Alpha's Abandoned Daughter is the Secret Heiress novel Chapter 410

Chapter 410: Caleb Is Leaving the Country

Chapter 410: Caleb Is Leaving the Country

(Amelia’s POV)

+25 Paints

The moment the words “help me pick something to wear” left my mouth, Seraphina’s entire face changed.

Her eyes lit up like I’d handed her a gift.

“Leave it to me,” she said immediately, setting down her fork with the decisive energy of someone who had been waiting years for exactly this assignment.

Jaxon looked at her, then at me, then quietly returned to his coffee with the expression of a man who understood he was no longer relevant to this conversation.

After breakfast, I headed to the office.

Anya was already at the door, practically vibrating.

“Great news,” she said, following me inside. “Wayne’s image reversal is complete. Yesterday’s operations worked. The heat is enormous–he’s trending on every major platform this morning.”

“And Gale Entertainment?”

“They made an official announcement.” Anya pulled up her tablet. “They’re replacing the female lead with one of their own artists and holding a launch ceremony today. They’re pushing forward with *The Rising Storm*.”

So they were accelerating.

I’d expected that.

“What about Jasper?” Anya asked, her voice shifting into something more hopeful. “Since Wayne’s situation turned around–does that mean Jasper’s the same?”

“Yes,” I said simply.

Anya’s eyes went wide.

“Every piece of dirt on Jasper was fabricated,” I said. “A classic case of the guilty crying foul and turning the blame on the innocent.”

She stared at me for a moment, then let out a sound somewhere between a gasp and a laugh.

“Then *Treatment Diary* isn’t what people are saying it is,” she breathed. “It’s not a-”

“A problem artist dumping ground?” I raised an eyebrow. “No.”

“You knew all along.” She looked at me with something close to reverence. “You knew from the beginning

< Chapter 410 Caleb Is Leaving the Country

+25 Points

“This is the first project I’m putting my name on,” I said, keeping my voice even. “I have a reputation to protect. I’m not going to let anyone ruin it.”

Anya nodded, snapped out of her daze, and left with the focused energy of someone who had somewhere important to be.

I picked up my phone and dialed Director Liam.

He answered on the second ring.

“Casting,” I said. “Where are we?”

“Ahead of schedule, actually.” His voice was warm, unhurried. “Zoey’s spot is locked in, and the rest of the major roles are nearly confirmed. I’m estimating we finish the full cast by mid–month. Every role will be the

right fit–I won’t compromise on that.”

“Good,” I said. “Mid–month is fine.”

I ended the call and set the phone down.

The numbers started arranging themselves in my head without me asking them to.

*Treatment Diary’s casting was running almost a month behind *The Rising Storm*. Director Liam was meticulous–a six–month shoot was the floor, not the ceiling. Gale Entertainment, on the other hand, would cut every corner available to them. Compress post–production. Rush the edit. Get it out three, maybe six

months ahead of us.

With identical subject matter, the first one to air had the advantage.

Griffin’s original plan had been genuinely well–constructed. I could acknowledge that without it bothering

1. me.

The flaw hadn’t been in the design. It had been in Arthur York’s execution–specifically, his decision to hand casting authority to Hugh, who had reached for the easiest targets without bothering to check whether the

dirt on them was real.

Griffin had assumed that Wayne and Jasper were genuinely compromised. He hadn’t known they were

victims.

His mistake.

I had already decided: *The Rising Storm* would fail. Not just stumble–fail completely. And when it did, Arthur York would be standing at a crossroads with no good options. Watch the company rot from the inside, or sell Jade’s shares at a loss and walk away.

I intended to make sure the second option felt like mercy by comparison.

<Chapter 410 Caleb Is Leaving the Country

(Author’s POV)

A knock broke the silence.

Anya opened the door. “Caleb Stone is here to see you.”

A beat.

“Send him in.”

The man who walked through the door looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

+25 Points

Caleb Stone–who had once carried himself with the loose, careless confidence of someone who’d never

had to try very hard–looked hollowed out. His jaw was rough with stubble. His hair was unwashed and

uneven. The face that usually wore a smirk like a permanent accessory now just looked tired.

Adrian’s betrayal had done that. The man who had hired someone to hurt Livia had been his own father.

Caleb stopped in front of the desk. He opened his mouth, and for a half second something old flickered in

his expression–the reflex of a name he’d been about to say.

He stopped himself.

“Alpha,” he said instead.

Amelia’s posture didn’t change visibly, but something in her settled.

*Good*, she thought. *As long as the Stone family stopped trying to claim kinship or reach for things that

weren’t theirs, she could deal with them like anyone else.*

“Sit,” she said.

He did.

“I’m leaving the country,” Caleb said. “Taking my mother with me.” He looked at his hands for a moment,

then back up. “A label overseas reached out. They’re willing to cover the penalty clause and sign me

directly. The new album revenue still goes to Gale Entertainment–that’s already locked in–but I’ve made up my mind.”

Amelia studied him for a moment.

“Congratulations,” she said. “Your style was always better suited to international markets. The rock

direction you’ve been pushing for the past two years–that’s where the audience actually exists for it.”

Caleb went still.

He had come in braced for indifference at best. Dismissal at worst.

He hadn’t expected that.

Something complicated moved through him–something raw and genuine that he didn’t quite have a name

for. He almost said it out loud. Almost.

< Chapter 410 Caleb is Leaving the Country

+25 Points

He swallowed it back. *She doesn’t need to hear that. It would only be awkward.*

“There’s something else,” he said. “The Wayne and Zoey situation–the rumors about them. I know some of

the background.” He paused. “If it ever becomes a problem for you, I can come back. Testify, make a

statement, whatever you need.”

He heard himself say it and almost winced.

*She has Jaxon. She has Theodore. She has the entire Crimson family behind her. What exactly are you offering, Caleb?*

He didn’t take it back.

“When do you leave?” Amelia asked.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify