My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 30

Chapter 30 Carved Affection

Chapter 30 Carved Affection

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“Then, if I may ask, what brought Mr. Xavier back to Jexburgh so soon?” Fiona ventured, curiosity alive in her eyes.

“Why, Xavier is of an age to marry,” Victoria replied, a playful spark beneath her maternal pride. “The task now is finding a young lady perceptive enough to prize him.”

Heat rose in Fiona’s cheeks; after all, she was the very girl whose heart had already set itself on Xavier.

She opened her mouth to ask more–but the air shifted, and there he was, Xavier himself, standing behind Victoria as though shaped from the quiet afternoon shadows.

He must have heard every word, yet his face remained unreadable, calm as polished stone over deeper waters.

“Mr. Xavier.” Fiona dipped in a graceful salute, steadying the flutter in her chest.

“While tending business in Lakebourne, I found some excellent red sandalwood,” Xavier said, handing her a neatly wrapped bundle. “Please, Ms. Fiona–take it home and see how you might enjoy it.”

He had orchestrated the entire lingering visit for one purpose, and that was to place the gift directly into Fiona’s hands.

Inside the carriage rattling toward the Niven Estate, Fiona untied the ribbon and unfolded layers of crisp linen. Beneath several polished blocks of red sandalwood rested a tiny figure- an archer in mid–release, no taller than her thumb, every muscle, braid, and fold of fabric rendered with breathtaking precision.

“This little archer–is that you, Fiona?” Lilith leaned close, wonder lighting her face.

The poised chin, the familiar riding habit–every detail proclaimed Fiona. And aside from Xavier, no one possessed the skill or the insight to capture her so faithfully.

Fiona traced the delicate bow with her fingertip, marveling at the patience each groove required. He could have achieved such accuracy only by remembering her stance, her breath, her silent focus–again and again–until memory guided every stroke of his blade.

If his thoughts were so filled with her, she reasoned, he would scarcely have room to pine for anyone else.

A gentle sweetness, warin as spring honey, spread through her chest.

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Chapter 30 Carved Affection

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“Mr. Xavier’s carving is truly remarkable,” Lilith sighed, then flashed a teasing grin. “And the man himself is hardly lacking, either.”

Yet even as she spoke, another image floated through Lilith’s mind. It was the brief glimpse she had stolen in the Zonfrillo Estate of Soren, poised to depart. He had shone like moonlight on still water–serene, austere, unmistakably set apart from every other gentleman present.

Lilith had stared too long, her manners forgotten, until Soren’s cool gaze flicked toward her, and her heart hammered like a drum. Alas, she was only a concubine’s daughter; he likely never learned her name.

The thought stung, and she bit her lip. If only she had been born a trueborn daughter, perhaps she would not be so easily ignored.

But then Lilith glanced at Fiona and found a measure of comfort. Even Fiona, a trueborn daughter, had failed to draw more than a passing glance from Soren; being born on the wrong side of the ledger did not mean she had to belittle herself.

Fiona tucked the miniature red sandalwood carving into a silk handkerchief, her fingers moving as carefully as though she were swaddling a newborn. “Lilith, Mr. Xavier only indulged my mischief and gave me these pieces of red sandalwood. If word gets out, tongues will wag. Promise you won’t breathe a syllable.”

Lilith nodded at once, the motion sharp and certain. She and Fiona were tied to the same fate; protecting the secret meant protecting herself as well.

Naomi’s birthday month had come, and as in years past, the Niven family received an invitation to her birthday celebration.

Because Penelope had spurned Fiona’s proposed match, Hannah harbored no warmth for the Zonfrillo family. She ordered only a perfunctory gift prepared. Fortunately, the celebration concerned someone from the younger generation, so Hannah was not obliged to appear in person and endure embarrassment.

Fiona had no such escape. She was the same age as Naomi, and they had once studied together. To avoid going would only invite suspicion.

Before Fiona left, Meryl pulled her aside, voice low. “Your grandmother went to propose that marriage, not you. Pretend you never heard of it.”

Fiona understood perfectly. Still, the moment she arrived at the Zonfrillo Estate, unease rippled through her belly like cold water.

Yes, the proposal had been Hannah’s idea, yet the person the Zonfrillo family had rejected was Fiona. No one enjoyed being the one turned away.

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Chapter 30 Carved Affection

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