My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 298

**Chapter 298: Midnight Return**

The carriage rattled along the damp, winding forest road, each bump sending jolts of anxiety through Meryl’s already frayed nerves. She couldn’t shake the feeling that danger lurked just behind them. “Are those riders mountain bandits?” she wondered, her heart racing with every creak of the wheels.

Fiona, her keen eyes trained on the shadows, had already assessed the situation. “Mother, look closely at their hidden pennant,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension. “That is no band of robbers; it’s merely a merchant team in disguise. They fear the real bandits as much as we do.”

Meryl let out a long, shaky breath, her shoulders sinking into the plush cushions of the carriage as if the very weight of her fears had rolled away. The tension that had gripped her began to ease, if only slightly.

As they approached Jexburgh, their arrival was almost ghostly, a mere whisper against the backdrop of the moonlit streets. The carriage glided silently into the Niven Estate well past midnight, a time when even the town’s gossip seemed to be asleep.

Inside, the flickering light of a lantern cast anxious shadows beneath the eyes of Zachary and Lilith, who were the only ones awake to greet them. “Fiona! Aunt Meryl!” Lilith exclaimed, her youthful energy propelling her across the courtyard, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Meryl’s heart raced again. “Is Fiona truly safe now that she is back?” she pressed, her anxiety refusing to loosen its grip on her.

Zachary rubbed the bridge of his nose, the weight of worry etched on his face. “Not entirely,” he admitted, his voice low. “If she had remained in Southmere, Zephyr intended to join Xavier’s inspection of Dasshire—a thinly veiled pretext to snatch her away. With only you two there, I couldn’t find peace. But here, under my roof, I can at least rest easy knowing she has my protection.”

“Why must he fixate on Fiona?” Meryl spat, her frustration boiling over. “He’s already surrounded by beauties—what more could he possibly want?”

Zachary’s gaze shifted to Lilith, his thoughts momentarily clouded by the recent letter from Xavier. It rustled in his memory, the promise of marriage contingent on victory in Dasshire—a promise the dying emperor would be unlikely to refuse.

“Fiona, Lilith, it’s late. You both should get some rest,” he instructed, his tone brooking no argument.

Fiona immediately understood her father’s intention; he wanted to speak privately with Meryl. She took Lilith’s hand and led her back to Bamboo Lodge, the night air cool against their skin.

“Tell me, Lilith, what gossip have I missed while I was away?” Fiona asked, genuinely curious.

“Oh, there’s joy at home!” Lilith replied, her voice brightening. “Yolanda’s child is due any day now! We didn’t even notice her pregnancy until she was four months along!”

A wave of relief washed over Fiona, her shoulders relaxing. “Aunt Joanna must be over the moon,” she mused, picturing her aunt’s delight.

Noticing the change in Fiona’s mood, Lilith decided to abandon further questions, gently guiding her towards bed. As dawn broke, Fiona stepped out into the dewy courtyards, her mind set on finding Ulrich.

“Fiona, you’re finally back!” Yolanda exclaimed, her face glowing despite the late-term swelling. The excitement in her eyes outshone every discomfort she felt. “These past six months have been dreadfully dull without you. Thank goodness Lili kept me company, or I’d have gone mad.”

Fiona took Yolanda’s hand, warmth flooding her chest. “Aunt Joanna must be treating you like a treasure these days,” she said, smiling.

At the mention of Joanna, Yolanda’s eyes glistened with gratitude.

She remembered how, at Fiona’s urging, she had summoned the courage to seek out the Divine Doctor, Morgan. Without that secret treatment, she might never have conceived, and her meddlesome mother-in-law would have surely forced Ulrich to take a concubine.

Yolanda had witnessed the fallout of concubinage in Elijah’s household. Even the strongest marriages could crack under the pressure of another woman’s presence. If that woman bore a child while the wife remained barren, the fragile balance would shatter, and the concubine would be emboldened to usurp her place.

She couldn’t bear the thought of such a life—of watching Ulrich’s affections lavished on someone else’s child. “Fiona, of all the people in my life, I owe you the greatest debt,” Yolanda said, her voice thick with emotion. “Without you, I would be worse off than Rita. You changed my fate, and I have no idea how to repay you.”