The Rejected True Heiress (Liora) novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

+25 BONUS

I laughed before I could stop it. “What? That doesn’t even make sense. Protect me, by turning everyone against me?”

Zane considered that. “It wasn’t from them he was protecting you. It was from his parents. From Bianca. From… everything.”

I shook my head. “Still makes no sense. I told him I’d handle his parents-”

“Liora,” Zane cut in, his voice suddenly serious. More serious than I’d ever heard it. “They didn’t just threaten him. They threatened you. Said if he kept entertaining you, they’d make you disappear. Quietly. Permanently.”

My hands froze.

Then I kept wrapping. “Is that all?”

Zane blinked. “Is that all?” he repeated, skeptically. “Yeah, I guess a death sentence is pretty minor.”

I shrugged. “From what you could tell, was he lying?”

Zane shook his head slowly. “No. I think he meant every word. Still, I feel like… you should care about this more?”

I flexed my fingers, staring down at them. “Still doesn’t make what he did right,” I murmured. “He could’ve told me. We could’ve handled it. Together.”

“Well yeah. I told him that. Told him it was the dumbest plan ever.” Zane smirked. “Decked him. Very therapeutic.”

“Wish I’d seen that.”

Zane gave me a mock–hurt look. “He… cares about you, Liora. You know that, right?”

I finished tying off the bandage and sat back on my heels. “Sure. But if he really thinks pushing me away was protecting me? We’ve got bigger problems. I told you, I’m tired of the back and forth. Threats, I can handle. But I can’t fix his habit of making decisions for me.”

Zane raised his brows, looking oddly impressed. “So what I’m hearing is… you’re officially over him?”

“Sure, whatever” I muttered, standing.

Zane stood up too, examining my wrappings. “Insteresting, interesting. So now that he’s officially an idiot, what do you say? Want to upgrade?”

I gave him a look, my hand moving to my hip. “Upgrade?”

He flashed a grin. “To me, obviously.”

“Zane,” I said warningly.

He stepped closer, all charm and trouble. “Come on. I’ve got less emotional baggage and better hair.”

1/2

Chapter 54

+25 BONUS

“You’re not serious.”

“I could be.”

I stepped back, throwing my pack over my shoulder to make some space between us. “You’re not my type.”

“You don’t know your type.”

“I know it’s not sleazy and smug,” I said coolly.

He held a hand to his chest. “Ouch.”

Zane took another step forward, just a little too close, his eyes dancing with that flirty heat he wielded like a

weapon.

“Seriously though,” he murmured, his breath hitting my ear. “I wouldn’t mind being the one who makes you forget him.”

I opened my mouth to shut him down when a voice sliced through the air.

“ZANE.”

We both turned.

Up in the student council window, my eyes widened.

I’d been looking for him for days, and there he was… looking absolutely pissed. Callum stood glaring, arms crossed, every inch of him carved from fury and restraint.

Zane smirked. “See? Totally still cares.‘

He took a step back and winked at me. “Later.”

Then he was gone, vanishing down the courtyard path like the drizzle itself.

I looked up again and Callum was still watching.

Still angry. Arms folded.

Still unreadable.

Our eyes locked in a way I couldn’t decode. All heat. Both of us glaring like there was a war burning quietly

between us.

Lightning cracked.

And for a moment, when the whole world lit up, I could’ve sworn his expression softened.

My heart squeezed, and I swallowed a small hope.

But before I could decide if I’d imagined it, I let out a slow breath, shook my head, and turned away—before I started wondering what any of it meant.