The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 444

Liora’s POV

I stood frozen, the glass of punch still clutched in my hand so tightly I could feel the glass starting to crunch under my grip, as Bianca walked into the grand hall on my father’s arm.

She looked like a queen already. The gown, the tiara, the way she held her head high as she surveyed the room. It was all perfect, practiced, poised. As if she had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

And then there was my father, standing beside her with his chest puffed out, looking more proud of her in that moment than I had seen him look at me since I could remember.

The herald’s voice still echoed in my ears. Bianca. The true heir to the royal pack.

True heir.

As if I had never existed at all. Or worse: like I had been shunned from my own family in the span of two days.

Without so much as glancing my way, my father led Bianca to the front of the hall. He helped her step onto the dais, then turned to address the crowd and lifted his free hand. Everyone was murmuring amongst themselves, many looking over at me like I wouldn’t notice, but quieted immediately and turned toward him.

“Members of the royal pack,” my father began, his voice carrying across the now-silent hall. “Tonight, I have an announcement to make. For too long, I have kept a secret from you all. A secret that I can no longer bear to hide.”

The crowd murmured again, heads turning toward one another.

“I have another daughter,” my father continued. “One I did not acknowledge for many years, to my great shame. But I can no longer deny her place in this family. Bianca is my daughter, my blood, and as of tonight, she will be recognized as the true heir to the throne.”

Lady.

Many eyes turned to me. Right then, I wished more than ever that I could melt through the floor and disappear entirely. But I couldn’t, so I had no choice but to stand there under everyone’s scrutiny as they all wondered what I had done to no longer be “fit” to inherit, demoted to a mere Lady of a distant castle in the mountains, betrothed to an animal with a reputation for hurting women.

Bianca chose that moment to step forward, commanding everyone’s attention with a mere clear of her throat. Everyone looked her way. She looked out over the crowd, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight, and silence fell once more.

“Thank you, Father,” she said in a high, sweet voice that sounded so much unlike her usual tone it was almost laughable. “I know this comes as a surprise to many of you. But I promise, I will not let you down. As your future female Alpha, I will work tirelessly to ensure the prosperity and safety of this kingdom. I will be a leader you can be proud of.”

The crowd erupted into applause. It wasn’t everyone, but it was enough. Enough that it felt like the walls were closing in on me.