The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 247

Liora’s POV

“We need to talk.” Callum took a step forward. Snow flecked his dark hair as he exited the colonnade, making my heart do that stupid fluttering thing again.

I shoved the feeling down and stood, making my way across the courtyard toward the door at the other side. “If this is about the kiss, don’t bother. It won’t happen again. It was a mistake.”

“That’s not what I wanted to talk about,” he said.

I paused, my hand on the doorknob, and looked at him over my shoulder. His expression was different from what I expected—not apologetic or awkward or even angry, but… searching. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle that I was a piece of.

But as I looked at him, I saw the memory of the other day. How he had sided with Bianca. How quick he had been to assume that I was in the wrong in the entire matter. Just as he had always done with her.

I pulled the door open. “I’m not interested,” I said. I stepped into a dimly lit hallway that I vaguely recognized, looked both ways, then went right. I didn’t expect Callum to follow me, but he did. The sound of the door opening and closing again behind me, followed by his footsteps, indicated that he hadn’t wasted a moment.

“You’re not telling me something,” he called after me.

“Oh?” I picked up my pace.

“What are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything, Callum. As much as you wish I was.” That was a lie, of course. I turned a corner, finding an even darker hallway. That uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach again, but at least I had a reason for it this time.

Callum sighed and jogged to catch up with me. He stepped in my way, blocking me from rounding another corner.

“Talk to me, Liora.”

I hesitated. What hurt the most wasn’t the kiss or the way he’d reacted. It was everything else. Callum was my mate once. But he’d never taken my side. Not over hers. Not really. Not when his so-called “princess” was always his number-one priority.

And then, to add insult to injury, he had been there when Bianca tried to get me killed. Or at least, he’d been there for the aftermath. And he hadn’t even confronted her about it.

I think that was what really hurt the most: the fact that he hadn’t said a damn word when I came stumbling up that hill, covered in blood and dirt and anger. He’d just… put himself between us and glared at me.

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