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 stood in the center of our bedroom, my hands trembling as I clutched the cup of cold tea I'd retrieved from Alaric's study. The realization that had struck me by the window now felt like a physical weight crushing my chest. Alistair—the man who had essentially raised Alaric, who had welcomed me with kindness, who managed our household with quiet efficiency—could be working for our enemies.


"Isabella?" Alaric's sleep-roughened voice broke through my thoughts. He propped himself up on one elbow, eyes narrowing as he took in my rigid posture. "What's wrong?"


I turned to face him, struggling to find the right words. How do you tell someone that their father figure might be a traitor?


"Alaric, I need to show you something." My voice barely rose above a whisper.


He was instantly alert, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and coming to stand beside me. His eyes fell to the teacup in my hands.


Chapter 135 - The Butler's Secret, A Shattered Trust