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 carriage ride back to Duke Alaric's estate was suffocating. Silas Blackwood's words hung in the air between us, poisoning every thought that crossed my mind. Someone we trusted. Someone close to us. A spy.


"It could be anyone," I whispered, breaking the tense silence.


Alaric's jaw was clenched tight, his eyes fixed on the passing landscape outside the carriage window. "He's playing with us, Isabella. Creating paranoia is exactly what he wants."


"But what if he's telling the truth?" I pressed my hands together to stop them from trembling. "What if someone has been watching us, reporting back to Lord Alistair Blackwood all this time?"


Alaric turned to me then, his gaze softening as he took my hands in his. "We'll find them. I promise you that."


The estate came into view, its grand facade suddenly looking ominous rather than welcoming. Every window seemed to hide watchful eyes, every corner concealing secrets.


Chapter 134 - The Trusted Betrayer