Chapter 133: Turning Over Every Stone to Find Her
Where could she have gone? Could something terrible have happened to her?
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable..." The automated voice message echoed coldly in Lucas Zeller's ear. Was Claire Grace's phone dead? Or was she deliberately avoiding him?
"Damn it," Lucas muttered under his breath, gripping his phone tightly. She wasn't the type to just disappear like this. He had told her—clearly, sincerely—that he loved her, hadn't he? So why would she let Blaire's words upset her so much?
Lucas exhaled sharply, his frustration mounting. He had named his first fragrance "Kiss Kiss BB" with the simplest of intentions: a collaborative effort between himself and Blaire. At the time, it hadn't occurred to him that Blaire's feelings for him ran deeper than those of a sibling. It wasn't until that fateful night when she tried to act on those feelings that he realized the depth of the problem—and promptly discontinued the fragrance to avoid further misunderstandings.
And yet, here he was, caught in a web of complications he thought he could avoid by keeping the truth to himself. Now it had all blown up in his face.
After driving aimlessly through downtown Manhattan and its surrounding streets for hours, Lucas finally admitted defeat and dialed Roy Lin's number.
"Lucas? What's up, man? It's the middle of the night," Roy groaned groggily. "Don't tell me you need someone to come over and hold your hand."
"Claire's missing," Lucas said bluntly, his voice tight.
Roy sat up so fast he nearly fell out of bed. "Wait, what? Missing? What do you mean, missing?"
"Blaire said some things to her about the past. It upset her enough to leave."
"What the hell could she have said to make Claire just up and vanish?" Roy's wife, Lauren Wells, took the phone from him, her tone sharp with concern.
"She said—" Lucas hesitated, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "She told Claire that she's been in love with me all this time."
Lauren's snort was loud and derisive. "What? Your sister just confessed her crush to your wife? That's beyond shameless. Honestly, Lucas, you've been coddling that sister of yours for way too long. And now look—your 'precious Blaire' has driven Claire away. Nice going."
"Lauren!" Roy hissed, trying to rein her in.
But Lauren wasn't finished. "No, let me say it. You think Claire left because of Blaire's words alone? Lucas, she left because of you. You're the one who's been stringing her along, making her think she's special while letting Blaire stomp all over her boundaries. If I were her, I'd leave too!"
"Enough!" Lucas's voice came out in a harsh bark, startling even himself. "I called you because I need your help. Not a lecture. Please. Just... help me find her."
Roy sighed and rubbed his temple. "Alright. Alright, we'll help. I'll call my father-in-law and have him mobilize his people. If Claire's out there, we'll find her."
Lauren rolled her eyes but didn't argue further, though her expression made it clear she thought Lucas deserved the mess he was in.
By morning, the search had turned up nothing.
Roy leaned against the kitchen counter, nursing a cup of coffee, when Lucas called again. "You're sure there's no one else she might have gone to? No friends? No colleagues?"
"She doesn't have many friends," Lucas admitted grimly. "I already checked with Blaine Jackson, but he's out of the country."
Roy frowned. "What about Sarah? Didn't Claire mention her once?"
"Sarah's been out of touch for weeks," Lucas replied, his tone clipped. "Even if I wanted to ask, I don't have a number."
Lauren, still sitting nearby, scoffed. "You've really backed yourself into a corner, haven't you? If I were Claire, I wouldn't be answering your calls either."
Lucas ignored her. "If we don't find her by noon, I'll put her picture on every billboard in New York. I'll turn this city upside down if I have to."
---
Meanwhile, across town, Claire Grace let out a loud sneeze, startling Sarah from her slumber.
"Bless you!" Sarah yawned, rubbing her eyes. "You okay, Claire? You've been sneezing all night."
"I'm fine," Claire murmured, pulling her sweater tighter around her. "Just a little chilly."
"Chilly, my foot! You're burning up," Sarah declared, pressing a hand to Claire's forehead. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick? You're practically a walking furnace!"
Claire offered a weak smile. "I'm fine, really. I'll take some medicine and sleep it off."
Sarah crossed her arms, unconvinced. "You sure this isn't because of Lucas? He's probably running around the city looking for you right now, you know."
"I don't care," Claire muttered, though her trembling hands betrayed her resolve.
Sarah sighed. "Claire, I get it. You're upset. But maybe—just maybe—this whole thing is a misunderstanding. You love him, don't you? And as much as I hate to admit it, he loves you too. You don't just walk away from that."
Claire's eyes filled with tears. "He doesn't love me, Sarah. Not the way I love him. To him, I'm just another name on a list. He only married me because it was convenient."
Sarah sat beside her, wrapping her arms around Claire in a tight hug. "Honey, you're overthinking this. Love isn't perfect, and neither is Lucas. But he's trying. You should at least let him explain."
"No," Claire whispered, shaking her head. "I've made up my mind. I can't live like this anymore."
Before Sarah could argue further, Claire collapsed against her friend, her fever finally taking its toll.
"Damn it, Claire," Sarah muttered, quickly grabbing her phone. "You're going to the hospital whether you like it or not."