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Chapter 27 - The Black Rebellion
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2025-05-14 18:36:01
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The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 32 - The British Museum
Valentina’s POVThe curator named Nigel, an expert in charge of the Mesopotamian collection I was particularly interested in, led us through the halls with quiet authority.He was thin and lacked a muscular frame, unlike Raffaele—like someone who’d spent too many years hunched over magnifying glasses in the British Museum’s library.His tweed jacket looked like it hadn’t changed since the ’90s, complete with elbow patches and the faint scent of old paper.They’re the ones who select, research, preserve, and present artifacts—just like Laleh, my father’s colleague from the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. And apparently, they also guide VIP tours when the guests are important enough.Being a Ricchezza, as of now, did come with its own special brand of charm and privilege.And tonight, that was us.“Look, Raffaele!” I squealed, unable to hide my excitement.“The Assyrian lamassu—human head, body of a lion, wings like an eagle. They used to place them at the entrances of cities and pa
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 31 - Under the Glass Sky
Raffaele held my arm as we walked at a steady pace, the British Museum opening its doors exclusively for us. The world outside melted into background noise as we stepped into the grand halls.Just before entering, I paused to admire the towering stone pillars and the great lion statue guarding the gate. It made me think of Lorenzo. I bet he missed me too.I giggled.“What’s so funny, Mrs. Ricchezza?” Raffaele asked, raising a brow.“Oh, just thought of Lorenzo,” I said, smiling to myself. “He would’ve loved it here.”Raffaele smirked. “You’re always so dramatic. Lorenzo would knock over every stone in this place, grind them to dust with his paws, and act like he did something heroic—just so you’d pet him.”I laughed. “He’s so charming, isn’t he? Can’t help it if he wants my attention all the time.”I leaned in slightly, voice lilting. “King of the jungle… and the Al-Faw Peninsula. Ruler of the whole Persian Gulf, if you ask him.”Raffaele gave me a sidelong glance. “Sounds familiar.”
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 30 – The Claridge’s Fitting
Raffaele had brought me the usual way to the private flight field near his jet. His hand brushed my lower back for support, and his warmth—God, why couldn’t I stop thinking about him? He smirked, leaning in close. “Did you miss me yet, Valentina?” I leaned in too. “Maybe just a little,” I murmured, still feeling weak from the fish poison Tariq had so graciously served. He settled across from me as the jet hummed to life, watching me with that cool, unreadable gaze. “You stole the spotlight,” he said, voice low and almost admiring. “Hijacked his entire stage. Even I didn’t see it coming.” I gave him a lazy smile. “Neither did he. That’s what makes it art.” “You embarrassed him. And you made me bleed seven million for bracelets you didn’t even take.” He chuckled. “I didn’t need the bracelets,” I said. “I needed the moment. To create momentum.” Raffaele tilted his head. “And what exactly did you prove?” “That I’m not for sale.” He paused—just long enough to make me wonder if
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 29 - Fragments of a Larger Story
Valentina’s POVThe world feels like it’s swaying, a gentle rocking that pulls me under waves of heat and cold.My eyelids are heavy, glued shut by some invisible force, but a soft murmur seeps through the fog. Voices—familiar, frantic—dance around me, tugging at the edges of my consciousness.I’m lying on something soft, a bed maybe?The scent of saltwater clings to the air, mingling with expensive Chanel No. 5 and a hint of orange blossom. Sunlight streams through the curtains, marking another morning I almost didn’t see. The beach house. We must be back. But how did I get here?That smell—it’s Maria. And Nonna Guiliana.A cool hand brushes my forehead, and I hear Maria’s voice, sharp with worry. “She’s still burning up, Nonna. Are you sure Raffaele’s… whatever that gel was the doctor injected—works?”Her tone wavers, and I want to reach for her, to tell her I’m okay, but my arms feel like lead.“Calmati, Maria,” Nonna Guiliana says, her gravelly voice steady as ever. “Raffaele s
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 28 - The Poisoned Chalice
Valentina’s POV The private salon at Château du Sailhant reeked of power games and overcompensation. Gilded candelabra cast honey-glazed light over a table groaning with lavish French dishes—truffled foie gras, oysters in crystal bowls, a roasted duck glistening with olive oil. Every detail screamed curated excess. Everything was set for five. Just me and Raffaele and them. Tariq sat at the head, naturally. Raffaele and I took the seats at the other side of the table, opposite him and as far away as possible. Next to Tariq sat two men I’d rather forget I ever met before. I recognized the older one instantly—the informant who had tried to get me killed. He was now wearing a sharp suit instead of that ridiculous red scarf and tattered clothes back at the warehouse. The other… I remembered his face. The black market setup. The way he’d cornered and knocked out Maria like it was nothing. My blood boiled at the sight. And Tariq noticed how my eyes narrowed and darkend. A la
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 27 - The Black Rebellion
In front of the bathroom mirror, I draw a line of smoky eyeliner beneath my eyes, sharpening them into something unrecognizable.Tariq had placed us in the very front earlier, VIP seats, center view. Not out of courtesy, but control. From that angle, he could watch every flicker of my expression, every breath I took tonight.He wanted to see me squirm. Wanted to make me feel small beneath his gaze. And Raffaele, sensing it too, had kept a steady protective hand on my thigh all night. From my black evening clutch with a gold handle, I pull out my phone and press a single contact.“I’m ready. Meet me at the back entrance. My bag has everything.”The name on the entertainment program?Inanna.No one suspects it’s me.Not Raffaele.Not even Tariq.I’d slipped away earlier under the polite excuse of powdering my nose. What the guests didn’t know—what Tariq hadn’t even considered was that the mysterious headliner wasn’t some imported diva flown in to dazzle the elite.It was me.Inann
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 26 - The Auction
Valentina’s POVThe great ballroom of Sailhant Castle—once a grand medieval hall—had been exquisitely transformed for Tariq’s opulent auction gala.The space retained its historical grandeur: a high, exposed wooden ceiling painted deep crimson with thick beams, now dressed in cascading garlands of red roses and gold ribbons that gave the hall a festive, imperial air.The stone walls, once bare and cold, were softened by rich drapes of velvet—crimson and gold—falling in thick folds that preserved the castle’s character while elevating it to decadence.At the far end, the massive fireplace crackled softly, its hood adorned with delicate gold filigree. The flames cast a warm glow across the polished wooden floor, gleaming like a mirror beneath the candlelight.“You look breathtaking, Valentina,” Raffaele purrs into my ear, his voice low and smooth.I lean into his warmth, the scent of his cologne mingling with mine—coconut and vanilla, the exotic blend I’d chosen deliberately, leaving a
The Tycoon’s Temptress - Red Flower’s Chase Chapter 26 - Château du Sailhant
Valentina’s POVThe Ricchezza beach house was still draped in the quiet hush of morning.I had spent the last hours pressed into Raffaele’s warmth, my cheek rising and falling with the rhythm of his heart beat as I watched him sleep. Only the faint whisper of silk separated our bodies.I had been tangled up in Raffaele’s embrace, pressed close to the familiar shape of him that I so reluctantly missed, with his arms wrapped around me.The early light spilled through the curtains in soft peach and gold, brushing across the curve of his beautiful face, gilding the hard lines of his chest.First, I slipped into the outfit I’d laid out the night before—pressed navy silk trousers and a pale blue blouse with a delicate gold clasp at the collar. Sleek flats waited by the door, and I tucked my oversized sunglasses beside them.Then, moving quickly, I began to pack the rest.Beneath layers of carefully arranged clothing, I slid in the things Raffaele mustn’t see—items meant for something a li
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
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