Alpha's Abandoned Daughter is the Secret Heiress novel Chapter 423

Chapter 423: Meeting Theodore’s Friends

Chapter 423: Meeting Theodore’s Friends

(Amelia’s POV)

The room erupted the moment Theodore finished speaking.

Chris the youngest–looking one, with an easy grin that made him seem like he’d never taken anything too seriously in his life leaned forward first.

“Are you kidding? Everyone knows who she is.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Amelia Stone? You’re basically famous at this point.”

“Famous is an understatement,” Luke said from across the table, raising his glass in a small salute. “Honestly, Theodore, she’s too impressive for you.”

Theodore gave him a flat look.

Luke grinned and didn’t take it back.

Theodore turned to me then, and went around the table from left to right, unhurried. “Chris. Lewis. Simon.

Luke.”

Each of them nodded as their name was called.

I looked at them in turn and made sure I had them fixed in my memory. Chris, youngest, already calling me Amy before Theodore had even finished the introductions. Lewis, steady–eyed, the kind of person who chose his words carefully. Simon, who was watching me with a quiet, assessing interest. And Luke, already relaxed back in his chair like he’d decided we were going to get along just fine.

“Theodore’s girl,” Chris announced cheerfully, pointing at me. “That’s what we’re going with.”

“Agreed,” said Luke.

I set the bags on the table and smiled.

“I brought a few little things,” I said. “Just a small way of saying I’m glad to finally meet you all.”

That got their attention immediately.

All four of them sat up straighter, and Chris was already reaching for the nearest box before I’d finished

speaking.

I watched them open the gifts.

Chris pulled out the U–drive first – shaped like a printed ECG strip, the kind that ran off a heart monitor. He turned it over in his hands, brow furrowed, then broke into a delighted grin.

“This is genuinely the coolest thing I’ve ever received. What is this? Where did you even find this?”

< Chapter 423: Meeting Theodore’s Friends

* Pante

Lewis unwrapped his next. He held up the book a special edition of “Gray’s Anatomy*, leather–bound, with

annotated illustrations.

Luke took one look at it and snorted. “Lewis, Buddy. She’s telling you to study.”

Lewis turned the book over in his hands with the expression of a man who was taking the gift very

seriously. “I appreciate this more than you know.”

Simon had gone quiet.

He was staring at the large printed poster in his hands a detailed human muscular anatomy chart, but with a small cartoon version of his own face drawn at the top. He looked at it for a long moment without

speaking.

Chris took one look at his expression and lost it completely.

“Simon,” he wheezed, “she knows. She knows*. Looks like someone needs to learn where everything is

before it gives out on him.”

Simon folded the poster with great dignity and set it aside. “I’m choosing to take this as a compliment.”

Luke, meanwhile, had pulled out the last gift and was holding it up with a deeply uncertain expression. A pair of compression socks – anti–varicose, high–grade.

He looked at them.

He looked at me.

–

“Is this,” he said carefully, “a hint?”

“It’s practical,” I said.

Theodore, beside me, said mildly, “She sends practical gifts. It’s just how she is.”

Chris pointed at him. “I like her. She fits.”

Once the gifts had been admired and set aside, the conversation found its natural rhythm.

“So,” I said, genuinely curious, “how did you all end up knowing Theodore?”

Simon went first.

He folded his hands on the table and told it plainly – high school, years of coming in second to Theodore no matter how hard he studied, until finally, in their last year, he’d swallowed his pride and asked Theodore

to tutor him.

“My grades went up significantly,” Simon said. “I was still seven points below Theodore on the final–year

exams.” He paused. “Still ended up second in the entire year.”

“Second in the year is impressive,” I offered.

Chapter 425 Zane’s Consproc

She turned to Theodore and kept her voice low.

+25 Points

“Thank you. For tonight.” She hesitated. “You should go home and rest. There’s no telling how long this will

take.”

Theodore shook his head.

“I’m staying.”

