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

The receiving room felt suddenly smaller as I stepped inside, even though it was one of the largest chambers in the entire mansion. Lady Rowena Thorne sat perched on an armchair like a bird of prey ready to swoop, her back straight as a sword blade, her eyes sharp and calculating as they took in every detail of my appearance.


I instinctively tightened my grip on Alaric's arm as we approached. The woman before us exuded a cold elegance that made the room's temperature seem to drop. Her silver-streaked dark hair was styled impeccably, not a strand out of place. Her gown, a deep midnight blue trimmed with silver, spoke of wealth and refinement. But it was her eyes—Alaric's eyes, I realized with a start—that held me transfixed. The same shape and shade, yet utterly devoid of the warmth I'd come to associate with his gaze.


"Mother," Alaric's voice was cool and controlled. "What an unexpected surprise."


Chapter 68 - The Ice Queen's Interrogation