The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 393

Callum’s POV

The library was quiet enough that even Zane, who was usually silent on his feet, made small sounds against the floor as he snuck up behind me. I kept my head down over the book I was reading, hoping that he wouldn’t spot me.

“There you are.”

No such luck.

I turned the page. “I’m busy.”

He pulled out the chair next to me and spun it around, then sat on it backwards, straddling it. “Whatcha reading?”

“Zane.” I looked up at him. “I’m really not in the mood for your antics.”

His eyes darkened. “I need to talk to you.”

“Somehow, I highly doubt that.” I closed my textbook and stacked it on top of the others, then pushed back my chair. I wasn’t getting anything done anyway. I’d read the same page twice and hadn’t really paid attention, and Zane sitting here staring at me definitely wasn’t going to help.

I stood and gathered my books. I made it almost to the end of the aisle before he stepped around the shelf and planted himself in my path.

I stopped. “Move.”

“Just hear me out.”

“I said move, Zane.”

“And I said hear me out.” He crossed his arms. He wasn’t grinning anymore, and despite my best efforts, that gave me pause. Zane was rarely serious about anything, least of all when he was talking to me. Something about the way he was looking at me piqued my curiosity.

I exhaled through my nose. “You have two minutes.”

“I only need one.” He glanced past me to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice. “It’s about Bianca.”

My jaw tightened. “Of course it is.”

“She’s faking it, Callum.”

I stared at him.

“The pregnancy,” he said. “She faked the test. There is no baby.”

Zane was quiet for a second. He looked at the floor briefly, then back at me, and something had changed in his expression. His eyes were hard, nothing at all like the humor that was usually covering his true intentions.

“Because she’s not who she says she is, Callum. And I think you already know that.” He tilted his head slightly. “And because you deserve better than someone like her.”

I said nothing.

“And you’re an idiot,” he continued, “for letting a girl as amazing as Liora slip through your fingers. If you would just give her a chance, you’d realize that the person you wanted has been right in front of you all along.”

Those words dropped into my chest like a boulder.

Liora.

I hated that her name still sent a shiver through me. That despite everything, I still wanted her, far more than I ever wanted Bianca. That I wished I could take it all back and start over again.

Despite all of this, I managed to keep my expression neutral. “Are you done?” I asked.

“Unfortunately.” Zane stepped aside, but before I could take a step, he pressed something into my hand. I looked at it, and he lowered his voice. “Just to be safe.”

I walked past him without another word. I made it out of the library and halfway across the quad before I stopped, looked down, and studied the item again.