My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit

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The words caught in Harriet’s throat; she coughed out a short, incredulous laugh. “Your courage astounds me, Fiona. You’re ready to scheme even around Duchess Zonfrillo. Tell me, why would Duchess Zonfrillot step forward and sing praises for your formula?”

Fiona had already weighed that risk. Penelope’s dislike for her ran deep, and she took great care to keep the Zonfrillo family from tangling with the Niven family.

Yet offer the remedy through someone Penelope doted on, and vanity would do the rest. Elders took pride in showcasing tokens of affection from the young; private gifts became public proclamations.

With Naomi glaring at her from every corner, Fiona reasoned that her sole viable emissary was Roxanne.

“We turn the formula into small, lustrous pills, christen them with a name that sounds amazing, then find a way for Roxanne to present them to Duchess Zonfrillo. Duchess Zonfrillo will flaunt the gift among her friends. Word will spread that Roxanne bought the pills from you, and the queue outside your door will never end. A name shapes desire,” Fiona said.

Harriet inclined her head. “All of this hinges on one truth–the formula must work.”

Fiona answered without hesitation. “If they didn’t, I would never dream of opening a shop.”

She recalled that Penelope had once sampled the remedy and admired the results, a memory that now fueled her confidence.

Harriet slipped the parchment into her sleeve. “I’ll test the formula myself. If it passes, we’ll proceed exactly as you propose.”

Fiona nodded, their pact quietly sealed. They then meandered through Clear Sky Pavilion, pausing at bolts of jewel–toned silk, latticed finch cages, and trays of still–warm pastries, letting the bustle wash over them.

Walking a respectful half–step behind was Pearl Winters, Fiona’s personal maid, her observant eyes missing nothing.

Fiona needed reliable hands, and Pearl’s meticulous nature made secrecy possible. After an initial flash of surprise, the maid cooled her nerves. She would help where needed and swallow every secret whole.

Three days later, a letter arrived, inviting Fiona back to Clear Sky Pavilion.

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14:44 Fri, Oct 10

Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit

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Fiona traveled in an unmarked carriage, curtains drawn, slipping through Jexburgh’s morning traffic like a shadow. Harriet stood at the pavilion gate herself, sun glinting off the clasp at her collar as she welcomed her inside.

Fiona glided toward Harriet, her silken hem whispering across the polished floor while a bright, unguarded smile lit her face. “Harriet,” she greeted, the single word soft as a sun- warmed breeze.

Harriet did not answer. A shadow of conflicting emotions crossed her eyes as she regarded Vincent’s sister. “When they question you, tell them exactly what you know–no more, no less,” she cautioned at last, her voice low but firm.

The smile on Fiona’s lips wilted, its warmth bleeding away until only the faintest curve remained.

Clear Sky Pavilion felt different this time, the corridors steeped in a chill that seemed to seep beneath her skin. Even before the hidden door swung open, a faint thread of sandalwood smoke coiled through the air, cool and ominous.

Step by deliberate step, she advanced, each footfall dragging her heart farther downward. Then she saw Soren–tall, composed, and unmistakably in command–and a surge of shock crashed through her chest before discipline forced the tide to still.

Of course, she realized. Clear Sky Pavilion belonged to Soren. With that fact, every puzzling piece abruptly found its place.

Questions she had nursed for months rearranged themselves into ruthless clarity. How has the Fuller family’s business grown so vast merely by supplying rations for the Zonfrillo Estate? Because true protection flows only to holdings the Estate secretly owns.

There could be but one answer, and that was that the Fuller family was a façade. The fortune behind it belonged to Soren, and Harriet’s family served only as the name on the ledgers.

Cold sweat slicked Fiona’s back. If Harriet is Soren’s proxy, then Vincent’s death… Could Soren have played a part?

An unspoken horror bloomed in her mind.

The profits were enormous; to guard them, Soren needed a servant whose loyalty was absolute and unquestioning.

Harriet had once loved Vincent and promised to quit business after marriage. Soren could ill afford to lose such a capable lieutenant–or risk a leak. In that ruthless equation, Vincent’s survival had never fit.

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Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit

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And in her previous life, Vincent had indeed begun to pry into the Fuller Estate. The timeline matched with chilling precision.

“Ms. Fiona.” Soren’s greeting floated across the room, as frigid and pure as late–winter snow clinging to a mountain ledge.

Numbness spread through Fiona’s hands and feet, yet she remained motionless, scarlet eyes. refusing to spill their tears.

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