Chains of Velvet, Heart of Fire
She was auctioned like an object, bought like a secret, and caged like a sin.
After a brutal betrayal by the people she trusted most, Seraphina Vale is left drowning in debt and despair—until she’s sold at an underground auction to the one man every criminal fears: Lucien Marchesi, the ruthless head of a powerful mafia empire. Cold. Controlled. Deadly. The world assumes she’ll be discarded like the others who came before her. But Seraphina isn't a lamb sent to slaughter.
She’s a lioness in velvet chains—calm, calculating, and waiting for her moment.
Lucien didn’t expect her fire. She didn’t expect his scars. What begins as a twisted game of control and survival becomes something far more dangerous: emotion. As secrets unravel and obsession burns into something deeper, Seraphina edges dangerously close to what she swore she’d never feel again—trust. Love. Want.
But she hasn’t forgotten her mission. Lucien was supposed to be her weapon, not her salvation. And when her revenge explodes into reality, both hearts will shatter under the weight of betrayal.
Until he asks the one question that changes everything:
“Have you ever loved me?”
Chains of Velvet, Heart of Fire is a gripping dark mafia romance about love born from power, loyalty forged in fire, and two broken souls who dared to rewrite their fate. Perfect for fans of morally gray heroes, twist-filled emotional sagas, and heroines who take their power back—beautifully, mercilessly, and on their own terms.
Baca
Chapter: Epilogue: The House of MarchesiThe sun over Sicily warmed the golden stones of Palazzo Marchesi as if time itself bowed in quiet respect to the legacy it had witnessed.Laughter spilled through the open windows. Not the cautious kind it had once held during darker years, but the untamed laughter of children… of peace.Seraphina stood at the top of the garden steps, a soft smile playing on her lips. Her long hair was pinned up in an elegant twist, streaks of sunlight catching the fine lines at her temples. Motherhood, power, and love had all left their marks on her, and they were beautiful.Below her, five boys chased each other around the trimmed hedges, their shrieks echoing like music. And at the center of the chaos, little Valeria Marchesi, named after the grandmother she never met, stood with her hands on her hips, all of five years old and already giving orders.“Leo, you can’t take the last cannoli! Mamma says to share!”Leonardo, six, groaned and handed it over with theatrical drama. “She didn’t say I had to
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-03
Chapter: Chapter 156: Final ChapterThe air inside the old villa was still, as if time itself had stopped to listen.Seraphina stood beneath the arched ceiling of the interrogation room. It wasn’t cold, but a chill ran down her spine. Across the table sat Gabe Vale Sr., the man who had shaped and shattered her childhood in equal measure. His once-imposing figure had shrunk in the shadows, but the glint in his eyes remained sharp, venomous.The room had no windows. The only light came from the fluorescents above, casting stark outlines between the past and the present.He smiled when she entered. “You always were the spitting image of your mother.”Seraphina didn’t move. “Don’t speak of her.”Vale Sr. leaned back in his chair. “Why not? She loved you more than anything. Mireille wanted to protect you. I did too.”“You used her,” Seraphina said coldly. “And when she was no longer useful, you erased her.”“That’s not true,” he said, voice lowering. “She was sick. I cared for her. I raised you.”“You groomed me,” she correc
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-03
Chapter: Chapter 155The sharp clang of the gavel echoed through the grand courtroom, but Lucien Marchesi didn’t flinch. He sat still, his storm-colored eyes fixed on the far end of the polished bench, where a panel of international judges presided beneath the flag of Interpol. On either side of him sat Seraphina and Elian, the man who had become a cornerstone of justice in all their battles.This wasn’t a trial for one man. It was the reckoning of an empire.It had taken seventy-two hours for Interpol to move after the Romania operation. With the full evidence extracted from the Eden facility, and the coded dossiers that Matteo and Anton had decrypted, Interpol launched coordinated raids in thirty-seven countries. The arrests came fast and violent, diplomats, CEOs, military advisors, media moguls, even priests.The Codex had been everywhere. But now, they were in chains.As Lucien waited for the judges to review the final testimonies, he glanced sideways at Seraphina. Her chin was lifted, lips pressed to
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-02
