All Chapters of Blood Ties And Silk Chains: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"How many shifts until I sell my soul?"Liora didn’t mean to say it out loud, but the question slipped between her teeth as she counted the stack of bills for the third time. Coffee orders hissed from the percolator. Somewhere in the kitchen, the fryer coughed oil like an old smoker. Her fingers itched toward her phone, toward the hospital’s number, but she shoved it back into her apron pocket before she could dial.“Table six needs more coffee,” Doris called from the counter, not looking up from her crossword.“On it.”The bell over the door chimed. Liora grabbed the pot, pasted on the same smile she’d been wearing for twelve hours straight, and turned toward the booth—only to see Benny Madsen and his brick-wall sidekick slide in like they owned the place.They didn’t own it. Not yet.Benny’s voice carried without effort. “Doris, we need to talk.”Doris stiffened but kept her pen on the crossword. “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.”“Not selling,” Benny said with a grin too wi

The elevator doors yawned open to chaos. One of Varian’s men had a pistol drawn, scanning the lobby through the open glass doors. Another barked into an earpiece.The moment they stepped out, the convoy was in motion—three SUVs, engines growling like something alive.“Middle car,” Varian ordered, shoving Liora ahead of him.“Stop manhandling me—”A sharp pop cracked the air. The nearest SUV’s side mirror exploded in a glitter of glass. Liora froze.“Move,” Varian snapped.A man in a hoodie darted between parked cars across the street, phone clamped to his ear. One of Varian’s shadows went after him, but Varian didn’t wait to see how it played out.The door slammed behind her as she tumbled into the SUV’s leather seat. Tyres squealed. The convoy peeled away from the curb in a tight formation—two in front, one behind.Liora twisted toward him. “This is insane. You’re making me a target.”“You already are one,” Varian said, pulling a phone from his coat. “It’s just you didn’t know how ma

Varian’s gaze stayed locked on the drawing. The fire’s reflection turned his eyes into molten steel.“Whose child is it, Liora?” he repeated, softer this time — which somehow made it worse.Liora forced her shoulders straight. “You’re rifling through my things now?”“I’m rifling through my problem,” he said. “Answer the question.”“She’s none of your business.”He set the lunchbox on the desk, deliberately, like he was putting down a weapon he still intended to use. “She.” He gestured to the drawing in his hand. “And everything you bring into my house becomes my business.”“You dragged me here—”“I saved you.”“You trapped me.”“You’d be dead in an alley if I hadn’t stepped in.” His tone didn’t rise, but the weight behind it slammed into her ribs. “Now I’m asking again. Who. Is. She?”Liora’s pulse roared in her ears. “A friend’s kid. I was holding onto her things.”“Friend’s kid,” he echoed, tasting the lie. “And the resemblance?”“Coincidence.”His jaw worked once, twice, like he wa

The penthouse door shut behind them with a soft click that felt like a lock.Bram set the black duffel on the marble floor like a warning. “All clean,” he told Varian. “Couch, closet, sink, light fixture, baseboard, laptop—burn it all.”Varian stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, city lights reflected in his eyes. He held a small stack of glossy photographs in one hand, flipping them like a deck of cards.The second Liora’s gaze landed on them, her breath stalled.It was the man from the lamppost. Close-ups. Side angles. Grainy street shots. Every frame made her stomach knot tighter.“Recognize him?” Varian’s voice was quiet but threaded with steel.“No.” She kept her answer quick and firm, hoping the speed would sell it.Varian studied her face for too long. “That’s funny,” he said finally. “Because he recognized you.”She shifted her weight. “You don’t know that.”He took a step toward her, slow and deliberate. “He didn’t follow Bram. He didn’t follow the convoy. He waited. For yo

Liora’s phone lit up with a message from Callum, the diner’s night manager.Don’t come in tomorrow. Or ever. Sorry. They said it wasn’t safe to keep you.She stared at the screen until the words blurred, then hit Callum’s number.He picked up on the second ring, voice low and rushed. “Liora, I can’t—don’t call again, okay? You know how it works when men like him start showing up.”“Men like who?” she said sharply.A pause. “You know who. The owner’s not going to take that kind of risk. You had shadows on you last night. That’s all it took.”“Callum—”“Don’t. Just… take care of yourself.” The line went dead.She stood in the middle of the penthouse kitchen, the quiet pressing in like an accusation.Footsteps behind her.“Something wrong?” Varian’s voice was casual, but she could hear the thread of awareness underneath.She turned slowly. “My boss just fired me.”One brow lifted. “Did you expect to keep slinging coffee after last night?”“It’s not last night,” she said, stepping toward