His tone was gentle. It was also completely immovable.

“If I left you here alone at a moment like this,” he added, “I’d be a fairly useless fiancé.”

Amelia looked at him for a moment.

She didn’t argue. She just gave a small nod.

Jaxon’s assistant had been waiting quietly nearby. He stepped forward now.

“Since the team is back on track, why don’t the two of you wait in Mr. Stone’s office? It’ll be more comfortable. The moment we have results, I’ll come find you personally.”

“Thank you,” Amelia said. “You’ve been carrying this all day. I appreciate it.”

The assistant shook his head quickly, looking almost flustered by the acknowledgment, and moved off to

rejoin the engineers.

Far outside the city, past the last ring of Northgate’s lights, a mountain estate sat behind high walls and

dense trees.

Inside, the main sitting room was lit low.

Griffin stood near the doorway, his posture careful, his expression arranged into something that looked

like remorse.

“How are your injuries, sir?”

Zane Jenkins was reclined against the sofa cushions, his face pale, one hand resting against his ribs. He

waved the question off.

“A few days of rest. Nothing serious.”

The man standing behind Zane’s shoulder did not share his employer’s restraint.

“Nothing serious?” His voice was flat and cold. “The explosion happened three meters from you. You were

standing right there.” He fixed his eyes on Griffin. “You were responsible for that venue. You were

responsible for his safety. You let this happen.”

His lip curled.

“You’re not even worth the rank you hold.”

Chapter 423 Meeting Theodore’s Entenda

He was watching me with that slight, private expression he wore when he was paying attention and didn’t

want to make it obvious.

“You’re considerably more impressive than I’d imagined,” I said.

He laughed low, quiet. He reached over and took my hand.

“And you’re only realizing this now?”

The table erupted.

“Oh, *please*–” Chris covered his eyes dramatically with both hands. “Some of us are trying to keep our

lunch down.”

“It’s been thirty seconds,” Luke said mournfully. “Thirty seconds of peace.”

I smiled and let the noise wash over me.

Under the table, where no one could see, I let my fingertip trace a small circle against Theodore’s palm.

He caught my hand immediately. His thumb moved slowly across the inside of my wrist, and the mate

bond hummed warmly beneath my skin wherever he touched – a soft, deep pull that traveled from my

fingertips all the way to somewhere quieter and harder to name.

I didn’t pull away.

The door opened, and a server stepped in with a polite smile.

“Are you ready to order?”

“Go ahead,” Theodore said.

I leaned back slightly. “Order whatever you like. I’m easy.”

The four of them exchanged looks, then bent over the menus with the focused energy of people who took

food seriously. Chris and Luke immediately started arguing about something. Lewis asked a quiet

question about the daily specials. Simon was already decided and had set his menu down.

It was easy. Warm. The kind of room I hadn’t expected to feel comfortable in so quickly.

My phone lit up on the table.

I glanced at the screen.

*Mom – Seraphina.*

I picked it up and answered.

“Amelia.” Her voice came through immediately, and it was all wrong – too high, too fast, fraying at the edges. “I know you’re out with Theodore right now, I didn’t want to bother you, but I don’t know what to do

“Mom.” I kept my voice steady. “Slow down. What happened?”

“Jaxon’s assistant just called me.” Her voice cracked. “He said – Amelia, your father was taken away by the

Chapter 423 Meeting Theadore’s friends

police. From Stone Botanicals. Just now.”

My chest went tight.

I breathed through it.

“Mom,” I said quietly. “Don’t panic. I’m going to Stone Botanicals right now to find out what’s happening. You stay home and wait for my call. Okay?”

A shaky exhale on the other end. “Okay. Okay, I’ll wait.”

I lowered the phone.

Across the table, all four of them had looked up from their menus at once. Eight eyes on me, still and

attentive.

Beside me, Theodore had already gone quiet. His expression had shifted – the warmth of a moment ago

replaced by something sharper, more watchful.

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