The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 420

Callum’s POV

I’d never set foot in my mother’s room before. Not even once. It had always been an off-limits room in the house. Growing up, I’d never questioned it. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized how strange it was, to spend years living in a place and never being allowed to enter my mother’s room.

Now, I stood outside of it with my hand moving toward the doorknob, and hesitated.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

It swung open easily, which came as a surprise. I’d expected it to be locked up tightly. But it wasn’t.

The room beyond was dark and smelled like my mother’s perfume. I glanced over my shoulder both ways down the hall, making sure no one could see me, before I slipped in.

I kept the lights off, just to be safe. The moonlight spilled through the window, illuminating a shaft across the floor, just enough to see by. Taking care not to step on any creaky floorboards, I quietly tiptoed across the room.

I wasn’t sure why, exactly, I had come here. I’d checked every other room on the second floor and Liora was nowhere to be found, so I supposed I figured I should check this room last. But truth be told, I knew Liora wouldn’t be here before I even opened the door.

And yet, I just got this… feeling that I would find something here.

I didn’t. At least, not at first.

On a surface level, there was nothing particularly interesting about the room. It was large and finely furnished, and very tidy. The closet was packed with expensive clothes and shoes, and the en suite bathroom counter was laden with bottles of various skincare ointments and makeup.

I moved to the dresser next and began opening the drawers. Again, I wasn’t sure why, but I did it anyway.

The top drawer was mostly socks and underwear. In the back corner, though, a small jewelry box was tucked away. Curious, I pulled it out and popped the lid open.

Inside, mountains of jewelry sat tangled together, many of them clearly having been unworn for a long time. Nothing of note.

I was just about to shut the lid when I noticed it had a false bottom. I pulled it out, and inside that was another, smaller jewelry box. I set the whole thing on top of the dresser and took out the little box, removing the lid.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

There, nestled amongst the velvet, was a necklace and a pair of earrings. The very same set that Liora had been wearing tonight.

One stone was missing from the necklace. But clearly, it was here.

Which meant that she hadn’t run off like my mother said after all.

I grabbed the necklace and stormed out of the room, no longer bothering to stay quiet.

Zane was waiting for me at the end of the hall with his phone in his hands. “I texted her, but no answer,” he said. “I wanted to call but I’m a little worried that it could be suspicious if someone has her phone—”

“No need.” I held up the necklace. Zane understood immediately.

We made our way downstairs, where my parents had moved to the sitting room. I heard my mother’s laughter through the door, followed by the low rumble of my father’s voice.

“Explain this,” I said, bursting into the room. I held up the necklace so it caught the light.

My mother, perched in an armchair by the fireplace, lifted her head. My father straightened.

“You found it,” my mother breathed, shooting to her feet. She reached for the necklace, but I held it out of her way.

“Don’t lie to me, Mother. Liora didn’t steal your jewelry, which leads me to believe she didn’t run off like you said. For all I know, you did something to her—”

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