The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 314

Liora’s POV

I wasted no time changing into something dark and sneaking out. The palace was mostly quiet at that hour aside from the guards, but I knew their patrol schedules like the back of my hand, and all of the best routes to slip out without being noticed. By the time I made it out the back gate, no one had noticed my absence.

Zane, as promised, was waiting a little ways down the road. He climbed out of the driver’s seat as I approached the car, and sketched a mock bow.

“Princess,” he said, receiving a punch in the arm in response, “your chariot awaits.”

He gestured to the driver’s seat. I shot him a look. “You want me to drive?”

“That’s what I’m here for, isn’t it? So you can practice for your big race.”

I climbed into the driver’s seat, adjusting the chair so I could reach the pedals. Zane hopped into the passenger seat and grinned at me. “I expected you to come out in a ballgown and a tiara.” He glanced at the dark hoodie I was wearing and the black bandana around my neck. “What’s the bandana for?”

“Just in case anyone comes looking for me,” I muttered as I adjusted the mirror. “Where are we headed?”

Zane shrugged. “You know the area better than I do.”

Nodding, I pulled away from the side of the road and drove away from the castle, watching as it faded into a speck in the rearview mirror. There were some side roads a few miles off that were known to be deserted at night, and straight enough to drive at high speeds without winding up in a ditch.

Over the next hour or so, Zane guided me through various racing techniques, teaching me how to handle straights and curves, as well as how to manage maneuvers without sacrificing speed.

I found that I had an innate skill for it, which was surprising. Marcus had taught me plenty about driving growing up, but nothing quite like this. And yet somehow, I picked up the skills with relative ease, partially thanks to Zane’s expert training.

After practicing for a while, we were hardly even paying attention to the maneuvers, instead blasting the radio and singing along to whatever was playing while I sped down the empty roads, guiding the car around curves with ease.

Eventually, we wound up in the nearby town. We stopped at a gas station to refill and so Zane could get his “much-needed” energy drinks, and then we began heading back toward the palace.

“That was fun,” Zane said, sipping from his can as we pulled up to a red light. “You’re good at this.”

I grinned. “Thanks. You’re a good teacher.”

“I’ll tell you what else I’m good at…”

“Zane!”

“What? I’m kidding!”

I rolled my eyes, although I was smiling. Just then, another car pulled up to the red light—a sleek black sportscar that had both Zane and I turning our heads to check out. We couldn’t see the driver through the tinted windows. I was grateful that Zane’s windows were tinted, too, because it meant that I didn’t need to hide my face all night.

The driver revved their engine, making Zane whistle low.

“Looks like they’re raring for a race. Wanna show em who’s boss?”

“We’re in town! We could get caught!” I protested.

“Look around us, Princess.” Zane gestured at the barren streets. “This town has, like, one street anyway. And I don’t see any cops.” He smirked at me. “Besides, if we get pulled over, can’t you just pull your Princess Card or something?”

“I’d get in way more trouble with my parents than the police,” I pointed out. But as I said it, the driver revved their engine again, challenging me once more. My hands tightened instinctively around the wheel.

“Aw, c’mon,” Zane said, nudging me with his elbow. “It’ll be alright—”

The light turned green, and the other car shot off. And before I knew it, I was slamming my foot down on the pedal and giving chase. Zane let out a wild whoop of joy, pumping his fists in the air, as I caught up to the black sportscar.

Then, he was gone.

…

Callum’s POV

That strange driver plagued my thoughts all through the next day. There was something familiar about her, although I couldn’t make out her face behind the bandana and sunglasses she wore.

Either way, I was intrigued, and not just because she might be Zane’s cheating partner, which pissed me off for obvious reasons. Liora didn’t deserve to be cheated on, although asking Zane to settle down with one girl was like asking a tiger to not have stripes.

But beyond that, her driving was admittedly impressive. She’d beat me in a street race in the span of mere seconds, which never happened to me. My pride was a little wounded after that, and I wanted a rematch.

Figuring she probably frequented the racetrack with skills like that, I went there the next night and asked around. No one seemed to know who I was asking about, until I talked to one of the race coordinators. He went through his list as I described her, scratching his head.

“Hmm… I don’t know of anyone who matches that exact description.”

“Damn…”

“But if she was with Zane, then I suppose it could have been Miss Guided,” he said, looking up at me. “She’s new here. A rookie. Just signed up for her first race.”

“When’s the race?” I asked.

“This weekend.”

My interest piqued at that. “Sign me up, too,” I said without hesitating. “I want a rematch with this ‘Miss Guided’.”