My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79 Hidden Currents

Chapter 79 Hidden Currents

After a final courteous sentence, Roxanne drifted away, her smile still flawless.

burned scarlet. Pain made her reckless; she tipped cup after cup of wine into Serena’s eyes herself, uncaring of decorum.

She would face Soren tonight. Whatever his answer, courage had to find her at least once.

Fiona had exchanged only a few light words with Yolanda when Harriet approached, the hem of her silken gown whispering across the floor.

“Harriet,” Fiona said, rising instinctively.

Harriet offered a courteous nod toward Lilith and Yolanda. “Fiona, might I borrow a moment of your time?”

Yolanda squeezed Fiona’s hand. “Go. I’ll keep an eye on Lili,” she promised.

Harriet leaned close, voice pitched low so the lingering guests could not overhear. “Your letter is with Lord Soren,” she said.

Her eyes shone with purpose. “He asked for a private meeting. My carriage waits at the front gate–come, ride with me.”

Fiona’s brows gathered, a faint crease shadowing her forehead. “Must it be tonight?”

“Lord Soren leaves Jexburgh at dawn,” Harriet reminded her, gaze measuring. “Or do you truly wish to avoid him?”

Fiona’s stomach tightened.

I have no desire to face him now, not with that sketchbook still haunting the silence between us and his betrothal about to be announced. The carriage would feel smaller than a coffin.

Fiona drew a breath. “Very well–lead on, Harriet. I won’t let personal qualms derail more pressing matters.”

“Serving Lord Soren is never simple,” Harriet said with a knowing tilt of her head. “Your annoyance is perfectly understandable.”

Fiona offered no reply, but the slight dip of her chin conceded the point.

“But remember,” Harriet continued gently, “he looks after his own.”

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10:27 Sat, Oct 11

Chapter 79 Hidden Currents

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Fiona could not argue. Soren treated his subordinates well, yet becoming one of his own required a gauntlet of tests–and at present he scarcely trusted her at all.

Conversation melted into polite small talk as they crossed the courtyard.When they finally stopped beside Harriet’s lacquered carriage, Fiona’s pulse steadied and she fell quiet.

The curtain lifted and Soren himself appeared, framed by the dusky lamplight like a portrait come to life. His gaze swept over her attire, noting the narrow hem that made climbing awkward.

Wordless, he offered a hand–long–fingered, the knuckles callused by endless sparring.

Fiona bit her lower lip, skirt rustling. She sidestepped the waiting hand, gathered momentum, and hauled herself inside–hardly graceful, but better, she judged, than touching a man about to pledge himself to another.

“Are we here to discuss the Divine Doctor?” Fiona asked, cutting to the chase.

“He granted me the antidote to the White Camellia poison far too easily. Clearly, he intends to test whoever stands behind me. Tell me, which patron is he courting?”

Soren withdrew his hand and turned slightly, voice even. “Given his stature, he could mingle with several factions at once and still be welcomed everywhere.”

From beneath the carriage came Serena’s call, bright and uninvited: “Harriet, I saw Fiona with you just now. Is she inside? I need to speak with her. If you’re leaving, take me along.”

Even as the words hung in the air, her fingers hooked the curtain and flung it upward.

In a flash, Fiona lunged the two steps to the entrance and planted herself squarely in the doorway, skirts brushing Serena’s sleeve. Behind her, Harriet’s face had blanched, hand half- raised to pull Serena up.

“Serena, I’m changing gowns in here,” she said, smiling as though nothing were amiss. “What is it you need?”

A sliver of masculine brocade had already betrayed the carriage’s other occupant, and Serena felt a spike of scorn. So Fiona flaunts secret trysts now, without the faintest blush of shame.

She could not place the man, yet the richness of that single fold of cloth spoke of undeniable status. If he truly cherished Fiona, he would have approached the Niven family long ago.

Serena regained her poise. “I was in low spirits and hoped to confide in you, Fiona, but clearly you’re occupied.”

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10:27 Sat, Oct 11

Chapter 79 Hidden Currents

+10 Free Coins

“My apologies,” Fiona said smoothly. “I spilled something foul on my gown and must hurry to Scarlet Boutique for a fresh one.”

As the words left her mouth, she sensed Soren’s stare settle on her back, warm as sunlight and twice as heavy.

She leaned closer for another glimpse, but the carriage revealed nothing this time. “Then be quick about it, Fiona,” she said, forcing a smile.

The moment Serena stepped back, Harriet swung into the compartment and pulled the curtain fast.

Hooves cracked against the cobblestones, and the carriage rolled through the gates of the Thankerton family, carrying its secret cargo into the night.

They had been on the move for the length of a single stick of candle, drifting through alleys where the afternoon light pooled like honey.

A street hawker’s cry sliced through the din, and in that instant, Fiona realized the stately arches of the Thankerton Estate were already lost behind them, swallowed by distance and the restless city.

Harriet drew a steadying breath and murmured, “Today’s lapse was mine. I never imagined Ms. Prescott would trail us this far.”

Until now, Harriet had never needed to guard herself against the well–born ladies of Jexburgh; they typically kept their distance, content to let rumors do the meddling. Serena’s sudden change of temperament had caught her flat–footed.

Fortunately, Soren showed no desire to press the matter.

Fiona adjusted the hood of her cloak. “After we obtain the antidote to the White Camellia poison, we must administer it with the utmost care.”

Soren arched an eyebrow, his tone half–amused. “And if we choose to be careless–what of it?”

The answer clicked into place for Fiona as neatly as a lock finding its key. Soren intended Morgan to learn that the true seeker of White Camellia’s cure was he alone. There was no need to chain the Divine Doctor to his side–simple obligation would suffice.