Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

Alden’s face went fifty shades of busted.

Allen smacked his fork down. “Alden, what’s going on?b” /b

Alden’s face went storm–cloud dark. “Grandpa, I’ll call Kaia right away.”

Allen snorted, “Humph, Kaia’s gonna be my

granddaughter–inw and that’s final. If you dare to treat her badly, just you wait!”

During the meal, Alden was straight zoned out. Luna kept trying to chat him up from the next seat, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

He was on edge. Kaia’stest moves had made him feel uneasy.

All this time, he thought he had the rtionship on lock.

Now? His ride–or–die was breaking formation.

“Alden, mind giving me a rideter?” Luna’s voice snapped him back.

Before he could even drop that “Yeah, sure,” Lucien jumped in, cool as ever. “Where are you staying these days, Luna? I can drive you.”

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

Luna went quiet for a second, wheels turning.

Uncle Lucien’s never been this kind to me before.

“Thanks, but I’ll ask Logan to take me,” she replied.

Lucien gave a faint smile. “Alright, then.”

20 min left

Actually, Alden couldn’t care less about who was taking Luna home.

All he wanted was to get back to the vi and have it out with

Kaia.

XXXXX

Fuming mad, Alden stormed back to the vi.

“Where’s Kaia?b” /bhe barked.

Serena nearly jumped out of her skin at his sudden outburst.

She shook her head. “Mrs. Graves went on a business trip.”

Alden frowned. “She actually said that?”

“Not really. Just saw her with ba /bsuitcase…” Serena’s voice went quiet.

iSuitcase/i… iThat’s /idefinitely a business trip, iright/ii? /i

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

Waiti… /iDidn’t she say something about moving iout/ii? /i

20 min left

Alden went ghost white. Without a moment’s hesitation, he dashed upstairs.

He busted into her room looking like a man possessed, but the ce was stripped clean–like she’d never even existed.

He bolted for her walk–in closet.

His head was pounding like a jackhammer when he yanked open that door. Empty. Totally cleaned out!

Pure panic hit Alden like a freight train. Everything was going sideways, and he couldn’t stop it.

Trying to keep it together, he returned to his room.

Then it hit him—half his stuff had pulled a vanishing act.

He ripped open his tie drawer.

Every single tie Kaia ever gave him? Gone. Poof.

His heart went into overdrive.

Finally, he pushed open the door of the master bedroom.

That massive wedding portrait Kaia had insisted on? Nowhere

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

20 min left

to be found!

Standing on the terrace, Alden fumbled to dial Kaia’s number.

The rings dragged on like torture, each one cranking up his blood pressure.

Right before voicemail kicked inb, /bshe picked up.

“Kaia, what the hell? Your closet’s cleared out, and all the stuff you bought me is MIA.

“You weren’t on a business trip, right? Then why did you ghost me at City Hall?” Alden questioned.

Kaiaughed like she just heard the joke of the century. “That’s rich. What about you? Did YOU even show up there?”

Alden caught his breath. “Don’t switch up on me!

“Kaia, there’s a limit to your mood swings. I said I’d marry you. Why are you still causing a fuss?”

Kaia hit back, “And I’ve also made it clear, Alden. It’s over

between us.”

Alden wasn’t having any of that breakup crap. “So where’s our wedding photo?” he pushed.

iOver/ii? /iiLike/ii, /iwho breaks up and sneaks ioff /iwith the iwedding /i

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

20 min left

iphoto/ii? /i

Kaia, chilling at some real estate spot checking houses, yed it cool. “Oh? I didn’t take it.”

Alden was stunned. “Then where is it?b” /b

“Well, maybe check your drawer?” she said, all casual.

Alden felt his stomach drop.

He sprinted to the master bedroom and yanked open the nightstand drawer.

What he saw had him seeing red. Wedding photo? Straight shattered into pieces.

He stared at it in disbelief.

“Kaia, you…” Alden’s voice trembled with fury.

“Mad? Why though? Should’ve seen thising when you stood me up at the City Hall.”

Kaia stood in the lobby of the real–estate sales office, checking herself in the windowb. /b

She managed a cold smile. “Alden, we can’t go back to how things were. That’s dead.”

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

20 min left

***

In the VIP room at Prosperity Hotel’s swankiest club, empty bottles littered the table like casualties.

Alden sat there like a zombie, staring into his wine ss.

Then, he tilted his head and knocked it down in one shot.

He was breathing hard now. “Kaia, you’re so ungrateful! So coldhearted!

“You heartless… I said I’d marry you, didn’t I? How could you…”

Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back and he passed out cold on the couch.

His friends were all taken aback.

Since when did Kaia mean this much to him?

Someone asked, “Should we call Kaia to take him home?”

Roger Dent had Kaia’s number, so he tried it.

This wasn’t Alden’s first rodeo with the drunk tank. Usually, Luna was the trigger.

Every time he got wasted, Roger would hit up Kaia for the pickup.

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

20 min left

Back thenb, /bshe’d answer on the first ring. Roger even suspected she had him on speed dial.

As a matter of course, he assumed there would be no change this time either.

But the phone just kept ringing like it was stuck on repeat.

What changed today?

“No one picked up. What do we do now?” Roger pocketed his phone.

“I’ll take care of him.” Just then, Luna walked in.

She took one look at the scene, frowned, and fired off.

“Why did he drink himself under the table today?”

“Look, Luna, we didn’t force–feed himb. /bHe and Kaia had a falling–out,” one of the guys blurted out.

Dead silence hit the room.

The snitch got an elbow to the ribs from his buddy.

“He’s drunk–talking,” someone tried to brush it off. “Alden’s just hyped you’re back. Had a few manyb, /bthat’s all.”

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Chapter 11 Nowhere to Be Found!

20 min left

Lama wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t want to make it weird for Alden’s crew either.

She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks. I’ll handle him now.”

Once they left, Luma struggled with his dead weight.

With a great deal of effort, she muscled him into a cab and gave her address.

Alden wouldn’t sit still, nuzzling her neck like a needy kid, his whiskey–soaked breath hot against her skin as he slurred his words.

“Kaia… how’d you tear up our wedding photo? Just because you were mad?”

“Bad girl, Kaia… gonna have to teach you a lesson…”

Luna’s eyes turned cold.

So Kaia’s the reason he’s drinking himself stupid tonight.

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16:59

Wedding My Ex’s Uncle