All Chapters of Velvet Chains: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

The wind howled as the black SUV cut through the mountain roads leading to the old convent. It was perched on a cliff like a forgotten relic of a more pious time, its spires reaching into the clouds like broken fingers. Sera had seen a lot of ominous places—but something about this one made her skin crawl.“This is where she kept her secrets?” Sera asked, gripping the edge of her seat.Valerio nodded, eyes on the crumbling structure as it loomed ahead. “It used to be a sanctuary. Before Lucrezia bought it out, turned it into one of her storage sites for blood money and worse.”The gates were rusted but unlocked, swinging open with a groan that echoed down the stone driveway. Moss covered the steps, vines swallowing the once-beautiful statues of saints that lined the outer courtyard. Nature was reclaiming what Lucrezia had abandoned.They entered the chapel first. Dust choked the air, and the thick scent of mold curled in Sera’s nose. Light poured in through broken stained glass window

The aftermath of the Donati Gala spread like wildfire across the underground. Whispers of Sera's bold confrontation with Lucrezia reached every ear that mattered, and while Valerio had orchestrated it as a calculated risk, the implications now throbbed with greater weight. They had declared, without words, that the war was no longer in shadows.Lucrezia would retaliate.Back at the villa, tension tightened around every hallway. Guards doubled. Every phone call was monitored. Sera could barely sit still. Her hands were always moving now—flipping pages she couldn’t focus on, tracing the rim of her coffee cup, tapping to the rhythm of her pounding thoughts.Dario was the first to break the silence that morning. He entered the main study where Valerio was poring over maps and sealed envelopes."Our source made contact," he said. "Inside Lucrezia's compound."Valerio looked up sharply. "How much did they get?""Enough to confirm she’s planning an extraction," Dario replied. "She wants to t

Rain slicked the cobblestone streets of Milan, turning them into serpentine trails of silver under the glow of streetlamps. Valerio stepped out of the armored car, the collar of his coat turned up against the chill, eyes scanning the rows of abandoned warehouses ahead. This was it. The outer layer of Lucrezia's operation. The Serpent's Den, as Dario had named it.Beside him, Sera emerged, dressed in all black, a bulletproof vest beneath her jacket and a steely determination in her eyes that made her look every bit the mafia queen she never intended to become. No longer was she the outsider; tonight, she was the dagger behind the throne."Three guards at the east exit," she murmured, holding up her small comm device. "They’re armed but distracted. We go in quiet."Valerio glanced at Ezra, who nodded from the other side of the car. A silent cue was given. Two of his men peeled away, shadows in the night, approaching the entrance."You remember what to do if it goes sideways?" Valerio as

The mansion was no longer quiet.In the days following Lucrezia's capture, Valerio's estate brimmed with movement. Men marched in and out. Allies arrived with their entourages, pledging fealty with veiled eyes and cautious words. The silence that once protected Valerio's power had been replaced with something else entirely—a storm of whispers and wary loyalty.Sera stood at the balcony of the master bedroom, watching it all unfold below. She wore one of Valerio's shirts—crisp white, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows—and nothing else. The early sun touched her skin with gold. Her hair was a mess of waves. The bruises from the fight with Lucrezia were fading, but the fire in her chest remained bright.Behind her, Valerio stirred. The sheets rustled as he sat up, bare-chested, his scars catching in the morning light. He said nothing at first, simply watched her. Sera could feel his eyes, heavy and possessive, burning a trail down her spine."They fear me now more than ever," he said fi

The sun had barely risen when Valerio summoned his lieutenants again. The air inside the safehouse buzzed with tension. This was no longer a game of shadows. It was a declaration of war.Lucien laid out the digital duplicates of the ledger on the screen. Names. Numbers. Code words. And blood trails that led back to the top. Lucrezia Thorne wasn’t just involved; she orchestrated every major move over the last decade.“She used your father as a puppet,” Lucien said, pointing to one entry. “And after his death, she tried to use you.”Valerio stood with arms folded, his jaw rigid. “No more. She ends today.”Sera sat beside him, her presence calm but electrified with resolve. The intimacy they’d shared last night lingered in his mind like the taste of wine—heady and intoxicating. But today, blood would replace it.Dario entered last, face pale, phone in hand. “We’ve confirmed movement at Lucrezia’s estate. Heavily armed. Reinforcements arriving from the east port. She knows we’re coming.”