My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 71

Chapter 71 Spring Garden Whispers

Chapter 71 Spring Garden Whispers

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Seeing Mindy’s embarrassment, Naomi let the matter drop. Every young lady, she knew, guarded a tender secret, and even her own mother spoke highly of Xavier.

Naomi herself held Xavier in high regard, though not romantically. She preferred to think of him as an elder brother–steady, protective, safely platonic.

After a few more turns among budding magnolias, the girls nearly collided with Penelope and Marianne, who were enjoying a leisurely walk of their own.

“Mother. Mrs. Thankerton!” Naomi called, her voice bright as chimes.

At once, the group curtsied, silk hems brushing the flagstones in practiced grace.

Marianne’s eyes softened. “Naomi, it’s been far too long. I swear you’ve grown taller again.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted unbidden to the quietly radiant Fiona standing just behind the

others.

The girl was undeniably lovely.

Yet, much like Penelope, Marianne believed excessive beauty could be a liability; a woman who trusted only in her looks rarely held a man’s heart for long.

For that reason, she had never counted the Niven family among serious competitors in the marriage stakes.

When gossip claimed the Nivens wished to align themselves with the Zonfrillos, Marianne merely laughed and dismissed it.

“Mother, Mrs. Thankerton, we’ll leave you to your very important discussion,” Naomi said, drawing out the words with teasing emphasis before shepherding her friends onward.

Now that Soren has returned in triumph, those “important” matters can only be his marriage to Roxanne.

Both households intended the match to be flawless. Every detail–from dowry lists to auspicious dates–would be weighed with meticulous care.

The impending marriage of her son cast a warm glow over Penelope’s entire morning. Silk- draped corridors seemed brighter, musicians sounded sweeter, and every servant she passed received the full radiance of her rare, carefree smile.

“See that Mother’s guests are spoiled today. Not a single lady must feel neglected,” she told the

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Chapter 71 Spring Garden Whispers

attendants, laughter pre–empting every syllable.

There was no shortage of young heirs at the Zonfrillo Estate that afternoon; velvet coats and polished boots crowded the banquet hall like bright chess pieces waiting to be moved. Among them. Fiona once again spotted Soren.

instant her gaze brushed The man who had ridden through sand and smoke noticed her the his armor–broad shoulders. Their carlier quarrel still clouded the air between them; his answering glance was cool, almost wintry

Fiona tried peace first. She let a small, courteous smile unfold, nothing more than a petal opening at dusk. After a pause, Soren looked away, deliberate, unhurried, like a soldier sheathing a blade.

“Lord One of Alexander’s senior advisers leaned closer, wine reflecting lamplight in his cup. Soren is conquering both court and heart these days. If I had received such a letter, I’d have galloped home just as fast.”

He himself had carried that message across Broadmoor’s frozen plains–four simple words inked on sandalwood parchment: Soren, rest easy. Come home safe.

The day he delivered it, the tide of battle had turned ugly. Storm clouds settled behind the young commander’s eyes.

Yet the moment those lines unfurled, the darkness eased. Instead of consigning the parchment to flame, he folded it and pressed it to his chest.

The adviser had assumed, of course, that the elegant calligraphy belonged to Roxanne, the celebrated beauty of the Thankerton family.

He could never have guessed that the true author was Fiona, the quiet fourth daughter of the Niven family.

The sender, then, was not Roxanne. Soren did keep Fiona’s letter, yet his early return to Jexburgh had nothing to do with it a detail he chose not to clarify.

Callum, who had caught whispers of the story, felt a twinge of envy; the idea of a woman thinking of him day and night sounded like spring itself.

He reflected that their eldest brother, garrisoned with wife and children in distant Broadmoor, never seemed lonely at all.

“You truly are a blessed man, Soren,” Callum said, his grin both teasing and sincere.

Soren answered with silence, letting the statement drift away like spent incense.

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Chapter 71 Spring Garden Whispers

“I only hope such luck will visit me as well,” Callum confessed, a quiet carnestness softening his

usual bravado.

On that thought he risked a glance across the hall. Fiona was laughing with another lady, sunlight of chandeliers catching in her dark eyes.

One heartbeat was all it took; a blush climbed Callum’s checks with the stealth of dawn. For the first time he understood why men stammer before the women they admire.

Soren finally regarded his brother, expression unreadable, like frost on still water.

Evening settled, and the brothers boarded a lacquered carriage bound for the Imperial Palace, wheels whispering over cobblestones.

On the ride. Callum leaned in, voice lowered as though the curtains might gossip. “Naomi swears my looks match the sort Fiona favors. If she can approve of this face, the rest should be easy.”

He chuckled, then rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassment rosy on his skin.

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