The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 556

Zane

Look, in my defense, I wasn’t spying.

Not really.

I was just... observing. From a tree. Slightly above eye level. With snacks.

Okay, fine. Call it spying if it helps you sleep at night.

But let’s be honest—when a wolfless girl gives a smack down to an alpha, makes Jessica recoil like she’s seen a ghost, and then brushes off Callum like he’s a substitute history teacher?

That girl warrants a little extra attention.

So there I was, lounging across a thick tree branch like it was a recliner, half-eaten apple in one hand, watching the infamous wolfless herself as she prowled across campus like she owned the asphalt.

And maybe, in a way, she did. At least from how many people seemed to be saying her name.

Liora Belrose, the icy enigma of the year. Sharp tongue, and a silence so weaponized it probably had a kill count.

I expected her to storm past me, head down, dignity up. What I didn’t expect was for her to stop, turn, and glance up.

“Whoever you are,” she said, voice like frost, “get down here.”

Busted.

Now, a normal guy might’ve panicked, apologized, maybe even hidden in the leaves like a raccoon caught raiding a trash can.

But me? I grinned.

I tossed the apple core and dropped to the ground with a flourish. Boots landing soft. Hair perfectly wind-tousled. A+ entrance, if I do say so myself.

“You really know how to command a scene,” I said, brushing off nonexistent dirt.

She didn’t respond. Just watched me like she was calculating whether I was worth engaging or should be fed to the nearest predator.

I held up my hands. “Easy, Alpha. I was observing. For educational purposes.”

She tilted her head slightly. “Do we have a problem?”

Gods. That tone? I felt that in my spine.

“I just figured,” I said casually, “a girl with no dance partner and a lot of pride might want to talk options.”

“You're the option?” she asked, arms crossed.

“Not the worst one you’ve got,” I winked.

Now, I expected a scoff, maybe a sarcastic quip. What I got was silence. Impassive silence. The kind that would make even Callum fidget.

I had to admit, I was impressed.

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