Alpha's Abandoned Daughter is the Secret Heiress novel Chapter 264

Chapter 264: Not Worth the Investment

Chapter 264: Not Worth the Investment

(Caleb’s POV)

The air in the cheap apartment was thick with the stench of mold and stale alcohol.

I stood in the center of the cramped living room, staring down at the coffee table.

It was littered with empty bottles, leaving no space for anything else.

My gaze shifted to the man slumped on the stained sofa.

Ethan looked nothing like the powerful CEO of Starlight Media.

He looked like a vagrant.

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“Why are you doing this to yourself?” I asked, my voice trembling with suppressed anger and

confusion.

“Look at you, Ethan. You’re drinking yourself to death.”

Ethan didn’t move.

His eyes were unfocused, staring blankly at the peeling ceiling.

His hand clutched a half–empty bottle of cheap spirits as if it were a lifeline.

“It’s the only thing that helps,” he rasped, his voice sounding like sandpaper rubbing against

stone.

He took a swig, grimacing as the liquid burned his throat.

“The poison… Amelia’s poison… it’s not just physical pain, Caleb.”

He shuddered violently.

“It feels like a curse on my wolf blood. I can feel my life draining away, drop by drop.”

He laughed, a hollow, broken sound that sent shivers down my spine.

“She really wants me dead. Our little sister is cold–blooded.”

“What about the plan?” I pressed, trying to get through to him. “We have to figure out a way to pay the penalty. We have to survive this.”

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Chapter 264 Not Worth the Investment

Ethan shook his head slowly, despair etched into every line of his face.

“There is no plan.”

“Pull yourself together!” I shouted, stepping closer. “You can’t just give up!”

“Give up?”

Ethan suddenly sat up, his movement jerky and violent.

He smashed the bottle in his hand against the floor.

*Crash!*

Glass shards flew everywhere, glittering dangerously in the dim light.

“You think I want to be like this?” he roared, his eyes bloodshot and wild.

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“If it wasn’t for you… if I hadn’t tried to help you vent your anger for Celine, that lying fraud, I wouldn’t be here!”

He pointed a shaking finger at me.

“I targeted Amelia because you were upset! And now look at me! I’m rotting in this hole!”

His words hit me like a physical blow to the stomach.

I staggered back slightly.

Inside me, my wolf, Noah, let out a low, whimpering whine.

The guilt was suffocating.

He was right.

It was my blind loyalty to Celine that had started this chain reaction.

I looked at the mess on the floor and the broken man in front of me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, clenching my jaw.

“Just hold on a little longer, Ethan. Please.”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands.

“I’ll go to Grandpa Alaric. I’ll beg him on my knees if I have to. It’s our last hope.”

I checked the time.

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I had a meeting at Gale Entertainment this afternoon to discuss my contract termination and

transfer.

I couldn’t leave Ethan alone in this state.

I pulled out my phone and dialed our mother, Livia.

“Mom, I need you to come to Ethan’s place. Now.”

After hanging up, I started clearing away some of the trash.

I looked at Ethan, who had collapsed back onto the sofa, eyes closed.

My heart was a knot of complex, contradictory emotions.

We were so arrogant before.

If we hadn’t tampered with Amelia’s brakes that day… if we hadn’t tried to kill her… maybe there would still be a chance for redemption.

A knock sounded at the door.

I opened it to reveal Livia.

She was dressed in an expensive designer suit that looked ridiculous in this rundown hallway.

She rushed in, her nose wrinkling at the smell.

When she saw Ethan, she let out a shriek.

“My poor boy!”

She rushed to his side, tears instantly welling up.

“Look what that ungrateful viper has done to you!” she screamed, her voice shrill. “Amelia is a monster! How could she do this to her own brother?”

“Stop it,” I said coldly.

Livia froze, looking at me in shock.

“We did this to ourselves, Mom,” I said, my voice devoid of emotion. “We are reaping what we sowed.”

Livia started to sob loudly.

I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

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“Just take care of him,” I said, putting on my sunglasses. “I have to go.”

I walked out of the apartment, pulling the door shut on her weeping.

As I headed for the stairs, a woman’s voice called out from the neighboring unit.

“Hey! Are you Caleb Stone?”

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The neighbor woman rushed toward me, her face flushed with excitement. “I knew it! Can I get an autograph?”

“You have the wrong person,” I muttered.

I pulled my cap lower, hiding my face, and hurried down the stairs without looking back.

Leaving that suffocating slum behind, I drove toward the city center.

Gale Entertainment’s headquarters loomed ahead, a towering structure of glass and steel.

It was the rival territory, but I had no choice.

I walked into the lobby, trying to keep a low profile.

“I’m looking for Manager Zachary Grant,” I told the receptionist.

*Click, click, click.*

The sharp sound of high heels approached from behind.

“Well, look who it is.”

I stiffened.

I knew that voice.

Jade York.

I turned around to see her standing there, arms crossed over her chest.

Her eyes were filled with unmasked disdain.

“Why is the second young master of the Stone family gracing us with his presence?” she sneered.

“Are you here to betray your family? Or are you just here to beg for charity like a dog?”

“This has nothing to do with you, Jade,” I said coldly.

She laughed, a cruel, biting sound.

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“Oh, but it does. It’s pathetic to see you like this.”

She took a step closer, her perfume overpowering.

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“You’re not a young master anymore, Caleb. You’re just a homeless rogue kicked out by your own pack.”

“Mr. Stone? Manager Grant is expecting you on the twelfth floor,” the receptionist interrupted nervously.

I didn’t spare Jade another glance.

I turned and walked toward the elevators.

Just as the doors were sliding shut, a hand blocked them.

Jade stepped inside, a smirk playing on her lips.

The elevator ride was agonizingly slow.

The air inside felt solid, heavy with hostility.

I stared straight ahead at the metal doors, refusing to acknowledge her presence.

*Ding.*

The doors opened on the twelfth floor.

I stepped out immediately, eager to get away from her toxic energy.

“Mutt.”

The word was spoken clearly, loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear.

My steps faltered.

Inside me, Noah roared in anger, clawing at my chest, wanting to tear her throat out.

I stopped and slowly turned around.

My eyes locked onto hers, cold and dangerous.

“Say that again,” I growled, my voice low.

Jade stepped out of the elevator, flipping her hair casually.

She looked completely unfazed by my anger.

“Why? Did I say something wrong?” she asked innocently.

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She walked up to me, her heels clicking rhythmically.

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“You are a pathetic worm who was kicked out of the pack by your own sister. A dog without a

home is a mutt.”

She emphasized every word, savoring the insult.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to shift right there and attack her.

But I needed this deal.

I forced myself to breathe.

“Don’t be too arrogant, Jade,” I warned, my voice icy.

“Just because you’re Griffin’s future mate doesn’t mean you’re untouchable.”

I stepped closer, looming over her.

“In this circle, things change in the blink of an eye. You’d better be careful not to burn bridges before you’ve even crossed the river.”

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