Chapter 13

Alden knew three years had passed, so tracking it down would take time. Yet as the minutes slipped by, his heart kept pounding relentlessly. His eyes stayed locked on his phone screen. His agitation was so sharp that the ashtray overflowed with crushed cigarette butts. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He answered it instantly. "Did you find it?" But it was only Victor Mallon, the family butler. His voice was as deferential as ever. "Mr. Wilder, Mr. Wilder Senior requests your immediate return to Wilder Estate." Alden's brow furrowed. "Is Grandpa unwell?" "He didn't say. But it sounded urgent." The call ended. A second later, the engine roared to life. Wilder Estate blazed with light. The moment Alden stepped into the living room, a stack of photographs sailed toward him, stinging his skin before fluttering to the floor. "Look at the trash you've been chasing all these years!" Gordon Wilder braced himself on his cane. His face was flushed with rage. "You—a Wilder scion—degrading yo