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.
View MoreShe should have seen it coming.
The late-night calls. The shadowed conversations. The hush that fell over the room when she walked in.
In hindsight, it all felt obvious. Like blood splattered across white silk — impossible to miss once you knew where to look.
But Seraphina Vale had always believed that love, in its purest form, was protection. That no matter how twisted the world became, the people you gave your heart to would never be the ones to sell it.
She was wrong.
And now, she was standing in a gilded hotel suite, draped in a black velvet dress she hadn’t picked, wearing heels she couldn’t run in, staring at the man she had once promised forever to — and watching him hand her over to a stranger.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Julian said, voice hoarse.
“You did,” she replied calmly. “You just made the one that didn’t involve you bleeding.”
The man who was once her fiancé flinched, jaw tightening. He looked as immaculate as always — tailored navy suit, dark blond hair combed back, cufflinks that cost more than her childhood home. But his eyes had changed.
Gone was the warm hazel she used to trust.
Now they were glazed, tired, and tinged with guilt he clearly hoped would pass for remorse.
Across the room, Gabe Vale — her stepbrother in name only — slouched on the arm of a leather chair, nursing a glass of whiskey like he was the victim here.
“Don’t make it so dramatic, Sera,” he said, swirling the amber liquid with a smirk. “It’s not like we’re throwing you to the wolves. You’ll be treated like a queen. Heard this guy even feeds his pets filet mignon.”
She didn’t look at him. Couldn’t.
If she did, she wouldn’t stop herself from reaching for the decanter on the table and smashing it over his head.
Instead, she turned her eyes to Julian — one last time.
“One question,” she said softly.
He nodded, too quickly. Too eagerly. As if answering would absolve him.
She tilted her head.
“Did you ever love me? Even once?”
The silence that followed wasn’t hesitation. It wasn’t sorrow.
It was emptiness.
And it told her everything.
Seraphina smiled — a small, bitter thing.
“I hope whatever they paid you… buys your soul back.”
Before he could reply, the door opened.
And the room tilted.
Lucien Marchesi didn’t need an introduction. His name was myth. His face was legend. But nothing in the dossiers, the rumors, or the grainy photographs could have prepared her for the gravity of his presence.
He stepped in like he already owned the air. Every movement was precise, efficient, lethal. Black-on-black suit, dark gold eyes, and the stillness of a man who didn’t bother with warnings — because he never had to repeat himself.
Gabe let out a low whistle. “Guess the rumors were true.”
Julian went pale.
Seraphina didn’t move.
Lucien’s eyes found her instantly.
They didn’t roam. Didn’t leer. They simply… held.
Like he was measuring her bones. Weighing her in silence.
She raised her chin, refusing to be the first to break.
“She’s ready,” Julian said.
Lucien didn’t look at him.
“She doesn’t look ready.”
“I’m not,” Seraphina said clearly.
That earned her the faintest flicker of interest.
Lucien took a step forward. Then another.
She fought the instinct to retreat.
“You’ll come willingly,” he said. It wasn’t a request.
“No,” she answered.
His gaze sharpened — not with anger, but calculation.
“I can make you.”
“I know,” she said. “But then you’d be just like them.”
That made him pause.
A beat of silence passed.
Then he reached into his coat, pulled out something small and silver, and held it up.
A collar.
Thin. Delicate. Designed for elegance, not restraint.
Her stomach twisted.
Julian spoke again, too fast. “It’s symbolic. Just for tonight. It shows the contract’s closed. She won’t fight you, I swear—”
Lucien held up a hand.
Seraphina stared at the object, then back at him.
“No,” she said again. “I won’t wear it.”
“You already are,” he replied.
And then his eyes dropped to the black velvet around her neck.
Seraphina's hand flew to the scarf Julian had tied there earlier. She hadn’t thought twice about it. Just a simple ribbon of fabric.
But now, her fingers found something hidden beneath.
Cold. Smooth. Seamless.
A hidden clasp.
Her breath caught.
Julian wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Lucien didn’t smirk. Didn’t gloat.
He simply turned and said, “We’re leaving.”
Two guards stepped in from the hallway. Polished. Silent. They moved toward her with mechanical precision.
She didn’t scream.
Didn’t struggle.
She just turned to Julian one last time.
And smiled like a queen walking to her execution.
The car ride was quiet.
Too quiet.
Seraphina sat across from Lucien, spine straight, hands folded in her lap like a dutiful debutante. The weight of the collar at her throat burned, even though it was probably hollow. Probably decorative.
But it was still a collar.
And she was still someone’s property now.
Lucien didn’t speak. He didn’t even look at her.
She could have used that silence to think. To plan.
But all she could hear was Gabe’s voice from earlier:
“At least you’ll be treated like a queen.”
And wasn’t that the most beautiful lie?
They always dressed cages in gold.
The Marchesi estate wasn’t a mansion. It was a fortress dressed in marble and myth.
As the gates swung open, Seraphina caught glimpses of iron sculptures, trimmed hedges, and a circular drive that could’ve belonged to a royal palace.
Everything smelled like jasmine and danger.
The guards escorted her up the steps. She didn’t look back.
Inside, the floors gleamed. The chandeliers sparkled. And the silence was absolute.
Lucien led her down a long hallway without a word.
At the end was a door — tall, carved with roses and thorns.
He opened it.
“This is your room,” he said.
She stepped inside.
It was beautiful.
Soft cream walls. A bed large enough for two people to sleep without touching. Silk sheets. A fireplace. A balcony.
It looked like safety.
It reeked of control.
Lucien didn’t follow her in. He simply stood in the doorway, a shadow painted in gold light.
“You’ll eat. You’ll rest. You’ll follow the rules.”
Seraphina turned to face him.
“And if I don’t?”
He shrugged.
“Then you’ll learn.”
He started to close the door.
But she stopped him.
“Why me?”
His eyes met hers.
“Because you didn’t beg.”
The door closed behind him.
And for the first time since the auction, Seraphina let herself exhale.
Then she walked calmly to the bed, sat down, and didn’t cry.
Not a single tear.
Because she wasn’t broken.
Not yet.
But she would pretend to be.
For as long as it took.
Because this wasn't the end of her story.
It was the beginning.
The 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
The 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
The 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
The 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,
The 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
The 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
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