Velvet Chains

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se quicken-not from excitement, but from a curious, simmering unease she couldn't quite place. It was stra

the clouds. For the first time in years, she wasn't running-at least, not from anything o

ture-just a shimmering gold envelope with the letters V.C. embossed

a sanctuary for those who

st ignored the pull deep in h

ard a mysterious island she had only seen in grainy ph

lutter in her stomach. Her nerves weren't just about the unknown

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black linen suit, his presence was commanding without being intrusive.

d smoothly, "we're pr

eful for the distr

a runway carved out of the dense island jungle. The humid air hit her like a w

waited her, the eng

ng the door for her. "I'll be you

elt more like a warn

over the lush greenery that stretched beyond the

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otted the path, flickering like fireflies. The estate emerged suddenly, a breathtaking contrast of dark wood a

ice broke t

tay long. And fewe

m, surprised by th

ou find here isn't just pleasure. It's transfo

art sk

as here because she was broken, and she needed to b

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alls whispered stories Alina couldn't yet hear, paintings h

it, savoring the bittersweet taste. The silence pressed down o

're

g in the shadows, the man from her d

ian

ke that, th

els clicking softly against the marble steps. The evening air was thick, heavy with a warm b

beneath the soft glow of the lanterns. "Welcome t

indows glowing like watchful eyes. Despite the

e. "It's as much a pris

. "I didn't come her

freedom isn't what most expect. Her

re the scent of sandalwood mingled with the faintest

t twisted into abstract shapes, and paintings of women in various states of vulnerability and p

ard a velvet-draped

ng the weight of hi

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mchairs and low tables, flickering candles casting lo

from a decanter. "It's customary

y liquid swirling enticingly. She

gainst hers. "To trans

k to just the two of them. Her breath caught again-t

y despite the flutter in her che

almost sad. "Because you need

y for

ng to a whisper. "To be undone and rebuilt.

nd her glass. The words were a challen

y the soft click of a d

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, with dark hair falling in loose waves, and eyes that gle

ian

, slow and deliberate, as

ce smooth as silk, but with an edg

eyes, refusing

mething darker. "I see you've met Lucian. He

nodded

Alina felt the heat of his p

journey you sought. But remember-everything

ended

tated, the

me had

whirl of emotions threatened to pull her under. She noticed the slight tension

n the flickering candlelight. The warmth of the fire mixed with the t

that Velvet Chains isn't just a place. It's a state of mind.

weight of his gaze heavy

wing. "You can leave.

eavy like the scent of the gardenias outsid

awaits," he said quietly, "and it's custom to break

staircase and into a dining hall lit by a grand chandelier. The room was decorated in d

their faces obscured. The air was charged with ant

him. Alina hesitated before sitting opposite a woman with pi

oice smooth and measured. "You'll find that

lized - Alina felt the weight of eyes watching her every move. She

t loaded, words veiling meanin

her, his gaze

ssian leaned closer. "Tomorrow," he whispered, "you'll

y ahead was about more than desire or escape - it was abo

ate, their footsteps muffled by thick Persian rugs. The house seemed to pulse

way from the warmth of the dining room. The flickering sconces cast u

a heavy oak door. "Tomorrow will challenge e

athed in moonlight filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows. A canopy bed stood

ote, the handwritin

e in the fa

s as a strange mix of hope a

u need anything, call. But rememb

ded, "Cassian will se

osed with a

kin. She stared at the ceiling, her mind a whirlwind of que

ng its ancient song, a lulla

ure which on

ingling with the faint trace of sandalwood that lingered in the room. Outside, the

calm waters, and how Lucian seemed to carry the weight of unspoken truths. The

the cryptic promise of freedom wrapped in vel

awn to the windows that overlooked the estate's gardens. The nigh

ovement cau

ong the garden path-a woman, slender and grace

oft glow revealing a face both beautiful and haunting. Their eyes met f

was she? Another guest? O

claimed her, but the image of that mysterious wo

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that blurred the edges of reality. Alina dressed carefully, her f

hallway, his expression un

he said, leading her

ed but intense. Alina's eyes searched the room for the mysteri

fter, his presence immedi

ce rich with promise. "Today

ers with unwav

owed, steel

at least, she