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Chapter 7 – Bruises and Butterflies
Last Updated:
2025-04-16 21:32:17
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Velvet Chains Chapter 8 – Dancing for the Devil
The club throbbed with its late-night energy—red lights, pounding bass, guys with too much cash and too little heart. But for Sera, time was slowing to a crawl.Since that night—since Valerio had touched her with more gentleness than she thought him capable of—something had shifted.He wasn't returned yet, but she could *feel* him in every darkness.The girls noticed.“You’ve got a secret admirer,” one teased as they slipped past her in the hallway. “Big spender, too.”Sera ignored the comment. But the weight of Valerio’s presence was impossible to shake.Another gift had arrived that morning. A simple thing—a black velvet ribbon tucked into a box. No note. Just the ribbon. A whisper of a collar.She’d left it at home.Still, it burned in her mind.*Dancing for the devil*, the phrase repeated.She hadn't even seen the club owner until his deep voice shook her out of the haze."Valez wants to see you," Gregor said to her.Sera blinked. "Now?"He nodded toward the back of the bar, where
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Velvet Chains Chapter 9 – The Non-stage Stage
The club pulsed with the strobe of red lights and thick bass, bodies crowded against one another in smoke and lust. But Sera was not on stage tonight—not before the catcalls of the crowd, not before the glare that reduced every dancer to a product.No. Tonight the rules had changed.Tonight, she was dancing for *one* man, alone.And she hadn't agreed to it."Sera," Carmen spat across the bar, dark eyes bulging. "He bought out the whole goddamn VIP room. Said he'd double what you make in a week.""I didn't consent," Sera growled, arms clamped around her chest."You actually think that's going to count? You think anyone ever says no to Valerio Moretti?"Sera's back bristled at the mention of his name.*The devil in designer black. The man who whispered ugliness without so much as a touch.*He had darkness for eyes and lips like sins soaked in promises. And he *wanted her*. Not the Ice Queen. Not the fantasy.*Her.*And that was what scared her.But curiosity had burned hotter than fear
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Velvet Chains Chapter 10 – Silk-Tethered
The club was quiet tonight.The music was muted, a soft beat in the shadows, a throb like the beat of an unseen heart below the surface of the building.Sera was in front of the mirror in the dancer's lounge, standing there staring at her reflection and not seeing it.Her fingertips caressed the outline of her collarbone.She'd never stopped thinking of last night. Of the way he'd *gazed* at her.About how she'd danced in clothes and somehow still made him hard.She hated the way it clung to her like a vice to sin—this said unspoken hunger but felt just as real.And she hated more the way that when she came out to the main floor, *he was already there waiting*.Valerio.The devil with eyes that promised everything she feared to want.He was in the same VIP room—again bought just for her. He wasn't appearing impatient. Didn't demand. Rather, he was reclining in his chair, arms on the armrests, that lazy, wicked smile playing at the edge of his mouth.When she entered the room, he didn'
Last Updated : 2025-04-16Velvet Chains Chapter 11 – Owned and Bought
Sera couldn't sleep that night.She paced the floorboards of her little apartment, aching feet still trembling from lingering adrenaline spawned from the conflict with Valerio.Each time she blinked, she could nearly feel the ghost of his phantasm on her skin. Hear the sinister oaths he made in shadows. No touch, no kiss… but he had left her body taut and throbbing, as though he *had* touched her.It was wrong. *He* was wrong.And she was wrong for craving it.She was lucky to get a few fitful hours' sleep before pulling herself back to the club the following evening, praying that somehow, in some way, Valerio had lost interest and moved on.But of course he hadn't.Sera slipped out the side entrance, dodging between the makeup women and the bouncers, making for the dressing rooms—only to be intercepted by Franco, the club owner. He was standing stiffly next to her locker, arms folded over his wide chest, a thin layer of sweat slicking his forehead despite the chilly air. "Sera,"
Last Updated : 2025-04-17Velvet Chains Chapter 12 – The Devil's Chains
The next morning, Sera woke to the rude boom of someone knocking on her door.She rolled over, struggling up from the worn mattress. Her whole body ached, each muscle taut with tension, with restless tossing and turning. Her broken nightstand's clock beeped out a bitter 7:02 AM.Way, way too early for anything to be good.Sera jerked the door open, ready to bark at whoever it was—And froze instantly.Two men in black suits stood in the hall. Both linebacker-huge, both wearing shades even in the grimy, dim lighting of her crummy apartment complex.Behind them was a third man. Younger, smoother. No shades. But his stance radiated *deadly* too.He gave her a crooked grin that didn't reach his hard brown eyes."Sera Vale?" he asked, voice as smooth as a car salesperson but with the unmistakable trace of a man who could snap a neck without wincing.She gulped hard."Who are you?" she croaked, keeping the door shut tighter.The younger guy stuck his hands innocently into his pockets. "N
Last Updated : 2025-04-17Velvet Chains Chapter 13 — The Price of Disobedience
Sera waited until after midnight.The penthouse was as silent as if she was the only one in it. The only sounds the distant hum of the city far below and the soft lapping of the curtains from the gentle air of the vent.Matteo had stood watch by the door before, but she'd seen through the peephole, waiting. Listening. At dinner, he'd disappeared—one way or another he'd assumed she was clever enough to know she couldn't get away. They hardly knew Sera Vale at all. With her heart racing, she jammed a few necessities into the little leather bag — ID, what little cash she had, her brother's hospital information.She wore her soft slippers into the house to mute her steps across the marble floor. All the shadows breathed. All the creaks of the wood made her nerves scream.The service elevator.She remembered Matteo having pointed it out in the first place, laughing. "Even rats have to have a way out, right?"It was hidden behind the big kitchen — probably where deliveries came and went.
