The Billionaire Wins the Game(52)

“Have you seen my wife?” he asked with a bite to his voice. She turned toward him, with her brows puckered. “She left a while ago,” she said perplexed, as if he should know this. That was when he shouted at her.

He immediately felt bad and calmed himself down. “I apologize, Rosa,” he said. “It’s just that she’s gone and all I have is this note,” he said as he thrust the note in front of her.

She scanned the note and then her breath hitched as she re-read it. She looked at Lucas with suspicion on her face. He knew Amy had become friends with Rosa and the two of them spent a lot of time together.

“I didn’t cheat on my wife,” he began defending himself. He didn’t need to explain anything to her, but he didn’t like the censure he saw in her eyes. She immediately looked down, as if she knew she’d been glaring at her boss.

“It’s not my business,” she stated.

“Can you tell me where Amy has been today?” he asked.

“Didn’t you see her, Mr. Anderson? I packed her up a lunch and she was bringing it into your office. She said she wanted to surprise you with a romantic lunch because you’ve had to work so late every night. She was very excited when she left.”

“She came home much sooner than I expected she would, but I assumed she’d just forgotten something, because she was only here for about fifteen minutes and then rushed back out the door without saying another word.”

Lucas suddenly sank down into the chair next to him. He felt like his legs wouldn’t support him any longer. “No,” he cried out with such devastation in his voice that Rosa put her hand on his shoulder.

He knew she must’ve come by the office when Laura was in there. If she’d been there at the right moment, it may have looked like he was having an affair. He slowly got to his feet. “I have to make some phone calls,” he said as he walked out of the room.

One hour later, he again cupped his head in his hands. He’d spoken with his security guards and found out that, yes, she’d been there at noon and had left within five minutes. She’d been there only minutes before they’d escorted his unwanted visitor out.

So, she thought he was having an affair. It seemed to him that her not trusting him was a little convenient. Why had she not marched in and asked what he was doing? He assumed she was thinking she’d found him in the arms of another woman so she could get past the prenuptial agreement and take him for all he had. She thought wrong.

He called up the banks to find out how much she’d taken. After another half hour he hung up the phone and once again felt shame. She’d taken nothing. He’d put a trace on all the credit cards to find out where they’d been used and found she’d not used any of them.

Not only had she not used any of them today, but she hadn’t used them once since his mother and she had furnished the house. There were zero purchases. Why had he not paid attention to any of that? He never noticed she hadn’t been out shopping, or gone anywhere, for that matter.

He wandered into their bedroom, once again, feeling an aching need for her to be there. He liked going baby shopping with her. She was so excited about each new purchase. He thought back over those trips and how they’d pass through the malls and she never even looked at the jewelry stores, or many fashion boutiques.

He looked into the small jewelry box his mother had given to Amy and noticed the few pieces he’d picked up for her were still in there. She’d taken nothing but some clothes and the car, which she said she’d return.

The car!

He was suddenly jumping to his feet and running back into the office. He’d been feeling hopeless on how to possibly find her, since she wasn’t using the credit cards, when he realized there was tracking on the vehicle. He always added it on, in case of theft or an accident.

Within moments he had the vehicle located. He glanced at his watch. It was eight at night. He called his pilot and told him to get the jet ready. They’d be heading to Eugene within the hour.

Lucas jumped in his car and dialed his father as he drove toward the Seattle Airport. His father listened as Lucas explained everything that had happened. “Get her back, son, she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you,” his father said when Lucas got everything out.

“I’ve been so stubborn and stupid, Dad. I love her and was afraid if I gave her my heart she’d have everything. I finally realize it doesn’t even matter anymore because without her in my life it doesn’t matter if I have a beating heart or not,” he finished on a strangled note.

His dad gave him a moment to compose himself and then let him know he and his mother would be there for him if he needed anything at all.