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 stumbled through the door of his bedchamber, his mind foggy from too much wine. The night at Lord Malachi's estate had stretched into the early morning hours, leaving him exhausted and troubled. I collapsed into the nearest chair, rubbing my temples against the throbbing pain behind my eyes.


"So, you've finally decided to return," Lady Beatrix's cold voice sliced through the silence.


I looked up to see her standing in the doorway between our sleeping chamber and the dressing room, her silk robe wrapped tightly around her slender frame, her face a perfect mask of disapproval.


"Not now, Beatrix," I muttered, struggling to remove my boots. "I'm in no mood for your lectures."


She moved closer, her perfume overwhelming in the close quarters. "Where were you this time? Another gambling den losing what little money we have left?"


Chapter 30 - A Husband's Return, A Wife's Deceit