Violet_167

Isabella Beaumont figured she was making a smart, if desperate, trade: her freedom in exchange for marrying the dreaded Duke Alaric Thorne. 
Sure, the guy had a reputation darker than a moonless night, whispered about in every corner of the kingdom, but it was just a contract, right? A way to escape a brutal past that had literally left its mark on her face. 
She wasn’t expecting warmth, and definitely not passion. But then Alaric, this formidable, feared man, starts acting… protective. His unexpected kindness will make her want to throw away her protective mask and actually fall for the man who was supposed to be just her ticket to freedom. 
Just as Isabella starts believing she might actually deserve happiness, everything begins falling apart around them.
With the villains on the loose, old wounds being ripped open, and everyone’s true colors showing, is this sudden, fierce love strong enough to survive the storm? Or will the darkness from their pasts and the deadly games shatter everything they’re starting to build?

The Masked Duchess

Baron Reginald paced in his study, wringing his hands as Lady Beatrix watched him with narrowed eyes.


"You agreed to marry Isabella to that... that monster?" Lady Beatrix hissed, her face twisted in fury. "Have you lost your mind, Reginald?"


"I had no choice!" he snapped, collapsing into his chair. "The Duke threatened me. Physically threatened me! Do you understand what that means? He knows things, Beatrix. Things that could destroy us."


Lady Beatrix's face paled slightly. "What things?"


"Everything." The Baron's voice dropped to a whisper. "My debts, my past dealings... He even mentioned Lord Ravenscroft."


At that name, Lady Beatrix gasped. "Impossible. No one knows about that connection."


"Well, he does." The Baron wiped sweat from his brow. "And he made it very clear what would happen if I refused the marriage."


"So you just handed Isabella over to him? Your own daughter?"


Chapter 14 - The Unveiling of a New Duchess