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

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across our breakfast table. I looked up from my tea to find Alaric watching me with that amused expression I'd come to know so well. His dark eyes glinted with mischief, making my heart flutter despite my best efforts to remain composed.


"What are you thinking about, wife?" he asked, his deep voice cutting through the comfortable silence between us.


I took another sip from my porcelain cup before replying. "I was thinking about our contract."


His eyebrow arched. "The 'no love' clause still bothering you?" The teasing note in his voice made me flush.


"You're the one who keeps bringing it up," I countered, setting down my cup with more force than necessary. "Almost as if you're the one preoccupied with it."


Alaric laughed, the sound rich and warm. "You agreed to those terms just as readily as I did, Isabella. Or have you forgotten?"


Chapter 63 - A Duchess's Quiet Day, A Husband's Tease