My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 274

Neglected 274 Summary

Zephyr had planned to secure an engagement quickly, eager to claim the prize, but fate intervened when the woman suddenly collapsed, forcing him to retreat in frustration. His hopes were dashed as he left abruptly, while shocking news spread from Jexburgh to Broadmoor: the powerful Ingram family had fallen overnight, and Zephyr was seen at the Niven Estate, signaling a shift in power. Additionally, Fiona Niven had become gravely ill, adding to the tension.

Quentin arrived at a secluded townhouse to find Soren, gravely wounded and bandaged, barely alive after surviving over a month trapped on Gravesorrow Mountain. Soren’s unit had been abandoned, and he was the sole survivor, haunted by the question of why reinforcements never came. Meanwhile, Emperor Aldric was replacing commanders at the Broadmoor army camp, tightening his control over the Zonfrillo family while Alexander remained in Jexburgh, unable to influence events on the frontier.

Quentin shared rumors that Fiona had contracted a contagious illness and needed to leave the capital to recover, a likely ruse to keep her out of reach from Xavier, who watched her closely. Soren’s thoughts drifted to a fevered vision of Fiona on the mountain, stirring deep longing and pain. Despite his frailty, Soren insisted he was strong enough to leave Broadmoor soon and rejected the idea of troubling Tristan for help.

Soren revealed his grim plan: to disappear and let Gravesorrow Mountain burn, signaling his death to protect his family. With the Broadmoor Army weakened and his father unable to move without imperial permission, Soren understood that the Zonfrillo family faced a brutal choice—either sacrifice themselves or be destroyed by the emperor. The political intrigue and looming threats left Quentin pale with dread, realizing that Soren’s fate now rested entirely on his own wounded resolve.

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Zephyr had intended to secure the engagement quickly, determined to claim that prize without delay. Yet fate had other plans, forcing him to abandon that ambition for the time being. To push the matter forward now would be reckless and unwise.

His plans unraveled abruptly when she collapsed without warning, forcing him into a cold, hurried retreat. Frustration clenched his jaw tightly; the sweet promise of betrothal had been cruelly ripped from his grasp. Without ceremony, he departed, the rattling wheels of his carriage echoing louder than proper etiquette demanded.

Meanwhile, two pieces of startling news spread rapidly from Jexburgh all the way to Broadmoor.

First, the once-mighty Ingram family had crumbled overnight, their fall as sudden as it was complete. Zephyr had been spotted crossing the threshold of the Niven Estate, his royal retinue in tow, an unmistakable sign of shifting power.

Second, Fiona Niven had taken gravely ill.

At dawn, Quentin pushed past the warped and weather-beaten gate of the secluded townhouse. Frost still clung stubbornly to the eaves, biting at his cheeks as a cold wind whipped around him. He hurried inside, where, beneath thick layers of bloodstained bandages, Soren sat upright—motionless and still, like a statue abandoned on a battlefield. “Lord Soren,” Quentin said urgently, “you were trapped on Gravesorrow Mountain for over a month, returning broken and torn to shreds. And yet, Prince Zephyr has already set his sights on Fiona!”

For the first time in thirty agonizing days, a flicker of life stirred behind Soren’s half-lidded eyes. A single eyelash trembled, then stilled. The chill that radiated from him felt as if it were etched deep into his bones.

Back on that cursed mountain, the promised reinforcements had never arrived. Surrounded by cliffs and ravines so silent they might as well have been tombs, Soren’s unit had bled out slowly, until only he remained, crawling away, broken and barely clinging to life.

Why had the help come so late? That question gnawed relentlessly at every survivor’s mind—though he was the only survivor left to ask it.

Meanwhile, at the Broadmoor army camp, Emperor Aldric replaced one commander after another, feigning concern but clearly tightening his grip on the Zonfrillo family. Had Alexander still been present on the frontier, none of those generals would have dared to breathe without his approval. But since Alexander was forced to remain in Jexburgh, the army dared not defy the royal decree.

As for the real reason Alexander stayed behind in Jexburgh…

Quentin cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back to the present. “There’s another rumor,” he said quietly. “They say Ms. Fiona has caught a highly contagious illness and must leave the capital to recover.”

Soren’s brow furrowed deeply, and after a long silence, his voice rasped hoarsely, “What about Xavier? Has he made a move?”

Quentin shook his head. “Mr. Xavier has visited the Niven estate a few times, but nothing more—no unusual stir.”

The pieces clicked into place in Soren’s mind. Ah, so they’ve invented an illness to keep her out of reach. Xavier’s calm confirms it—he circles Fiona like a hawk, so they—

But the moment her name crossed his thoughts, Soren’s focus wavered, drifting to memories he had locked away deep inside.

Bleeding out beneath the black pines of Gravesorrow Mountain, he had lifted his head and sworn he saw her—Fiona, her cloak whipping wildly in the stormlight, running toward him.

A numbness cracked through him, and a raw, aching surge of longing nearly dragged him across the muddy ground. Yet when he crawled forward, the vision dissolved like mist.

Later, cooled by clarity, he understood it had been nothing more than a fevered illusion. I miss you so much my mind invents you.

The room fell silent once more; Soren offered no further words.

Soren’s lips curled into a razor-thin smile, colder than the wind and laced with bitter contempt.

Color drained from Quentin’s face. If the duke would not leave the capital, then Soren realized, his own fate rested solely in his wounded, unyielding hands.

Conclusion

The chapter closes on a somber note, weaving together themes of loss, betrayal, and the harsh realities of power struggles. Zephyr’s thwarted ambitions and Fiona’s mysterious illness underscore the fragility of hope amid political turmoil, while Soren’s harrowing survival and resolve highlight the personal cost of these larger conflicts. His silent suffering and determination to disappear from the battlefield reveal a man caught between duty and despair, embodying the emotional weight carried by those entangled in the relentless machinations of the court.

Yet beneath the cold exterior and fractured alliances, a quiet resilience persists. Soren’s decision to face his fate alone, his sharp awareness of the emperor’s manipulations, and the lingering memory of Fiona hint at a deeper yearning for redemption and connection. The chapter leaves us with a poignant tension between isolation and the unyielding human spirit, setting the stage for the unfolding drama that will test the limits of loyalty, love, and survival.

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled web of power struggles and personal anguish that grip the characters. Soren’s fragile state and his determination to vanish from the battlefield hint at a desperate plan that could alter the course of the Zonfrillo family’s fate. Meanwhile, the shadow of Emperor Aldric’s manipulations looms larger, threatening to ignite conflicts that extend far beyond the front lines. The emotional weight carried by Soren, haunted by visions of Fiona and burdened by the betrayals around him, sets the stage for a gripping exploration of loyalty, survival, and sacrifice.

As alliances shift and secrets unravel, the tension between duty and desire will intensify, leaving readers eager to discover how the characters will navigate the treacherous terrain of court intrigue and war. Will Soren’s resolve be enough to withstand the forces closing in on him? And what will become of Fiona, caught in the eye of this storm? The next chapter will not only challenge the characters’ physical endurance but also test the strength of their hearts and the limits of their trust.