The Rejected True Heiress (Liora) novel Chapter 85

“I—” She huffed, looking just as trash smacked as me. Hair a mess, feet bare, dress in near shreds. “You will not believe,” she said, pulling her coat off and throwing it over the chair, “what an absolute nightmare that was.”

Her tone was light. Casual.

I blinked, unsure how to answer. “You… made it out okay.”

“Barely,” she said with a laugh. “Jessica lost it, actually lost it, chasing us like that. I knee she and her goon were gonna pulls something but that? What a mess.”

I sat there, waiting for the rest. Waiting for the anger.

None came.

“You’re not… mad?”

She frowned at me, halfway through untying her ratty hair. “Mad? At you? For what?”

I opened my mouth, closed it again, then forced the question out. “Did the Alpha King show up? What happened after? I departed after the stage incident.”

That made her pause. “Uh, yeah. He did. Big dramatic entrance, cloak and everything. People were freaking out. But he was only there for a second before they shoved him out or could get anywhere near the stage. I don’t think anyone even talked to him.”

I stared at her.

“You didn’t see?” she asked.

“No,” I said. My voice sounded far away, even to me.

So that was it. He hadn’t said anything. Hadn’t had the chance. My secret was still mine.

I felt this small wave of relief. The choice was still mine. My time, mine.

For now.

“Not sure we were much better off,” I murmured, loosening my hold.

Mia leaned back, grinning at me, hair sticking out in every direction. “Oh please. Liora, we ruined our dresses on our own accord running through that garden. That’s way better then giving into them.”

Despite myself, my lips twitched. “You’re welcome, then?”

“Anyway, I’m gonna shower, we are so gross right now.” She waved, disappearing behind the white door.

My thighs sank into the mattress, the sheets rising in a soft hush around me as I sat.

The buzz of my father’s mind-link pressed at the edge of my thoughts again, insistent.

I shut it out.

Tomorrow was still mine, and I wasn’t done running my show.