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

"You're ignoring me, Duchess." Juliette's voice dripped with mockery as she followed me down the hallway. "How... ladylike of you."


I continued humming quietly to myself, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. After our confrontation in the gift room, I needed time to think, to plan my next move carefully. Juliette was clearly Lady Rowena's spy, planted to undermine me at every turn.


"Lady Rowena will be arriving soon, you know," Juliette continued, her footsteps quickening to match mine. "She'll take one look at you and wonder what spell you cast on her son. A masked nobody becoming a duchess? It's laughable."


I turned down another corridor, heading toward the library. Perhaps there I could find some peace.


"She won't care for you," Juliette pressed on. "Lady Rowena has connections with every noble family worth knowing. She'll have you cast out before the month is done."


Chapter 56 - The Dungeon's Shadow