The Velvet Key ranged

hello guys your welcome please enjoy the story 😊

-----×-----

The Velvet Key

The rain had been falling for hours, washing the streets of Ravenholm in a silver glow. Elias tightened his coat and checked his watch. She was late. Of course, she was.

From the shadows of the alley, she appeared — tall, sharp-eyed, wearing a deep crimson trench coat that seemed to defy the rain. Her heels clicked with precision, each step deliberate, like she was measuring the space between them.

“Mr. Vale,” she greeted, voice low and velvety.

“Miss Ren,” he replied, keeping his tone neutral.

“Keys,” she commanded, holding out her hand.

He hesitated. “You haven’t told me what’s inside yet.”

Her eyes narrowed, but a faint smirk appeared. “That’s because you’re not ready to know.” She stepped closer, so close he could smell the faint trace of jasmine mixed with the cold rain. “You do as I say, and maybe— maybe— I’ll let you find out.''

Elias felt the pull. She was impossible to read — part danger, part allure. Her gaze stayed locked on him as she snatched the keys from his palm, her gloved fingers brushing his skin like an electric shock.

Inside the dimly lit safehouse, she leaned against the table, tossing the keys down. “Sit,” she ordered.

He sat.

She removed her gloves slowly, watching his eyes track the motion. “You follow orders well,” she said. “I like that.”

“Why me?” he asked.

“You were chosen,” she replied simply. “And chosen men don’t question. They… obey.”

For a moment, their faces were inches apart, her hand brushing against his jaw as if she might kiss him. But then, she pulled back sharply, leaving only the ghost of her touch.

“Not tonight,” she whispered. “You haven’t earned it yet.”

She walked into the back room, locking the door behind her. Elias sat in the silence, pulse pounding, wondering if he was working for her — or falling into her.

Somewhere behind that door, a faint metallic click echoed. Whatever she was hiding… it was going to change everything.

---

The next time they met, she appeared again without warning, stepping out of the locked room holding a small black velvet pouch. She tossed it onto the table.

“Open it,” she said.

Inside was a single rusted key with a number engraved on it: 47.

“What’s this for?”

She circled him like a predator. “It’s for a room in the Rosehill Hotel. You’ll go there tomorrow at midnight. You’ll wait for me. You won’t speak to anyone. And you’ll bring nothing… except yourself.”

“And if I don’t?”

Her smile was dangerous. “Then you’ll never see me again.”

She stopped behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. “Go home, Elias. Sleep… if you can.”

---

The Rosehill Hotel smelled faintly of cedar and secrets. Elias found Room 47 at the far end, dimly lit by a single flickering bulb.

The door creaked open to reveal a single armchair facing the window, a bottle of red wine, and a note:

> Sit. Wait. No questions.

------×-------

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***