Chapter: Chapter 154The hearth crackled within the Montenegro estate’s grand hall, its fire flickering across antique portraits and velvet drapery. The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood and something older, dust, perhaps, or forgotten sorrow. The place stood mostly untouched since the day Seraphina had been taken from it.She knew every corner of this estate.Even now, after so many years, she felt the ghost of her younger self walking its halls. Back when she had thought herself a Vale. Back when her mother Mireille was still alive and Vale Sr. had smiled like a benevolent guardian.Lucien stood beside her, taking in the cold grandeur. But he didn’t look to the tapestries or the hand-carved staircase. He watched her. He could feel the weight of it all pressing against her chest like a hand she couldn’t swat away.“Are you sure you want to do this here?” he asked.Her eyes were fixed on the oil painting above the fireplace, a portrait of a young girl on horseback. It was her younger self, happy,
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-01
Chapter: Chapter 153The ash cloud from the Citadel fire still clung to the night sky when the first Interpol helicopters arrived. Their rotors sliced the silence above the mountains, casting long shadows across the scorched ruins. Among them, one chopper bore the seal of the agency’s international division, and inside sat Director François Duval, flanked by his elite team. His face was drawn, hardened by decades of hunting syndicates through paper trails and whispers.Below, the extraction team led by Elian ushered Lucien, Seraphina, Valeria, and the others to a secure perimeter near the evacuation outpost. Everyone bore the signs of war, scorched clothing, bruised skin, and exhaustion that clung to their bones.Duval stepped onto the field as Lucien approached. The two men exchanged a silent nod of recognition. They had never met face-to-face, but their names had passed through enough redacted reports to forge an unspoken understanding.“You have something for me,” Duval said.Lucien handed him the secu
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-31
Chapter: Chapter 152The speaker above them crackled again, and this time the voice came clearer. Older now, more weathered, but unmistakable.“Marchesi. Always the last to learn.”Lucien turned toward the source, jaw clenched. Seraphina’s hand tightened over Valeria’s shoulder as the little girl’s calm expression finally cracked.“I know that voice,” Seraphina whispered.Another voice joined the line, colder and slicker, sharp with mockery.“I’m touched you remember me, stepdaughter. Even after all the things I did to save you.”Gabe Vale Sr.Lucien’s eyes darkened, and even Matteo looked up from the panel with a curse under his breath.“You,” Seraphina breathed. “You’re alive.”The speakers laughed together. Caine’s voice was lower, amused. Vale Sr.’s was cruel.“You shouldn’t be surprised, darling. Did you really think I’d let a little chaos ruin the legacy I built?”“You destroyed everything,” she hissed.Vale Sr. clicked his tongue. “I built everything. You, included. From the moment I gave you my na
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-29
Chapter: The Past Made PerfectThe Meyer ancestral home in Oregon had never looked more magnificent. Tucked among ancient evergreens, its stone facade and sprawling verandas welcomed guests from across generations. The garden, once a tranquil haven, now bloomed in full festive splendor, transformed into a grand setting for the celebration of Leonora Meyer’s 90th birthday.Orchids and peonies formed elegant arches, and fairy lights wove through ivy-covered trellises. Dozens of round tables covered in ivory linens dotted the lawn, each decorated with crystal centerpieces and name cards written in calligraphy. A quartet played soft jazz near the pond while servers in white moved gracefully with trays of hors d'oeuvres.Inside, the house buzzed with anticipation. Family portraits lined the hallway, sepia photographs of pioneers, sepia giving way to vibrant color as generations passed. It was a house filled with stories, and today, another story was about to be written.Leonora, regal in a deep green gown that shimmered
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-18
Chapter: Unwritten YesterdaysAlice bolted awake as the alarm blared beside her. She groggily reached for her phone, squinting at the screen."What?!" she gasped. “2025? Not 2024?”Confused, she shot up from the bed and looked around. She wasn’t in her usual bedroom. Instead, she lay on a luxurious bed inside a grand room with an enormous walk-in closet filled with designer clothes and limited-edition shoes, everything looked like it belonged in a glossy magazine spread for the ultra-rich.Before she could gather her thoughts, a knock came at the door.A woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a sleek, modern maid’s uniform, stepped inside."Miss Alice, your breakfast is ready," she said with a polite smile."Breakfast?" Alice blinked at her in confusion.The woman gestured, and two younger maids entered, carrying trays laden with food. They headed straight to a table on the balcony and began setting up what looked like a royal feast."Just ring the bell when you're finished. You have a busy schedule ahead," the older m
