Semua Bab Velvet Chains: Bab 121 - Bab 130

The air in the Vault was tense—no longer from fear, but from anticipation. The kind that hums like electricity before a storm. Everyone moved with sharper purpose, conversations clipped, eyes more alert. Sera Vale had set fire to their fear, and now they were all moving to the beat of her vengeance.But vengeance alone wouldn’t win this war.Strategy would.Sera stood before the war table again, this time flanked not just by Valerio, but by Camila, Matteo, Bruna, and two newly arrived figures—Isolde Reyes and Kaito Ren, former operatives from a disbanded international spy ring who owed Sera a blood-debt.Lucrezia’s reach had gone global.So would their counterattack.The map displayed before them wasn’t just of Italy—it stretched across continents, dotted with red, blue, and black pins. Safehouses. Shell companies. Illegal tech labs. Black market ports.“We’re not dealing with the old underworld anymore,” Sera began, voice cool and clipped. “Lucrezia isn’t just resurrecting her empire

The island didn’t exist on any official map.No satellite images. No maritime records. No flagged coordinates. Just open ocean marked by dangerous currents and a warning: Restricted Military Waters.But Talik’s intel confirmed it—Lucrezia’s fortress.A place where she stored more than wealth. A graveyard of secrets. Of everything she couldn’t burn fast enough when the world began to see her for what she was.Sera stood before the large digital map projected in the war room, arms crossed over her chest, her black combat gear zipped halfway up. Her expression was unreadable, but her jaw clenched as data flickered across the screen.“We have three access points,” Matteo said, pointing. “One is a dock with motion-sensor mines lining the ocean floor. The other is a helipad with anti-air defenses. And the last…”“A disguised underwater tunnel,” Camila finished grimly. “Narrow. Probably filled with motion-triggered security. But if we disable the sensors, it’s our best shot.”“How many guard

The moment the warehouse doors clanged shut behind them, a thick silence fell over the room, interrupted only by the quiet shuffling of armed guards and the soft sobs of Nova nestled against Sera’s chest.Valerio stood just beyond the flickering overhead light, his face painted in shadows, but his presence felt heavier than the air. The room reeked of gun oil, sweat, and fear. Sera held Nova tighter, brushing her fingers through the child’s tangled hair, whispering soft reassurances she herself wasn’t sure she believed."We're safe for now," Valerio said, his voice gravelly from smoke and grit.Sera nodded but didn’t look at him. Her mind was still spinning. The AI facility, the near-death escape, the betrayal by people she thought were allies. And somewhere in the midst of it all, she had trusted Valerio again. Let him touch her. Hold her. She hated how natural it felt."We need to move her," Valerio added, stepping forward into the dim light. His eyes locked on Nova, not with warmth

The next morning dawned gray, the sky heavy with unshed rain. It mirrored the tightness in Sera’s chest, the sense that something was about to crack wide open. She stood at the edge of the bed, watching Valerio button his shirt with methodical precision."You're quiet today," he said without looking up."I'm thinking." She tied her hair into a messy knot. "Trying to predict how Enzo will react when I confront him."Valerio’s fingers paused mid-button. “You're still sure about doing this alone?”She nodded. “He trusts me. Or at least, he underestimates me. That’s something I can use.”Valerio walked over, his presence commanding, overwhelming. He rested his hands on her hips. “If anything feels off—anything—walk away. I’ll be nearby. Watching.”Sera looked up into his eyes. “Do you trust me to handle this?”“I trust you with my fucking life,” he murmured. “That’s what scares me.”She kissed him—soft, lingering, a promise without words—then pulled away. “Time to smoke out the traitor.”

The dungeon beneath the Moretti estate wasn’t used often—but when it was, the air grew thick with silence and steel. Cold stone walls kept secrets, and blood had once stained the same floor Enzo now knelt on.Chains clinked with every breath he took. His arms were strung above him, wrists rubbed raw. Days without sunlight had turned his skin a sickly hue, and his once-coiffed hair was matted with sweat. But what shook Valerio the most wasn’t Enzo’s appearance—it was the spark of defiance still burning in his eyes.Sera stood to the side of the room, arms crossed, dressed in all black again. Her face was unreadable. Behind her, Matteo leaned against the wall, silent.Valerio stepped into the room slowly, a glass of water in one hand.“You thirsty?” he asked.Enzo licked his chapped lips, but didn’t reply.Valerio crouched before him and held the glass just out of reach. “This can be yours.