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 carriage ride back from the palace was silent. Alaric sat across from me, his eyes fixed on the passing landscape, though I doubted he actually saw anything. His mind was elsewhere, wrestling with the puzzle pieces of these horrible disappearances.


I watched him from behind my mask, noting the tension in his jaw, the slight furrow between his brows that hadn't eased since we'd examined Lady Sophia's chambers. Something was troubling him beyond the obvious horror of the situation.


"You think I made things worse today, don't you?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.


His gaze snapped to mine, surprise evident. "What? No, Isabella. Why would you think that?"


"The whispers," I said simply. "I heard what King Theron said before we left. About me being cursed, about people possibly using me to discredit your investigation."


Alaric's expression hardened. "Those fools can whisper all they like. It means nothing."


Chapter 80 - Seeds of Doubt, A Shared Burden