Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 412

"Masked figures. Tough to track," Stefan remarked casually, his voice a mix of frustration and determination. Edgar had been burning the midnight oil, trying to piece together the puzzle of Lucinda's disappearance years ago.

Heaping more work on Edgar's plate would surely earn him an earful.

With a kind-hearted gesture, Owen chimed in, "Keith, let me hook you up with a detective agency I know. They're top-notch, real cream of the crop in their line of work."

Grateful for Stefan's offer, Keith warmly accepted, "I'd appreciate that, Mr. Martinez. Your help means a lot."

Turning to Stefan, he added, "You've done enough, man. I'll get the agency on it."

"Lucy, grab me some paper," Keith said with a sudden spark of inspiration. "I'll sketch her figure. While I can't recall her face under that mask, I can sure as heck draw her silhouette. It'll make the search a bit easier."

Lucinda quickly fetched paper and a pen for her brother.

Following Owen's recommendation, Keith was introduced to Darlene Bishop's detective agency.

The whole afternoon, Keith holed up in the corner, his pencil dancing across the paper, bringing the mysterious lady to life. Though her face was unknown, everything else was vivid in his memory.

As evening approached and the diner's hustle waned, they all settled down for a family dinner.

With some free time afterward, Lucinda sidled up to Keith to admire his work. "Wow, bro," she exclaimed, "I had no idea you had such an artist's hand. She looks as real as anyone I've ever seen!"

Keith glanced at his drawing with pride. "Dad made us take all those arts classes as kids, remember? Once high school hit, I dropped it for academics, but the basics stuck with me."

The mysterious woman had left such an impression that even after years without practice, Keith's talent hadn't faded.

Cecilia also peered over and praised Keith's handiwork.

Owen couldn't help but scoff playfully, "I can draw too, you know. Cecilia, how about I sketch your portrait tonight?"

Cecilia laughed it off, "With your arm all banged up? Let's save your artistic comeback for when you've healed up." Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Owen's claim was no surprise to her. Most families did their best to cultivate their kids' talents with all sorts of extracurriculars, and the wealthy ones even more so.

Cecilia's comment made Owen beam; it was clear she cared for him.

Lucinda, still holding the drawing, mused, "This lady looks familiar. I'm sure I've seen her shape before."

"Lucy, you've met her?" Keith asked, the excitement clear in his voice.

"I can't quite place where," she replied, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But there's something about her poise, her laughter – it's memorable."

"Even with the mask, there's something about her eyes, her posture, it rings a bell," Cecilia added, though she couldn't pinpoint it either.

Lucinda passed the sketch to Stefan, "Do you recognize her? Maybe from one of the galas we've attended?"

Before marrying into Stefan's world, Lucinda's circle had been small, with Cecilia being her only close female friend. And since Cecilia had been preoccupied with Owen all day, the mysterious woman had to be someone from a recent social event.

Stefan examined the drawing but shook his head. "I'm not great with faces, and our circle has many daughters trained in self-defense. But someone taking down a pro? That's a rare breed."

"Why guess here when the agency can do the legwork for us?" Owen interjected.

Keith, a man of action, headed straight for Darlene Bishop's agency after realizing he wouldn't get more from his sister.

Back at home, Lucinda's mind was still on the mysterious woman, so much so that she barely noticed Stefan until he swept her up in a passionate embrace, his lips capturing hers in a fiery kiss.

"Back to earth?" Stefan teased, his breath warm against her skin.

"What did you say?" Lucinda blinked back into the moment.

Stefan's voice dropped to a tempting growl. "I said tonight you're in charge. You decide how this goes," and her response was a breathless, "Okay."

Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "I wouldn't agree to that! You're tricking me."

Still shy despite their years of marriage, Lucinda struggled to match Stefan's brazenness.

"I just want to help my brother, that's all," she said in her defense. "That lady saved his life, and he's clearly interested. I've got to seize the chance."

Stefan's lips found hers again, this time with a gentle bite. "You might as well start a matchmaking business with all the pairing off you're trying to do. How about focusing on me for a bit? I need your help too." His voice trailed off suggestively, and Lucinda, her face now a portrait of desire, understood perfectly.

After a fiery embrace with his wife that left them both breathless, Stefan wasn't quite satisfied. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom for a shower. It was only after they shared a steamy, intimate bath that they felt truly satiated.

Collapsing back into reality from their cloud nine, Lucinda snuggled into her husband's embrace, but her thoughts were still lingering on her brother.

"I really wanted to set Darlene up with my brother, but it seems like they didn't hit it off when they met. And now, with this mysterious new woman on the scene, Darlene's charms just don't stack up. I mean, have you seen the sketches my brother's been doing of her? He'd have to be pretty smitten to capture her likeness so vividly, don't you think?"

Having had his fill, Stefan was more than ready to indulge Lucinda in a chat about her matchmaking schemes.

"Lucy, you're more worked up about your brother's love life than mom and dad ever were. It seems like every single lady that crosses his path, you're trying to play cupid. Aren't you the least bit worried that your 'mysterious woman' might turn out to be more of a matron than a maiden?"

Lucinda was momentarily speechless, torn between irritation and the hilarity of Stefan's blunt observation.