Page 48 of The Boss Problem

“Where did he go?” Sean asked, following me, his voice low and still angry.

My heart raced at the sight of the vacant spot where Lucas had just stood.

Where could he have gone?I was right here across from him.

The empty flute of champagne I’d been holding slipped from my hand, falling to the floor. I stepped over it to rush to the spot where Lucas had stood.

“Lucas,” I called. Once and then twice.

He couldn’t have gone too far. He was a kid. There was no way he would disappear silently like this.

Could he?

My heart beat rapidly while Sean stepped up next to me. His body was rigid and stiff, and he definitely looked angry.

“He’s got to be here somewhere. Perhaps he’s sulking about not seeing that girl, Brianna. You take the right half of this hall, and I’ll take the left,” he said, disappearing into the crowd.

I heard him calling for Lucas as he searched.

How was I in this situation again? One that brought back too many feelings—of loss, of emptiness, and a failure to be responsible.

Hoping I wasn’t wrong, I scanned the lobby again and again. Elegantly dressed guests descended the grand staircase, their designer gowns and tailored suits glistening under the spotlights, not a worry on their minds. Some of them had children by their side, but none of the children were wearing the dark blue shirt and tux that Lucas was sporting.

In twenty minutes, I’d scoured every bit of the right half of the hall with no Lucas in sight. I ran into Sean, who also had nothing but a look of shock on his face to show for the past twenty minutes of searching.

He gripped my arm, and I met his gaze in fear, feeling like I had completely let him down.

“I’m so sorry,” I blurted out.

He shook his head, and his grip on my arm tightened. I could feel the strength in his fingers as he held me, firm but assured.

“Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong. We’ll find him, Chloe. There’s a floor above that I’ve not searched yet. I’ll meet you back here in fifteen minutes.”

For the next fifteen minutes, we raced in a ten-foot radius, searching the lobby, the auditorium, and the restrooms for a sign of Lucas.

Had he run upstairs in his search for Brianna? I climbed to the floor above, panting as I reached the landing and looked at the select few people who were standing around. Still no sign of Lucas or Brianna.

I closed my eyes in regret. Was I not considering the other option? That I’d pushed him too hard. I’d asked too much of him for this father-son bonding event. Just like I’d asked too much of my dad when I told him I wanted to live in the dorm while attending The Juilliard School, leaving him alone with Henry and his health issues.

It was my fault that Henry had suffered in that accident.

Just like it was my fault Lucas was missing.

I didn’t hear someone calling my name. Panic and anxiety blended together, overwhelming me. I put my hands on my knees, bent over, and breathed heavily when footsteps rounded on me. Glancing up, I saw Sean—relief, mixed with urgency, on his face.

“I found him,” he said.

Lucas was safe.

The sound I made was midway between a sob and a relieved laugh. “You did?” I asked, spinning on my heel to look in the direction Sean was pointing.

“He’s at the rooftop terrace, showing Brianna the city lights.”

Brianna. City lights. Right.

I exhaled.

“He really is fine?” I asked between deep breaths.

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