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 scent of blood hit me first—metallic and overwhelming—as Alaric, Captain Orion, and I entered the antique shop on Fleet Street. My stomach lurched, but I steadied myself against the doorframe, determined not to show weakness.


"Are you certain you can handle this, Isabella?" Alaric's voice was low, his hand at the small of my back.


I nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes. I need to see."


The shop was in chaos. Shattered glass glittered across the floor where display cases had been smashed. Expensive artifacts lay broken, while empty spaces on shelves testified to the items taken. And there, behind an ornate counter, lay Mr. Thornton himself—or what remained of him.


Captain Orion was already crouched beside the body, examining the gruesome scene with clinical detachment. "Clean cut across the throat. Professional work. Not done in anger but efficiency."


Chapter 94 - A Rival Collector or a Ghost from the Past?