Fiona remained silent during a lively conversation, standing aside with a guilty smile and downcast eyes. At that moment, she sat closely beside Xavier inside his carriage as the busy streets of Dalshire buzzed outside. Xavier carefully examined her for injuries, relieved to find none, and quietly expressed concern over the danger she had risked for Lord Soren.
Fiona confronted Xavier about his involvement, revealing her realization that the swordsman who rescued Soren was actually assigned to protect her, and even the silent coachman had been chosen to guide her actions. She understood that her role as a woman reborn allowed her fate to be rewritten, and Xavier had not interfered with destiny but had subtly ensured her safety.
When Xavier asked why she risked everything for Soren despite knowing his identity, Fiona reflected on her deeper understanding of him. She spoke of Soren’s pitiful existence, betrayed even by his own ambitious family, and how his marriage to her was an act of gratitude rather than love. Fiona admitted she had foolishly searched for affection in his eyes, while Xavier acknowledged that Soren’s choice to marry her was free and without regret.
Their conversation revealed the cold secrets Soren kept hidden beneath his stoic exterior and how quickly another woman replaced Fiona after her death, showing his true mourning was for the emptiness of his home, not for her. Xavier comforted Fiona with a protective embrace, contrasting his warmth with Soren’s distant demeanor. He reassured her that any man would cherish a woman like her and that Soren’s choice was inevitable given the life debt he owed.
Fiona recalled the wedding banquet where Soren silently watched her beauty, his masked face betraying nothing, and how his silence after her whispered question haunted him with regret after her death. Xavier’s memories surfaced of Soren’s ruthless rise to power amid family betrayal, where affection was a luxury he could not afford. Despite this, the Zonfrillo family maintained a facade of unity, masking the dangerous ambitions that shaped their lives.
Only Fiona remained quiet, standing off to the side with a guilty smile and eyes cast downward, clearly reluctant to add anything further to their lively conversation.
At that very moment, she sat beside Xavier inside his carriage, the two sharing the narrow velvet bench in close proximity.
Outside, the bustling streets of Dalshire teemed with travelers moving in every direction. Through the small gaps in the carriage shutters, the sounds of countless languages and dialects floated in, merging into a lively, indistinct hum.
Xavier’s gaze swept over her carefully, scanning from head to toe. Only when he confirmed that she bore no visible wounds did the tight knot of worry in his chest begin to ease.
“You really shouldn’t have put yourself in such danger for Lord Soren,” Xavier said quietly, his voice tinged with concern.
Fiona met his eyes steadily. “Mr. Xavier, haven’t you known all along that the man I saved in my previous life was Lord Soren?”
He hesitated, offering no denial, and an uneasy silence settled between them like a third, invisible passenger.
“You once told me we must never interfere with another’s fate, nor speak of what is yet to come. No wonder the swordsman you found to rescue Soren disappeared the moment the danger passed,” Fiona continued thoughtfully.
Only days ago, she had finally connected the dots: Xavier had never hired the warrior to save Soren. Instead, the swordsman’s true purpose was to stand guard over her.
Even the mute, deaf coachman had been arranged by Xavier beforehand, deliberately chosen because he counted on Fiona’s compassion to guide her actions.
Looking back on it, she realized how unlikely her encounter with Soren had been—the driver clearly knew his route well.
If Soren was saved once again by her hand, Xavier reasoned, then he himself had not tampered with destiny.
Fiona, too, was an anomaly in this era—a woman reborn—and thus, in Xavier’s eyes, her path was open to be rewritten.
If real danger had truly threatened her, the hidden warrior would have surely stepped forward.
Xavier sat in tense silence for a long moment, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on them both.
“Ms. Fiona, now that you know the masked man is Lord Soren, why were you still willing to risk everything?” he asked, his bloodshot eyes betraying the many sleepless nights spent fearing for her safety.
Fiona hesitated, caught off guard by the question. Why had she done it? Was it simply because, in their previous life, he had freed her from Zephyr’s grasp? That couldn’t be the whole story.
She let her lashes fall, the soft glow of the lamplight tracing the delicate curve of her cheek and rendering her profile almost fragile in the quiet carriage.
“Maybe I understand him better than I want to admit,” she whispered. “Even his own family—the powerful Zonfrillos—were willing to sacrifice his life for their ambition. When the very people who are supposed to protect you are ready to let you die for power, what options are left? It’s no wonder he became the way he was in my previous life. His existence was, in many ways, quite pitiful.”
Xavier’s lips parted briefly, then pressed together again as if the truth of her words pricked at him like thorns. Behind his reddened eyes, a flicker of raw, unguarded tenderness shimmered.
“Lord Soren must feel deeply moved to hear that,” Xavier murmured, his voice drifting out like smoke from a candle.
When your own father plots your death and other family members push you toward the grave, affection becomes a luxury you cannot afford.
Power, Soren decided, was the only thing truly worth holding onto.
So he seized control of the Zonfrillo family, sidelining Alexander and pushing Tristan to the margins, until every corridor whispered his name and no one dared oppose him.
On the surface, though, they maintained the facade of unity—the perfect picture of filial loyalty.
In the quiet intimacy of the carriage, Fiona and Xavier’s shared reflections reveal the complex layers of love, sacrifice, and regret that bind them all. Fiona’s courage to protect Lord Soren, despite the dangers and the coldness that had marked their past, speaks to a deep understanding born from pain and experience. Xavier’s silent support and tender embrace provide a stark contrast to the harshness of Soren’s world, offering Fiona a fragile sanctuary where vulnerability can exist without judgment.
This chapter delicately unravels the emotional scars left by betrayal and ambition, while hinting at the possibility of healing through empathy and acceptance. The weight of unspoken truths and lost chances lingers, yet within the stillness, there is a subtle promise: that even in a world ruled by power and silence, genuine connection can quietly take root and grow.
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the intricate web of emotions and loyalties that bind Fiona, Xavier, and Lord Soren. As Fiona’s reflections reveal the painful sacrifices and misunderstandings that have shaped their past, the tension between duty and desire becomes ever more palpable. Readers can anticipate moments where hidden vulnerabilities surface, challenging the characters’ carefully constructed facades and forcing them to confront truths they have long avoided.
Meanwhile, the shadow of the Zonfrillo family’s ambitions looms larger, hinting at conflicts that may test the fragile alliances and trust forged in the wake of past betrayals. Xavier’s protective stance and Fiona’s quiet strength suggest a shifting dynamic, where unspoken feelings and unresolved regrets could ignite unexpected confrontations or tender reconciliations. The delicate balance between power and affection hangs in the air, promising a chapter rich with emotional depth and subtle revelations.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona)