The Forbidden Love: Duke’s Secret Some secrets were never meant to be unearthed… and some loves were never meant to exist. When Evelyn Hart arrives at the remote Thornewood Manor to care for the Duke’s ailing sister, she expects a quiet post far from the scandals that haunt her family. But the moment she locks eyes with Duke Alaric Thorne—a man as enigmatic as he is forbidden—she feels the stirrings of something dangerous. Whispers drift through the ancient halls. Doors remain locked, even in daylight. And the Duke, with his cold demeanor and shadowed past, seems to be hiding a secret that could unravel everything. As Evelyn is drawn deeper into the dark beauty of Thornewood, desire ignites where it should not, and a forbidden passion begins to bloom. But love has a price—and Alaric’s secret could cost them both more than their hearts. In a world where reputation is everything, how far would you go for the one thing you were never meant to have?