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-05
Chapter: The Return HomeTwo days later, Samuel and Emily boarded a plane bound for the United States. With them, they carried not only memories of Africa, but a child they had vowed to protect.Emily still hadn’t figured out how to face her parents. Her grief over losing her brother and sister-in-law was fresh, raw. She stared out the window of the plane, silent.Samuel squeezed her hand. “We’ll get through this, Em.”She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “I just… I wish I had said goodbye to them.”“They knew you loved them,” he said gently. “And Cole will know who they were. We’ll make sure of it.”Before leaving, Samuel had written a letter to his parents:Mom, Dad—I’m coming home for good.I’ve decided to leave the front lines behind and live a quieter life in the States.I hope I’ll still make you proud, even from the small corner of the world I’ll be working in.Love,Samuel.Leonora wept when she read the letter. Holding it to her chest, she whispered a prayer of thanks. Then, looking to the garden
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-01
Chapter: The Future RewrittenAlice gasped awake.Pain stabbed through her shoulder, but the fire in her veins was dying, no, burning away. Her blood shimmered faintly, glowing beneath her skin like liquid light. The poisoned arrow that should have ended her life sizzled out, the toxins neutralized by something ancient and wild inside her. Her healing power, once weak, unstable, had awakened fully, sparked by danger and Samuel’s sacrifice.She rolled to her knees beneath the bench. The air was thick with smoke. Gunfire echoed like thunder across the clinic grounds.“Samuel,” she whispered. But he was gone. So was the noise.Too quiet.Alice staggered to her feet, gripping the bench for balance. She stumbled toward the clinic, and froze.Shattered walls. Blood was smeared on the floor and doors. Flies already swarmed the broken windows.Inside, everyone was dead.Mike. Suzanne. The guards. Patients, even the elderly man who always handed out fruit to the children. All gunned down. Bullet holes pocked the walls and f
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: In the Shadow of the RebellionAlice found herself staring at the thermometer that a young doctor had just pulled from her mouth.“She doesn’t have a fever,” said a young woman beside him after glancing at the reading.“Where am I?” Alice asked, her eyes scanning the sparse, humid room. Her gaze stopped on the young woman beside the doctor, and her breath caught.“Grandma!” she blurted, suddenly sitting up, eyes wide.The young woman stepped back, startled. She was beautiful, graceful even in her confusion. “My name’s Emily,” she said slowly, studying Alice like she’d grown a second head. Do I look that old? she wondered, frowning slightly.“I’m sorry. I just… had a strange dream,” Alice muttered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.Emily exchanged a glance with the young doctor.“Brother, could it be…?” she whispered.“She doesn’t seem crazy,” he replied in a hushed tone.“I can hear you, Doctor…” Alice said pointedly. She glanced at the nameplates pinned to their uniforms. “Doctor Stevens and Nurse Stevens,” s
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
Chapter: The Choice Between RoadsThe next day, the world felt heavier to Alice, though the sky outside was clear and bright.She sat on the edge of her bed, legs tucked underneath her, staring at the small patch of sun that pooled on her carpet. The light was warm against her skin, but a knot of sadness remained inside her, tangled tightly around something new, a quiet understanding.They gave me all the love that I needed, like a real mother and father, she thought, her hands resting limp in her lap. Alyssa and Cole weren't perfect, but they'd been everything she needed growing up. Every band-aid, every bedtime story, every small moment that stitched a childhood together, it had been them.Her anger wasn't really directed at them, she realized. It wasn't even anger, not truly. It was grief for a piece of her identity that had been hidden away. A missing corner of a puzzle she hadn't known she was even assembling.With a heavy sigh, Alice stood up. Her decision was made. --- The house looked just as it always had, w
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-04-29
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