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 32: Shadows in the Garden

Laurent's confirmation was all they needed. The night's tension thickened as Seraphina and Adrian stepped off the balcony and into the gardens. The path before them was lined with carefully trimmed hedges, their dark silhouettes casting shadows against the lantern-lit stone walkway. A cool breeze whispered through the leaves, carrying the distant echoes of the masquerade's music.

Seraphina exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the moment settle over her. This was no longer a game played in courtly circles—it was a battle waged in the silence between words, in the space between shadows. Tonight, alliances would be tested, and Delacroix would either reveal his hand or be forced to fold.

Adrian walked beside her, his presence steady, unreadable. "Laurent will make sure Delacroix believes he's still in control."

Seraphina glanced at him, her voice soft but sure. "He's about to realize just how wrong he is."

Ahead, Laurent stood partially concealed by a column of ivy, his stance relaxed but purposeful. "He's on his way. He's cautious but curious."

Adrian smirked. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing."

They moved deeper into the garden, toward a secluded alcove where moonlight barely reached. Here, where the air was thick with the scent of roses and damp earth, the final act of the night's play would unfold.

Footsteps approached—measured, deliberate. Seraphina remained motionless, letting the silence press in around them, a silent hunter waiting for her prey to step into the snare.

He paused just beyond the threshold of the alcove, eyes flicking over the three of them with careful calculation. His usual air of easy arrogance remained, but there was something sharper beneath it tonight. A wariness that betrayed his understanding of the game's shifting tides.

"Duchess Valemont," he greeted, his tone smooth. "Your Grace. Quite the private gathering you have here."

Seraphina met his gaze, offering a polite, almost amused smile. "Some conversations require privacy."

Delacroix's lips quirked. "Indeed. And what, pray tell, is this particular conversation about?"

Adrian stepped forward, his voice carrying the weight of quiet authority. "It's about choices, Delacroix. And consequences."

The marquis tilted his head, feigning intrigue, though Seraphina caught the subtle tension in his stance. "That sounds rather ominous."

She took a single step closer, unhurried but deliberate. "You've spent years moving in the shadows, weaving your influence into places where you believed no one was watching."

Delacroix let out a low chuckle. "A crime, is it? To be well connected?"

"No," Adrian murmured. "But it is a crime to back the wrong side."

For the first time, something flickered in Delacroix's expression—uncertainty. He glanced at Laurent, then back to Adrian and Seraphina. The weight of their combined presence had begun to press down on him.

Seraphina's voice was silk over steel. "The question is, Marquis—how much are your secrets worth?"

The silence between them stretched, the tension wound tight as a blade poised to strike. Tonight would change everything. The only question remaining was who would survive the game they had set in motion.