Semua Bab Velvet Chains: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Sera woke tangled in sumptuous silk sheets, the acrid scent of Valerio lingering on her skin.She forgot where she was.Forgot who she was.The welts on her wrists — thin but real — the only proof last night hadn't been a fever delusion.She slowly sat up, wrapping the sheet around her breast.The rich suite was quiet, gold light filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows.No sign of Valerio.Sera's heart tightened unexpectedly.She told herself it was relief.Freedom.Not… disappointment.She slid out of bed, searching for her thrown-off clothes.But in place of her simple dress and undergarments, she found a white satin robe draped across a chair — expensive, delicate, obviously bought for her.The price tag was still attached.Another reminder: she was property now. Bought, taken, dressed up like a doll in his own world.Sera belted on the robe, cinching the fabric tightly around her waist.The knot felt like a noose.She walked barefoot to the window and looked out over the city s

Morning light poured through the transparent drapes, casting in soft golden streams over the silk bedding. Sera woke up first, the familiar stiffness that gripped her limbs each morning mysteriously absent.Heat surrounded her. A broad arm circled her waist, pulling her back against the hard chest behind her. The steady, even rise and fall of his breathing caressed the base of her neck. Valerio.Her heart missed a beat.She should have moved away.She didn't.She allowed herself to remain there, absorbing the evasive silence. The sheets were scented with him—rich spice and warmth. The scent of power and danger. Of her fall.She hadn’t meant to fall asleep in his arms last night. Hadn’t meant to surrender like that—emotionally, physically. But when he whispered *"You’re my queen now. My salvation,"* something in her broke. Or healed. She still wasn’t sure.His grip around her waist tightened slightly. A soft grunt vibrated against her shoulder.“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice still

Sera awakened slowly, the silk sheets wrapping around her body like a second skin. Her body still hummed from the night before—their slow, lazy petting, the way Valerio had treated her like fragile glass, the intensity in his eyes as though he was afraid she'd disappear if he blinked.For once, there had been no command, no restraint on her wrists, no domination. Just. him. Bare. Honest.And it frightened her.She tossed on the bed, the satin sheet slipping down her bare shoulder. Valerio was seated on the edge of the bed, shirtless, broad shoulders tense, hands running through his dark hair as he stared at something distant.There was always something simmering beneath his silence—a tempest waiting to explode."You never sleep," she whispered, her voice still rough from sleep. and from the soft moans he had drawn from her last night.Valerio turned his head, and for an instant, his eyes softened. "Couldn't. Not with you beside me."A blush climbed her cheeks.She reached for the robe

Morning light dropped in soft gold on the room, lighting the chaos she'd left behind. Sera stirred, bed sheets tangled around her legs, muscles screaming in pain.But even before morning completely opened its eyes, before she'd even blinked, the memories hit her like a tidal wave.Valerio's mouth.His hands.The way he utilized her body as his tool, playing her until she broke apart into fragments for him.She shivered, pulling the sheet tightly around her. From somewhere in the suite, she could hear the low rumble of his voice on the phone. Business. Deals. Violence muttered just beneath the surface, the same as it ever was with him.Sera slipped quietly out of bed, her feet making soft bare footsteps on the cold marble floor. She found her robe crumpled at the foot of the dresser and slid it over her shoulders, belting the tie tightly around her waist as if it would shield her from the jumbled chaos in her chest.By the racket, Valerio was still working. Good. She needed space. Need

Valerio never left Sera's side.Not even for an instant.After the attack, he was a quiet ghost haunting her around the suite—observing, guarding, *staking* her out with his presence. It was dominating, yes. Smothering, certainly. But Sera realized it now.He wasn't trying to imprison her.He was trying to keep her alive.Breathing.His.The hours blurred. Sera hugged him on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket, while Valerio made call after call in a language she didn't understand. His voice was suave, deadly. She heard snippets like *cleanup*, *loyalty check*, and *blood for blood*.Her stomach twisted.This wasn't over.It was only just beginning.Finally, Valerio ended the calls and approached her, pulling her into his lap as if she were fragile. As if she would shatter if he wasn't careful. He didn't speak. Didn't wonder if she was okay.He just held her.Long minutes went by between them.Finally, Sera leaned back far enough to study him.Valerio's face was set, unyielding. His