My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 169

169 Are You Soren

Chapter 169 Are You Soren

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Sterling felt the tremor and gathered her closer, sealing her against his chest as though his heartbeat alone could warm her.

A stick of incense later, a muted voice called from ahead. “Sir.” The single word floated back through the gloom.

Quentin’s eyes widened when he saw Sterling carrying Fiona. “You honor us as a distinguished guest, sir. Thank you for enduring the trouble,” he said, bowing deeper than necessary.

Trouble? Sterling did not feel so much as a strain. He stepped up into the waiting carriage and settled Fiona onto the padded seat with a steadiness that made the act look effortless.

Quentin straightened, curiosity flickering across his face before obedience forced it back into line.

Inside the carriage drifted a thin thread of sandalwood that coaxed the body to unclench. A brass brazier glowed under the seat, flooding Fiona’s frozen limbs with gentle heat. She stayed hidden beneath the cloak, not daring to lift her head.

Only when Sterling peeled back one corner of the cloak did she look up. Heat spread across her cheeks, a flushed bloom of color. Caught unprepared, her gaze flashed with startled panic before she forced herself to steady.

Her eyes fixed on the serpent–patterned mask that concealed his features.

She raised a tentative hand. The metal felt winter–cold beneath her fingertips. The mask did not budge. Her hand hovered there, undecided.

Sterling remained perfectly still, an unspoken permission hanging between them.

“Soren?” The name slipped out in a whisper–one of the rare times she dared use it instead of the formal title.

“You have the wrong man,” he answered, calm as nightfall.

“Perhaps,” she said, voice barely louder than his. In her mind, pieces clicked together- mannerisms, the cadence of his speech, tiny hints he could never fully disguise. Joined, they painted a picture too vivid to dismiss.

“Tell me.” His eyes, hidden though they were, seemed to narrow behind the mask. “Do you decide because you believe that man would gladly tumble into your bed to keep up this charade? Or because you trust that, when danger bares its teeth, he will stand between it and

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13:57 Sat, Oct 18

Chapter 169 Are You Soren

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Her heart hammered so hard she feared he might hear it. Still, she forced herself to meet the unseen gaze behind the silver snakes.

“Remove the mask,” he said with a low, teasing laugh. “Then you will know for certain.”

But what then? she wondered in a rush of cold clarity. Proving he is Soren changes nothing–except to knot us tighter in rumors born tonight. Revealing the truth might leave me with no escape at all.

Beneath the tangle of her thoughts, Fiona decided it would be simpler if the masked stranger truly was Sterling.

Fiona let her hand fall from the fanged mask, lashes lowered. “It seems I wronged you, Mr. Sterling. Lord Soren always observes propriety and would never disgrace the Zonfrillo Estate by masquerading as a courtesan.”

On the surface, she praised Soren, yet everyone in the carriage heard the unspoken warning. If the heir had indeed slipped into a brothel in costume, Jexburgh would savor the tale for months.

Soren did not fear rumors, but mutual profit chained them together, so he accepted her stance. Fiona had drawn a line. Whoever hid beneath the name Sterling would stay Sterling- nothing more.

Soren studied her, cold light sharpening in his eyes, then turned away without another word.

Fiona silently repaired her powder and pins. When she returned home, no one could suspect the night’s turbulence.

How is Yolanda faring right now?

Neither of them spoke again, and the cramped carriage seemed to shrink with every rattling wheel, filling with a restless hush.

When the wheels finally ground to a halt in front of the Niven Estate, both exhaled at once.

As Fiona rehearsed excuses for her mother, Soren leaned in and straightened the hairpin above her ear. She bowed her head. “Thank you.”

Sterling said, “I will not force you. Your choice matters to me. I’ll wait until you come to me yourself. Go back, bathe, and rest early. The Zonfrillo guards have already escorted Yolanda home, so set your mind at ease.”

Her heart sank. The certainty of his rank settled over her like iron armor.

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13:57 Sat, Oct 18

Chapter 169 Are You Soren

She reminded herself to stay alert against both coercion and temptation.

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