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 day of Alexander's christening dawned with a gentle spring light filtering through the windows of Thorne Estate. I stood before the mirror, smoothing the fabric of my dove-gray silk gown, designed specifically for this occasion. Three months had passed since I'd brought our son into the world, and while my body wasn't entirely returned to its previous form, I felt a quiet pride in the changes motherhood had wrought.


"You look beautiful," Alaric said, appearing behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing a kiss to my neck.


"Are you certain everything is ready?" I asked, leaning into his embrace. "Your mother sent another note this morning suggesting changes to the seating arrangements."


Alaric's reflection smirked. "And Alistair promptly filed it with her previous seventeen suggestions."


"She's been surprisingly... civil lately."


"Don't be fooled," he murmured against my ear. "She's merely accepted defeat. Even Lady Rowena Thorne knows when a battle is lost."


Chapter 152 - A Christening and Lingering Shadows