My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Noose Of Suspicion

Chapter 83 Noose Of Suspicion

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Zachary let out a short, biting laugh. “As if there is still room for me at Zephyr’s side. What he truly wants is to set me against Cornelius. Matthew has fallen, and I remain untouched. Even without Zephyr’s little reminder, Cornelius would fight to shield me.”

He had never petitioned on Matthew’s behalf. That silence kept his own robes clean. Cornelius, sharp as ever, would have smelled the storm early and hurried to cut Zachary loose before any mud splattered.

Yet Zephyr rushed in first, announcing that Matthew was beyond rescue. That haste reeked of betrayal.

“Zephyr calculated that I was never in danger,” Zachary continued, voice low and even. “So he offered false goodwill, hoping Cornelius might doubt me. If Cornelius swallows the bait, Zephyr wins. If not, Zephyr loses nothing.”

It was an open trap, plain for any prince to see. But the human heart was a maze of corners— and in a maze, even the wisest man could misstep.

Meryl reached for his hand, her thumb tracing soft circles across his knuckles in quiet

reassurance.`

Zachary covered her fingers with his free hand. “His Majesty has issued a secret order,” he told her, keeping his tone gentle for her sake. “Over the next few days, the Ministry of Justice will dig into every soul connected to Matthew. They will come here, likely tomorrow or the day after. If anything happens, you and Fiona must not fret over me.”

The last word had barely left him when the door swung open with a soft scrape of wood on

stone.

“Father,” Fiona said, her silhouette framed by the corridor lanterns,

Zachary frowned. “It is far too late, child. Why are you not asleep?”

“I heard every word you and Mother exchanged,” she answered, cutting straight to the heart.

Zachary pressed his lips together. He had never wished to drag his daughter into this widening gyre of court intrigue,

“Father,” Fiona went on, “you and Matthew were close. Your sudden detachment may look spotless, yet His Majesty could suspect you foresaw Matthew’s fall and, being alike, chose silence to save yourself.”

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Chapter 83 Noose Of Suspicion

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The line between Zachary’s brows deepened. That very shadow had haunted him since sundown. He had dodged formal charges, but if Aldric began to see him as Matthew’s silent partner, the court would soon shove him toward the margins.

“I once read of Chancellor Charles Wentworth of the Solaris Dynasty,” Fiona said as if merely remembering a passage. “He was honest to the core, yet the Crown Prince doubted his finances. Rather than endure the stain, the chancellor requested a post in Toburgh. He governed so well that even petty thieves vanished from the streets, and was later recalled with

honor.”

Zachary fell into thoughtful silence, eyes fixed on a knot in the floorboards as the idea unfolded.

Cornelius did not fully trust him now. Stepping away from power–just for a spell–would show Aldric he was no Matthew, only a man who wished to serve honestly. It would also ease Cornelius’s nerves while the fire cooled.

The moment the logic clicked, light broke across Zachary’s face.

“It seems you have been reading quite a lot of books lately,” he said, pride warming his voice.

Fiona’s smile carried a quiet spark. “You were the one who gave them to me, Father. Every crisis we face has its echo in their pages.”

She knew well that if her father were to be sent away, he could work miracles in dusty towns, altering even the emperor’s judgment of the Niven name,

In her last life, Zachary’s deeds had been seen merely as redemption for past errors. This time, they would stand as undeniable merit–and so he had little choice but to go.

True to Zachary’s prediction, investigators from the Ministry of Justice thundered through the gates of the Niven family residence the next morning. An escort of towering soldiers fanned across the courtyard, faces carved from ice; any sign of defiance would be cut down where it stood.

The household, scrubbed clean in advance, yielded nothing. Drawer after drawer lay empty, not a single secret letter linking them to Matthew.

Other mansions were less fortunate. Within a fortnight, more than twenty officials were seized -six for taking bribes, and over ten for shielding wrongdoers–from court ministries to Lakebourne’s provincial offices.

Matthew’s embezzled fortune was obscene; the verdict came swiftly–beheading on the spot.

Several days later, Zachary knelt before the dais and asked to be sent to Junbert, the most

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10:28 Sat, Oct 11

Chapter 83 Noose Of Suspicion

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