Arranged Marriage: The Lost Bet

Chapter Seven

Private investigator Justin Moore looked across his desk at Lucas.

"Lucas, I've checked all leads and haven't found anything regarding your wife's whereabouts," he said firmly.

"Have you tapped her cousin Madison's phone? Arianna would likely reach out to her," Lucas urged.

Justin sighed and reviewed the paperwork in front of him. "I'll see what I can find and call you in a few days."

Lucas stood, shook Justin's hand, and said, "Thank you."

As he left the office, he was swarmed by reporters.

"Mr. Carter, can you explain why you visited a PI?"

"Lucas, what happened to your wife?"

"Lucas, why did your brother commit suicide?"

Ignoring the intrusive question, Lucas shoved past the reporters, climbed into his car, and sped off, desperate to escape the chaos.

♤ ♡ ♢ ♧

Arianna and Mark had finally decided to go Christmas shopping. They had been living in Florida for just over ten months and had nothing prepared for the holiday season. Madison and her parents were arriving the next morning and staying until the end of January. It had been so long since Arianna had seen her beloved family, and she knew there would be many tears when they reunited.

In the past few months, Arianna had learned that Lucas had been searching for her and had attempted to tap into Madison's phone. The only way she could communicate with Madison was through a burner phone that couldn't be traced. Arianna had no idea why Lucas was looking for her—maybe he wanted to hand her their divorce papers. Shaking off the thought, she walked into a display, distracted while searching for the perfect gift for Madison.

"Arianna, I'm going into this watch store. I'll meet you back here in 20 minutes," Mark said, glancing at the shop.

"Okay, I'll be in the Coach store. How about you come find me when you're finished?" she replied, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

As she wandered through the store, Arianna's mind drifted back to Lucas. She wondered what he would say if he found her. Would he be angry? Heartbroken? The thought made her heart race, but she pushed it aside, determined to enjoy her time shopping with Mark.

"Oh God, women and their purses!" Arianna laughed, recalling the countless times she and her father had joked about it.

"Which reminds me, what are you going to buy Lisa for Christmas?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Nine months ago, Mark had met a wonderful woman named Lisa Bowers at their local gym. Since their first meeting, they had been madly in love, and Arianna absolutely adored Lisa. She often found herself dreaming about the day her father would propose.

Mark lit up like fireworks at the mention of Lisa. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe you can help me pick out something after I buy my watch battery."

"Okay, see you in twenty!" Arianna smiled as her father entered the watch store. She turned back to the task at hand, her mind buzzing with ideas for Lisa's gift.

As she browsed through the Coach store, she couldn't help but think about how close she had grown to Lisa. The two were practically attached at the hip; Lisa treated Ari like her own daughter, and Ari couldn't wait for the day when Lisa would officially become her stepmother. The thought brought a warm smile to her face, and she envisioned a future filled with laughter and family moments.

Arianna picked up a beautiful leather handbag and imagined how much Lisa would love it. But would it be too extravagant? She put it back on the shelf and continued exploring, hoping to find something that felt just right. As she moved through the aisles, her thoughts kept drifting back to Lucas and the life she had left behind, but today was about joy and family, and she wouldn't let those shadows dampen her spirit.