Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit 58 +20 Free Coins 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 . 1/3 14:44 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit 58 +20 Free Coins 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 . 2/3 14:44 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 36 New Paths To Profit : 58 +20 Free Coins 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 . Soren regarded her the way one might observe a sparrow or an elm - curious but detached , as though he assessed an ordinary object rather than a grieving woman . Her sorrow slid off him without leaving so much as a ripple . " So Harriet answers to Lord Soren , " Fiona said once she had steadied her breath . Even if Vincent fell because of him , I can do nothing reckless now . Everything must be planned . " Where did you acquire these formulas ? " Soren asked , each syllable precise enough to slice parchment . A mild breeze wandered in , lifting the emerald writing slips on the painting table - those same prescriptions Fiona had delivered to Harriet only days before . In that instant , she understood why Soren had chosen to appear in person . The slips were the real target . The recipes themselves were flawless , yet the master who had granted them to her in the past possessed influence that could topple courts . Soren must have already connected the dots - linking the slips to Morgan Murren , the Divine Physician , Fiona's gaze flicked to Harriet , then back to Soren . Her voice dropped to a whisper laden with resolve . " I will discuss this matter only with Lord Soren . " Soren gave a small gesture . Harriet withdrew , and a servant arrived bearing steaming cups . The fragrance of rare tea unfurled richly - deeper and more alluring than any Fiona had tasted , proof of cultivated power in liquid form . Soren watched the young woman sit in poised silence , studying her as though every heartbeat played out upon an invisible stage only he could read . 3/3 14:44 Fri , Oct 10