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Chapter 25 - The Black Market Fortress
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2025-05-12 12:15:10
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The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 25 - The Black Market Fortress
Valentina’s POVI stood on the edge of it, arms resting against the railing of our room—the master suite in the Ricchezza beach villa perched on the Al-Faw Peninsula, where the Persian Gulf kissed the horizon in bruised shades of blue. I was watching the sunrise wrapped in a cozy robe as it painted the ocean in faint shades of blushed pink, pale gold, and soft coral.The waves lapped soothingly against the shore.My slippers padded softly against the marble floor, and the warm breeze tugged at me as if trying to pull me back inside.Raffaele had been gone for almost a month now.I told myself it was a relief. That I welcomed the silence, the space, the absence of his piercing gaze and maddening precision. But the void he left behind said otherwise. The bed felt colder without his warmth.I hated the way he made me feel.I wanted to resent him, wanted him to grate on my nerves the way he used to—but the more I got to know him, the worse it became. God, I must look like an abandoned
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 24 - Friendship and Fear
Valentina’s POVThe lamps were dim, casting long amber shadows across the whitewashed walls of the Ricchezza beach house. I curled up on the velvet couch where Raffaele had left me, in Maria’s guest room.He had even personally laid out my plush white slippers and the soft sleepwear, as if trying to wrap control in comfort.I sighed, because it was working. I felt pampered… and seen.I guess he thought all I needed was a friend to lean on—and he was right. His thoughtfulness hurt in a way I wasn’t ready for.The aftermath of the night still clings to me—bruises under silk, exhaustion beneath glamour. The diamond choker felt like it weighed a ton, and every breath felt like I was exhaling a lie.Maria stepped in, barefoot, holding a steaming mug of cardamom milk.“Here, Valentina,” she said gently. “Take this. It’ll make you feel better.”I smiled weakly. “You’re the one who’s injured, Maria.”She rolled her eyes and settled beside me. “Honey, not all wounds are visible to the naked
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 23 - Velvet Nights
Valentina’s POVZahra clasps her hands gently, eyes shimmering with appreciation.“That was… enchanting,” she says with a soft and clear voice. “You truly have a gift, Mrs. Ricchezza—not just with words, but with presence. It felt as though the past had come alive.”Hassan, seated beside her, leans forward slightly, nodding with a thoughtful expression.“Mesmerizing,” he agrees. “Very few people can command a room so wholeheartedly without raising their voice.”Zahra smiles, a touch of warmth—and calculation—in her gaze.“I see now why my husband insisted we meet you. He was right. There’s something… simply unforgettable about you.”“I’m truly grateful for the compliment,” I say with a sugar-sweet smile. “It means the world coming from such cultured and enlightened people as yourselves.”Raffaele looks at me—and for once, he’s at a loss for words.As the final notes of laughter drift across the table and the last of the savory dishes are cleared, a silver tray is brought in—laden with
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 22 - Innanna’s Rebirth
Valentina’s POVI stand before the full-length mirror in the suite in Ishtar Hotel. The soft gold of Baghdad’s sunset ray’s barely touching my skin. I feel exposed—vulnerable. A reflection of the godess Inanna before the gates, stripped of everything but defiance.My hand brushes the five-row diamond choker laid out on the dressing table. pick up the phone and call Monica. I need to find a way to reclaim the sense of control I’ve lost.“I need her,” I say, calm but urgent. “The old me. The one with fire in her hips and poison in her smile.”Monica Buccella doesn’t ask questions. She hears it in my voice and understands.“I’ll send you the costume,” she replies.”To Ishtar Hotel” I add.The call ends. I reach for the fabric of the dress Raffaele gifted me. So expensive.A thrill runs down my spine. I swallow against the dryness in my throat, the dull ache in my heart. I can’t afford hesitation.I apply smoldering makeup—mesmerizing eyes and glossy pinkish lips.The petroleum-black-i
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 21 - The Bait
