The Alpha's Unwanted Bride novel Chapter 531

Chapter 531: THE REVEAL

Cherry was in utter disbelief.

Absolutely nothing happened.

For several suffocating moments, the sacred basin lay still and lifeless. The runes carved into its rim glimmered only faintly before fading altogether. The thick silver liquid remained dull, flat, like dead water. The chamber held its breath.

A ripple of whispers surged through the crowd. Nobles shifted on their feet, eyes narrowing, lips twitching as they muttered to one another. Some servants gasped. A few even smirked, smug that their suspicion of the "new red-haired girl" was already proven right.

Cherry began to panic.

Her eyes darted to Roland, who stood at the dais like a storm, arms folded, gaze sharp as steel. His jaw clenched tighter by the second. If he declared the test void, if he ordered Auburn seized... everything would crumble.

Cherry’s breath caught. She turned to look at Auburn.

The girl’s face was stricken white, her lips parted as if she’d forgotten how to breathe.

❧

Auburn’s heart absolutely stopped. A deafening silence roared in her ears. Her lungs squeezed shut as though invisible hands were crushing them. Sweat prickled at the nape of her neck, sliding down her spine.

This was it. This was the end.

She turned to Cherry, desperate, eyes wide as a cornered animal. But Cherry’s hand shot up and squeezed her face harshly, her nails digging into Auburn’s skin.

Auburn froze.

She knew that look. That silent command in Cherry’s eyes.

It meant she was alone in this.

If she was going to die, then she was going to die alone. Cherry wouldn’t save her. Cherry would let her burn.

A hollow pit opened in Auburn’s chest. Her body felt weightless, already half a corpse. She thought of the guards dragging her out, of the cold steel of an executioner’s blade, of her head rolling as the people jeered "imposter."

No.

Her lips trembled, but her mind hardened.

If she was going to go down, she wouldn’t go down quietly. She would not die as nothing. If she perished, then she would drag Cherry with her.

Maybe they wouldn’t believe her. Maybe they would call her lies a desperate attempt. But at least she would plant the seed of doubt. At least Rose and Roland would suspect the snake they called family.

Her heart thudded like a drumbeat of doom. Auburn closed her eyes, waiting for the judgment to fall, for the guards to seize her arms and rip her away.

And then—

The runes around the basin flickered.

At first, faint. Barely visible. Like dying embers gasping for life. Then, slowly, they pulsed brighter. A soft hum filled the air, vibrating in the bones. The silver liquid shivered, rippling as if something unseen stirred beneath it.

The glow spread, a pale red bloom blossoming across the surface until the entire basin shimmered with crimson light.

Gasps erupted through the hall.

Rose fell to her knees, her hands pressed to her lips. Tears spilled down her cheeks in an unstoppable stream.

"It’s true," she whispered, then louder, breaking into a sob. "It’s true. She is mine. She is Scarlett’s!"

The chamber exploded in noise—shock, awe, disbelief. Some nobles fell to their knees, others clutched their chests. Servants pressed forward to see better, mouths open in astonishment.

Cherry’s voice rang sharp and victorious above the chaos.

"There!" she cried, her lips twisting into a triumphant smile. "The proof you demanded, Roland. Do you still doubt your own blood?"

The king’s expression was unreadable. The room held its breath as he remained stone-still, only his eyes burning as they fixed on the glowing basin.

Hildegard, standing at Rose’s side, was frozen. Her face twisted with unease, her eyes darting between the faint glow and Cherry’s victorious grin. She said nothing, though Auburn could see the disbelief in her gaze.

But Rose—Rose was beyond reason.

She scrambled forward, reaching for Auburn with trembling hands. She gathered the girl into her arms, her sobs shaking her thin frame.

"It’s okay," Rose wept, pressing her wrinkled cheek to Auburn’s. Her hands stroked Auburn’s face with desperate tenderness, wiping away her tears. "It’s okay, my child. You’re home. You’re welcome home."

Auburn’s chest cracked open. Relief flooded her veins, hot and dizzying. Her knees nearly buckled. Thank the goddess. Thank the goddess the spell had worked.

If Cherry’s magic had failed, she would have been branded an imposter. Executed publicly, her body strung up as a warning. But the runes glowed, the basin shimmered, and the queen embraced her as her own.

Auburn’s eyes stung as she buried her face into Rose’s shoulder. She let herself breathe. For the first time since this nightmare began, she truly breathed.

King Roland slowly descended the dais. His boots echoed against the marble floor, each step measured, heavy. Rose released Auburn and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Do you believe me now?" she asked him, her voice trembling but fierce. "Do you now believe this is your granddaughter? Your flesh?"

Rose seized Auburn’s hand, her grip firm, and led her forward. Auburn’s pulse rattled in her throat.

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