Last Updated : 2025-04-17Velvet Chains Chapter 14 — Cracks in the Armor
Sera didn't say a word to him the next day.Not when Matteo delivered her breakfast — a lavish spread of fruit, pastries, coffee — on Valerio's orders. Not when she opened the front door that evening and heard the unmistakable thud of Valerio's heavy footsteps coming into the penthouse. Not even when he stood in the living room, eyes burning into her back where she was curled up on the giant velvet couch, lost in a book she wasn't even reading.All she had left to fight with was silence.She refused to look up. Refused to even glance at him.Valerio stood there for a moment.Then, silently, he vanished into the depths of the penthouse.Sera shook with her breath once he was gone.But her heart still pounded in her chest. She could sense every gasp he took when he was near, the way the air around him became dense. It was maddening. infuriating.She loathed him. She loathed the way he could make her body betray her. She loathed the way part of her—the weakest, darkest part—ached
Last Updated : 2025-04-18Velvet Chains Chapter 15 — Blood and Velvet
Sera thought she knew the shadows that lurked in Valerio Romano.She was wrong.It happened one evening, late.She had walked the perimeter of the penthouse, tense and restless, when she heard the noises of voices from the staircase — low, rough, insistent. Hairs on the back of her neck stood on end immediately.Sera knew she shouldn't be outside. Knew no good could ever come from listening in on the Devil.But her curiosity, her stubbornness, overpowered her.She crept towards the stairwell door, ear pressed against cold metal.She only caught fragments at first.".told you." ".disrespect."".deal was clear."".you *lied,* you little shit."And then a sickening *thud*, the unmistakable sound of flesh meeting flesh.Sera's stomach twisted.She rested her hand on the door, heart thumping painfully against her ribs.Another sound — a low, throaty groan of pain.And then—"You don't steal from me," Valerio's voice stated, icy and lethal."You don't lie to me."There was a gurgling, we
Last Updated : 2025-04-18
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Velvet Chains Chapter 46 – Mine in Every Way
Sera sat on the edge of the opulent bed, her fists gripping the silk robe that cascaded loosely over her bare skin. The opulent room was quiet—too quiet. A malevolent kind of quiet, the kind that pressed against her chest like invisible fingers.The door groaned open.Valerio stepped in, black shirt hanging open partway, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The air between them became heavy with tension, the air itself seeming to realize the seriousness of their desperation."You ran from me this morning," he growled, voice low. Smooth. Deadly.Sera stood up. "I needed space."His eyes went darker. "You don't get to run from me.""You bought my freedom and then stuck me in another cage."Valerio stalked toward her with the calm of a predator, each step measured. When he reached her, he didn’t touch—only stared, breathing her in. “This isn’t a cage. This is the safest place you’ve ever been.”“I don’t want safety,” she snapped. “I want control over my own life.”He tilted his head. “Then t
Velvet Chains Chapter 45 – The Calm Before the Chaos
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
Velvet Chains Chapter 44 – Secrets in Silk and Steel
Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains like a gentle promise. Sera awakened slowly beneath the silk sheets, her bare leg twined with Valerio's. She blinked sleepily, taking in the unfamiliar opulence of the bedroom—the velvet drapes, the minimalist black-and-gold decor, the subtle scent of his cologne permeated in the pillows.And him.Valerio.Still with her.Still there.She turned her head slightly and found him awake, propped on one elbow, watching her like she was something sacred. Something fragile. Something his hands had held all night and hadn’t broken.“Good morning,” he said, his voice gravelly and low, warm as the morning sun.Her heart fluttered. “You stayed.”“I told you,” he murmured, brushing her hair away from her face, “you’re the only one I’ve ever stayed for.”She swallowed. "That's not something I know how to deal with,"He leaned in, his lips grazing her temple. "Then don't deal with it. Just let it be."Sera didn't say anything, her eyes drifting to t
