The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 280

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I think you just like being Liora Belrose instead of Princess Liora. How much time did you spend outside the palace walls before you came here, hm?”

“Not very much. Not outside of official events.”

“Exactly.” He grinned. “You like the anonymity of your fake identity. The chaos. The feeling of freedom. Something you never got to experience as the perfect little princess.”

Zane was right. It was part of why I’d struggled so much with the idea of going home. I knew I would one day have to—I wanted to, I still loved my purpose in life—but for a little while, before I put that crown on my head, I just wanted to feel… normal.

“I can help you feel alive,” Zane suddenly said.

“Oh, Gods. Zane, we’re not going over this again. Please. Please don’t.”

“My parents want me to find a mate if I’m going to remain as the family heir. They told me they’d renounce me if I didn’t find one by the end of the year, which is in just a few weeks.”

“You offered once, Zane. I said no. I’m sticking by that.” I looked away. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find someone else.”

“It wouldn’t have to be real.”

I snapped my gaze over to him. “What?”

“A fake relationship. In exchange, I won’t tell anyone about your real identity. Not even Mia.”

I shot to my feet. “Fuck you, Zane. That’s cruel, even for you.” Before he could respond, I turned on my heel and stormed off. Fucking men.

“Forty-eight hours!” he called after me.

“Huh?” I paused, turning to look at him. Zane was standing now, smiling that damn devilish smile of his that never failed to piss me off.

“I’ll give you two days to decide what you want to do. But if you decide to turn down my offer, then it’ll be clear to me that you’re done with your fake life. That you’re ready to become Princess Liora, and not Liora Belrose. I’ll tell everyone the truth, since you’re clearly too much of a baby to do it yourself.”

I stared at him for a long moment. He was fucking with me.

“Screw you, Zane,” I said, flipping him off. His laughter followed me until I was finally out of earshot.

“Oh. Like what?”

My chest ached when I looked at her. I knew I should tell her the truth before Zane did, but I really didn’t think he was ballsy enough to do something like that. Besides, I was exhausted and still reeling from the fact that he’d figured everything out. I couldn’t seem to get the words out just yet.

My momentary hesitation must have set her off, because her cheeks suddenly flushed a deep shade of red.

“I see,” she muttered. She turned and hurried out of the room like my very presence had burned her.

“Mia!” I called after her. “It’s not like that!”

“I know! Just… Just getting that tea!”

And then she was gone. I stared after her for a moment, suddenly feeling even guiltier than before. Zane’s ultimatum echoed in my head: either I go through with a fake relationship with him, or he would tell the entire school about my real identity.

Either way, it wouldn’t end well. And it might just ruin everything.

I hoped he was bluffing on both accounts.