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 skepticism in the commanders' eyes was unmistakable as I revealed my vision of the secret path. Their exchanged glances spoke volumes—they thought pregnancy had addled my wits, or worse, that desperation had driven me to fantasies.


"Your Grace," Commander Royce spoke cautiously, "while we respect your... intuition, planning a military operation based on a vision seems—"


"Reckless?" I supplied, my voice harder than intended. "More reckless than watching the fortress fall while we stand by with too few men for a conventional assault?"


Silence fell across the war tent. Maps lay scattered across the makeshift table, each showing the same impossible situation: Sentinel Rock surrounded, Alaric and the King trapped with dwindling supplies, and our rescue force hopelessly outnumbered.


Chapter 147 - Through Shadow and Stone, A Hidden Path