When she emerged, a sleek black dress awaited her—tailored, dangerous, elegant. It had been custom-fitted, its neckline designed like a dagger’s curve, the slit

• Velvet Chains   Chapter 132 – The Price of a Queen

  The air was different.Thicker. Heavier.As if the city itself had paused to watch what the Thorne Empire would do next.After the death of Marcus DeSanti and Sera’s blood-oath claim to the throne, Eros City wasn’t just shifting—it was tilting violently off its axis. And Sera could feel it in her bones.She was no longer just Valerio’s lover, no longer a girl from a forgotten family legacy.She was the queen now.And every queen had to bleed to earn her crown.The day began with steel.Sera stood in the training hall, sweat beading down her back, the sharp slice of a dagger in her hand. Navarro circled her like a predator, throwing punches and swipes with real intent. They weren’t pulling back anymore. These were not practice hits.She dodged his elbow, dipped beneath his shoulder, and sliced the blade upward.He blocked it with the flat of his forearm, letting the blade glance off. “Faster,” he growled.“I am fast.”“Not fast enough to survive a Sicilian ambush. Again.”She didn’t ar

• Velvet Chains   Chapter 131 – The Crown That Bleeds

  The blood hadn’t dried yet.Sera stood at the center of Marcus DeSanti’s grand estate—now a crypt echoing with death. His body lay lifeless on the cold cellar floor, a red pool seeping outward like a broken promise. The silence that followed was not peace.It was aftermath.Valerio stood beside her, his hand still loosely gripping the gun. For a long time, neither of them spoke. The moment was too thick, too sharp. Like the pause before a final note in a requiem.“You ended it,” Valerio said quietly, watching her from the corner of his eye.Sera didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. “No,” she whispered. “I started something.”She wiped her blood-slicked hands on the hem of her dress and stepped over Marcus’s body.Because killing a man like Marcus wasn’t just a death sentence for him—it was an open invitation to chaos.And she’d accepted it.Three hours later, the Thorne compound was flooded with motion.Calla tended to Sera’s bruises in her private suite. The fabric of Sera’s gown was to