KayElle

Lady Seraphina Evernight never imagined her wedding day would feel like a death sentence. Forced to marry the ruthless Duke Adrian Valemont, the very man suspected of destroying her family, she vows to uncover the truth and make him pay. But the deeper she digs into Adrian’s past, the more she realizes that her father’s downfall was no simple betrayal—secrets buried in blood and deceit may shatter everything she thought she knew.

Yet Adrian is not the monster she expected. Behind his cold eyes lies a man battling demons of his own, and the more she seeks revenge, the more she finds herself tangled in a web of court intrigue, deadly whispers, and a desire she never anticipated.

In a marriage built on vengeance, can love ever take root? Or will their vows be written in thorns and ruin?

VOW OF THORNS

Chapter 14: Shadows in the Manor

The letter burned in Seraphina's palm long after Adrian had left.

Beware the one closest to you.

The words coiled around her thoughts like a creeping vine, planting seeds of doubt where she had none before. The warning felt too deliberate, too personal. But who had sent it? And who was it meant to protect her from?

Or someone she had yet to suspect?

She exhaled and tucked the letter into the folds of her gown. If Adrian was searching for the sender, so would she. But first, she needed more answers about the Valemont family's past.

The manor's library stretched high into the shadows of the candlelit ceiling, its shelves lined with dusty tomes that whispered forgotten secrets. The scent of parchment and ink filled the air, grounding her as she ran her fingers along the spines of history books and family records.

Then, in the dim glow of the sconces, a name caught her eye—Evelyne Valemont.

Her pulse quickened as she pulled the heavy volume free, the pages fragile beneath her touch. She scanned the text, searching for anything beyond the carefully curated facts of noble lineage.

Evelyne Valemont, Duchess of Valemont, passed under tragic circumstances. Her death was recorded as an unfortunate accident. The details remain undisclosed, as per the family's wishes.

Seraphina frowned. An accident? That was the official story Adrian had implied, but the vague phrasing only deepened her suspicion. She turned the page, seeking more, but before she could read further, the sound of movement made her still.

Seraphina turned sharply, her heart pounding—

Only to find Lady Eleanor standing in the doorway, her expression unreadable.

"You should not be here, my lady," Eleanor said softly.

Seraphina met her gaze, refusing to yield. "Why?"

The older woman hesitated, stepping forward as she lowered her voice. "Because the last Duchess who went looking for answers never left this manor alive."

A chill laced down Seraphina's spine, but she lifted her chin. "Evelyne?"

Eleanor's gaze flickered toward the open doorway, as if she feared unseen ears. "Yes. And she was not the only one."

Seraphina's fingers clenched around the book, its pages crinkling beneath her grip. "Then tell me—how did she die?"

The housekeeper exhaled slowly, measuring her words. "No one truly knows. She was found in her chambers—lifeless. The official story was an accident, but those who served her whispered otherwise."

Seraphina swallowed hard. "What did they whisper?"

The weight of Eleanor's words pressed down on her chest. Murdered. And now she, Adrian's new wife, was receiving warnings to beware those closest to her.

Seraphina's mind raced. Who had wanted Evelyne dead? And if there had been others, why?

"Who would have wanted her gone?" she asked, her voice quieter now, as if speaking the question too loudly would summon the ghosts of Valemont Manor.

Eleanor's lips pressed into a thin line. "That, my lady, is a question only your husband can answer."

Seraphina's breath hitched. Adrian. The man who had married her for reasons he refused to explain. The man who held too many secrets in his silver-eyed gaze. The man whose mother had been murdered under this very roof.

Eleanor reached out, placing a gentle but firm hand on Seraphina's wrist. "Be careful, my lady," she whispered. "You are not the first to ask these questions."

Seraphina held her gaze. "And what happened to those who did?"

Eleanor's silence was answer enough.

Seraphina inhaled deeply, steadying the storm within her. Whatever had happened to Evelyne, whatever darkness lurked within these walls—she would uncover it.