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

I paced the length of Alaric's study, my mind racing with Clara's revelations. The enormity of what we were uncovering made my skin crawl. No longer were we dealing with just one deranged nobleman; we were potentially facing an entire network of monsters hiding behind aristocratic titles.


"This changes everything," I said, watching Alaric hunched over his desk, papers spread before him. "If Lord Gideon wasn't working alone..."


"Then his capture doesn't end the threat," Alaric finished, his voice grim. He ran a hand through his hair, a rare display of frustration. "We need to cross-reference every name on this list with what we know about Finchley's habits and associates."


Chapter 93 - The Unseen Network