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 to Thorne Manor was tense with unspoken possibilities. Alaric sat across from me, his expression thunderous as he processed what I'd revealed about Ravenscroft. His knuckles were white against the dark upholstery, and I could almost see the calculations forming behind his eyes.


"I should have killed your father when I had the chance," he finally said, breaking the silence.


I shivered, not because the statement frightened me, but because part of me agreed. "What will you do now?"


"First, confirm what we suspect." Alaric leaned forward. "Your testimony about Ravenscroft's interest in you changes everything. If he's the mastermind behind this network, approaching him directly would be dangerous."


Chapter 95 - The Shadow of Ravenscroft Manor