The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 265

The crowd was in chaos now. Voices surged over one another, drowning out whatever it was that Ambrose was saying. The din was deafening.

Suddenly, a voice shouted, “Enough!”

Everyone went silent, turning toward the source of the word. Ambrose’s fiancee stood at the altar, hands clenched into fists at her side. She was trembling, her beautiful pale face having gone red and twisted into a furious scowl.

“I should have known,” she whispered, staring at the floor. “When my friend said you groped her at the bar, you said she was just jealous. That she was making it up. She was my best friend since childhood—and you manipulated me into cutting her off after decades of friendship.”

“Now, now, sweetheart—”

“Don’t call me that anymore.” She picked up her skirt and slowly descended the altar. “You lovebombed me from the beginning. Showered me with gifts. Manipulated me into thinking that no one could ever care for me as much as you do. You brought me to a foreign country and even convinced me to cut off my parents, and then what do you do? You get me here, where you want me, and barely pay attention to me!”

“That’s not—”

“I was a fool for not realizing it sooner!” she cried. She stormed up to him and pulled her hand back, palm flat. “But I realize it now, thanks to these strong women who stood up against a monster like you!”

Before Ambrose could respond, his fiancee slapped him. Hard.

So hard that he stumbled and fell to his ass, right there in the middle of the pews.

And then she picked up her skirts and ran.

The room was silent for a long, breathless moment, as if all the air had been sucked out. Ambrose stood slowly, back to me. His shoulders trembled.

When he turned, his eyes were as black as night.

“Liora?” Mia was pulling on my hand now. The other students were surging out of the chapel. I spotted one last glimpse of Callum before Bianca pulled him away. “Why are you just standing there?” Mia asked.

“Sorry.” I turned away, leaving my cousin behind. “Let’s get out of here. This place always gave me the creeps.”

Soon enough, we had all piled onto the bus, still wearing our formal attire and haphazardly throwing our bags into the cargo compartment. I flopped onto the seat beside Mia, completely exhausted.

“Hey.” I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to find that Zane had taken a seat behind us. He leaned around my seat and plopped something into my hand. A little pouch that felt heavy.

“What’s this?” I asked, opening the pouch. My breath caught, and I quickly shut it. Jewels. Dozens of them, seemingly stolen from the castle.

Zane simply said, “I couldn’t leave here without getting what was promised to Bella.” He leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. “Better that it comes from Ambrose’s royal jewel safe than yours.”