Chapter 186

Claire's POV I hung up with Adam, my pulse pounding. Where could Lucius be? The drive from Watson Group to the Council of Elders was an hour at most. It had been two hours since he left the office. "Something's wrong," I muttered, dialing Lucius's number again. Straight to voicemail. Again. My chest tightened with dread. What could be more important than our registration today? He seemed so excited last night, whispering about some special gift he wanted to give me. "Maybe he's been in an accident," I whispered, cold fear rushing through me. "Don't jump to conclusions," Stella cautioned inside me. "There could be a simple explanation." But what explanation could justify standing me up on one of the most important days of our lives? After trying his phone twenty more times with no answer, I decided to head back to the Watson Group headquarters in the city center. Maybe someone there knew where he was. As I stepped outside to look for a taxi, a familiar figure approached the building. Al