Velvet Chains Chapter 43 – The Morning After the Storm
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
Velvet Chains Chapter 42 – Branded
The room was quiet except for their breathing.Sera’s heart thundered in her chest as Valerio cradled the back of her neck, his forehead resting gently against hers. The heat between them hadn’t died — it had only grown quieter, thicker, curling around them like smoke.He hadn’t moved since he whispered those words.*You’re my queen now. My salvation.*Sera's fingers were bound in the gentleness of his shirt. Her knees weakened, and not from the kiss that had left her raw and shaking. It was what he'd spoken — the tone in which he spoke. As though it mattered everything. As though she was not just a woman who'd strayed into his realm, but something holy. Something his darkness had been in wait for.She should have fled.She should have screamed.She whispered instead, "Valerio…."He lifted his head slowly, stormy eyes the shade of a bruised sky — and yet somehow still soft — for her alone. One hand extended to caress her cheek, the rough fingertips scraping over her skin like a promis
Velvet Chains Chapter 41 — "Shadows at the Door"
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
Velvet Chains Chapter 40 — "A Devil's Choice"
The leather strap caressed her skin once again, tracing a lingering path down the arch of her spine.Sera trembled, blindfolded, naked, bound.Helpless.But her body deceived her — quivering with hunger instead of terror.Valerio's warm breath danced over her bare shoulder, sending her shivering."You look like a painting," he murmured, voice full of dark satisfaction. "A masterpiece meant only for me."Sera bit back a noise.The way he'd spoken — as though she were some prized treasure he'd overcome — had ignited a fire in her belly she didn't comprehend."Do you know what I want, Sera?" he whispered in her ear.Sera shook her head, speechless."I want to shatter you." he murmured."And then rebuild you. Piece by quaking piece."The leather strap cracked on her ass — hard, jarring pain.She cried out, but it was stifled in the air, smothered by humidity.Not hard enough to bruise.Only hard enough to mark her.Remind her who she was owned by.Valerio dropped the strap.She heard it f
Velvet Chains Chapter 39 — "Deeper into the Dark"
Sera woke up ensnared in silk sheets, her wrists still tender from the memory of Valerio's tie.The room was heavy with the scent of him — dark spices, leather, and sex.For a moment, she simply lay there, letting herself drift on the radiance of the night before.Her body ached in the best way possible.Her soul. was another matter.*Losing yourself,* a harsh voice said in her mind.But warning was too late.She'd belonged to him since the time she'd ejected him from her dressing room and made him desire her.A gentle knock at the door snapped her back to reality.She hadn't even had time to call out before the door opened.It was one of Valerio's men — not the same one this time.Younger. Virtually boyish.But the grit in his eyes was all mafia."The boss wants you ready in fifteen," he said. "Clothes are in the closet."Then he left, leaving tension behind.Sera swung her legs over the bed, her bare feet sinking into plush carpet.Her whole body ached with bruised pleasure.*Reward
Velvet Chains Chapter 38 — "A Devil's Promise"
Sera woke the following morning to an empty bed.The sheets beside her were still warm, scented with Valerio's aroma — dark, rich, intoxicating — but he was gone.For a while, she just lay there, feeling the ache between her thighs, the gentle bruising around her wrists where he'd pinned her down.They were marks of possession.Marks she should hate.But she didn't.Not yet.She groaned and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The silk slip she had worn to bed the previous night was torn and strewn on the floor, a testament to Valerio's loss of control.*Good,* she thought, a wry smile tugging at her mouth. *Let him lose control. Let him fall.*For she was falling too — harder and faster than she wanted to admit.Before she could slip into the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.Sera's heart missed a beat.For one wild moment, she wondered if it was Valerio — come back to finish what he'd started.But when she opened the door, it was another man.Tall. Somber. All
