All Chapters of The Butcher's Bride: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

Raven's povChapter : Honeymoon LiesSantorini.That’s where Sienna thinks I should spend my “honeymoon.”Honeymoon.A joke wrapped in white silk and gold-dusted lies.With a man I’ve barely seen since we exchanged rings two weeks ago. Rings that still feel like handcuffs.“I’m not going to Santorini,” I say flatly.Sienna groans, tossing the glossy travel pamphlet on the coffee table. It skids across the surface, nearly knocking over her half-empty cup of matcha.“Why not? It’s stunning. Blue roofs, white buildings, the ocean! You could heal your soul there.”“Maybe when I have a real wedding. A real marriage,” I mutter, taking a sip of my coffee. It burns my tongue,scalding, bitter, perfect.“For now,” I continue, “there’s no way in hell I’m flying off to paradise with Leon Vitali.”Sienna frowns, flipping through a wedding magazine like she’s searching for answers in the folds of a veil. “Do you even want a real marriage?”Her question lingers in the air like the scent of strong es

Chapter 14: Silk and Smoke Raven’s POV I’m halfway through a glass of red wine when I hear the knock. Not a timid one. Sharp. Precise. A warning in rhythm. I already know who it is. I don’t say a word. Just stare at the door until it creaks open and Leon steps inside, flanked by silence and shadows. He doesn’t look at me right away. He’s holding something in his hand,a long black garment bag. "You're not the type to knock,” I say, setting my glass down. "Tonight, I felt generous." His voice is smooth, but the undercurrent is sharp. He walks toward me, tossing the bag onto the bed like it’s a wrapped threat. “Get dressed. We’re leaving at nine.” I raise a brow. “Leaving for what?” He finally looks at me then, eyes scanning me with the same detached interest he might give a glass of bourbon. “There’s a party. A fundraiser. Politicians, businessmen, a few people with blood on their hands. Our kind of crowd.” I fold my arms. “Why do I need to be there?” “Because you

Chapter 16: Blood and VelvetRaven’s POVThe afternoon sun doesn’t warm me.It burns.Leon acts like nothing happened. He strolls around the mansion like he didn’t have another woman in his bed while I stood in the shadows listening. Like he didn’t spill betrayal from his lips before swallowing hers.But I smile at him.Soft. Sweet. Hollow.He doesn’t deserve my rage.Instead, I take my coffee into the courtyard where the vines grow too wild and call Sienna.She answers on the second ring, her voice still sleepy. “This better be important. I just got my lashes done.”“I need a favor.”She sighs. “You always do.”“I need access to La Rue Noire tonight.”A pause. Then a low whistle. “That kind of night?”I say nothing.“I’ll pull strings. You’ll need a mask.”“I already have one.”“Do I want to know why you’re going?”“No.”“Do I want to stop you?”I smile into my cup. “You’d die trying.”She chuckles. “Text me your alias. I’ll get you on the list.”By dusk, my alias is approved.Rosa V