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

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of our bedroom as I watched Alaric dress with meticulous care. Even after all this time, the sight of him—my husband, the father of my child—still sent a flutter through my chest. His movements were precise, deliberate, as he secured the buttons of his waistcoat.


"Must you watch me so intently?" he asked, though the smile playing at his lips betrayed his pleasure at my attention.


"I'm simply admiring the view," I replied, one hand resting on my growing belly. At four months along, my pregnancy was now unmistakable.


Alaric crossed the room and bent to kiss me softly. "How are you feeling this morning?"


"Much better. The morning sickness seems to have finally passed." I caught his hand as he began to pull away. "You're hovering again."


"I am not hovering," he insisted with mock offense. "I am showing appropriate concern for my wife and child."


"You asked Mariella to count how many times I visited the privy yesterday."


Chapter 143 - The Weight of a Crown, The Joy of a Hearth