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

Knocking roused me from sleep. I blinked groggily, confused by the unfamiliar weight of silk sheets against my skin and the vast expanse of the bed I lay in.


A woman's voice. Not Clara's shrill demands or Lady Beatrix's imperious tone, but something softer, more deferential. I sat up sharply, memories flooding back—Alaric, the wedding, my father's death, this new bedroom.


"Just a moment," I called, fumbling for something to cover my face. I found a thin silk scarf on the bedside table and hastily wrapped it around the scarred half of my face before saying, "Come in."


The door opened and a young woman with auburn hair entered, carrying a stack of clothing. She curtseyed deeply.


"Good morning, my lady. I'm Juliette, assigned to be your lady's maid." Her eyes widened when she saw me wearing Alaric's nightshirt, and a blush spread across her cheeks. "I hope you slept well."


Chapter 40 - The Duchess's First Morning