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 cold, damp air of the cistern path clung to my skin as I stumbled forward, one hand braced against the rough stone wall, the other protectively curved around my belly. Cassian led our desperate group through the winding passage, his torch casting long shadows that danced across the ancient stonework.


"Careful here, Your Grace," he warned, helping me over a section where the floor had partially collapsed.


Behind us, the sounds of battle echoed faintly—metal against metal, shouts of men fighting and dying. Every clash made my heart constrict. Alaric was still up there, holding back Blackwood's forces so we could escape.


"We need to move faster," I urged, glancing back at King Theron, who was helping a wounded soldier navigate the treacherous path.


Chapter 149 - The Raven's Fall, A New Reign of Peace