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 stared at my name in that vile ledger, the word "Reserved" burning into my mind. What did it mean? Reserved for what? For whom? The questions multiplied in my head, each more horrifying than the last.


"Isabella." Alaric's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. His hand covered mine, warm and steady. "Look at me."


I tore my gaze from the ledger to meet his eyes. The fierce protectiveness I saw there anchored me.


"Whatever this means," he said, his voice low and determined, "they will never touch you. I swear it."


Captain Orion cleared his throat. "Your Grace, we should remove the Baron's body and these items for further examination. Dawn will break soon."


Alaric nodded. "Have your most trusted men handle this. No word of what we've found spreads beyond us until we understand more."


Chapter 109 - The Weight of a Father's Sins