Kareem’s POVMy shoulder throbbed—a lingering reminder of the last mission’s failure under Signora Giuliana’s orders.“You remember that escort job for Mrs. Valentina?” I asked Nabil, still keeping my eyes on the shadows. “Thought it’d be routine.”Nabil grunted, scanning the street. “Yeah. We were so wrong.”I chuckled darkly, the pain flaring as I shifted. “Humiliating.””I can’t wait for a rematch” I chuckled, Nabil nodded and understood me perfectly well. We had worked so long together now. “Let’s be sharp,” Nabil answered me. “We need clues on those empty boxes.”I tapped my earpiece into place. “Raffaele won’t like us coming up empty handed indeed,” I muttered, turning it on.“Kareem, Nabil, report,” Raffaele’s voice was clipped, sharp, the usual calm authority. He expected results.“Warehouse is secure, no movement—still deserted. Over,” I replied.Nabil nodded. “Keep a lookout. If this goes south, you know what to report.”“The Trail’s cold,” I told Raffaele via earpiece, eye
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 20 - Hunting Valentina
Tariq Al Mansour POV The evening was unfolding precisely as I had orchestrated it. I glanced around the opulent restaurant I had deliberately chosen, admiring the rich golden tones of the décor, the heavy chandeliers casting their warm glow over the polished marble floors. This was not just a dinner; it was a carefully constructed display of power and wealth—a subtle message to the American Miles, a reminder that I run things here. It wasn’t about impressing Miles with flashy things, but about making him feel like he was already part of something larger than himself, something far-reaching and vital to boost his ego. Soft Middle Eastern music filled the space, and as the doors opened, I saw him enter—expectant, and eager for the conversation I was about to unfold. He walked in exactly as I’d arranged, alone but flanked by his two bodyguards, his gaze scanning the room with cautious interest.Miles was a man used to power and secrets, but I had come to understand that what he cra
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 19 - Manipulating the Powerful
Miles Carver’s POV The rhythmic chant echoes through the thick stone walls, waking me from a restless sleep. At first, it’s just a distant murmur, like the sound of a passing train. Then, as my mind claws its way to full consciousness, it becomes louder, sharper and more distinct. My eyes flicker open, my brain sluggish from last night’s entertainment, and a dull ache pulses through my head from the shots I drank. I sit up, disoriented, the taste of unfamiliar tea lingering on my tongue. I stretch and glance toward the window. Through the thick curtains, I catch a glimpse of movement in the courtyard below. A sea of disciplined bodies, marching in perfect formation, their synchronized steps in perfect harmony with the chant. Tariq’s men. “Ya Tariq! Ya Tariq! Ya Tariq!” The words swirl in the air, vibrating through the floorboards and rattling the frame of the window. I can’t help but grin. Tariq’s theatrics have a certain flair, and there’s an undeniable pull
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 18 - The Double Agent
Tariq Al-Mansour POV The Shatt al-Arab is my lifeline—a wide river born where the Tigris and Euphrates meet, cutting through Basra all the way to the Gulf. The city’s chaos works in my favor—oil, trade, ships coming and going at all hours. Perfect cover. I built my empire here for a reason. My vessels glide through the current, carrying artifacts, cash, and smuggled goods right under everyone’s noses. No one watches too closely when the whole city runs on dirty secrets. I pace the porch of my villa in Basra, a fortress of modern elegance, its black-and-white facade rising like a shadow against the Shatt al-Arab skyline. A perfectly trimmed garden lines the entrance below, hiding the biometric gates, while the faint scent of saffron incense wafts from hidden vents inside. My invisible security—disguised guards posing as staff, drones masquerading as birds—ensures my control, and a secret dock beneath the villa offers a swift escape to the Gulf if things happen to g
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 17 - Velvet Chains
Inside the dimly lit vehicle, Maria lay unconscious, tended to by one of Raffaele’s medics.“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my eyes flicking between her pale face and Raffaele’s unreadable expression.“You should be glad Kareem and Nabil weren’t dead—or worse,” he replied coolly.My jaw clenched. The adrenaline was still thick in my blood, my nerves frayed to the edge. “You did all this to keep me alive. To control me.” My voice was tight, nearly trembling.He didn’t flinch. His eyes stayed locked on mine—calm, intense, inescapable.“You’re damn right I did,” he said, unapologetic. “I did it because you’re valuable.”Valuable how? What exactly did he mean? He didn’t say—but I felt the unspoken words hanging heavy between us.“You can’t deny it anymore,” he added. “You’re part of this game—whether you like it or not.”His words dropped like stones.Later, as the car rolled into the parking lot of Ishtar hotel, he spoke again.Why are we going here and not to the beach house? I thought, feelin
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