CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 102. Before Ethan’s Awakening.

Lucas sat in his cluttered office, fingers drumming against the polished wooden desk. His golden eyes flickered with frustration as he stared at the piles of research papers scattered before him. His normally pristine workspace looked as chaotic as his thoughts.

Ethan’s condition was deteriorating. Time was running out.

He pushed up his glasses and took a deep breath before picking up his phone. His hands were steady, but his heart pounded.

"Isaac," he said, voice clipped.

On the other end, Isaac scoffed. "Took you long enough to call. You know, I was in the middle of hacking into Shaw family’s twenty-year-old archives. Unlike you, I actually—"

"Isaac." Lucas cut him off, his tone sharper than usual. "This isn’t the time."

A pause.

"...What happened?"

Lucas exhaled. "Ethan’s condition is critical. We need that formula."

A rustling noise came from the other side of the line, followed by Isaac’s voice. "You mean the one Luri found in the game?"

"Yes."

A low whistle. "Damn. And here I thought you’d scold her for playing games instead of working."

Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just send me the file."

Isaac chuckled, but the sound lacked its usual teasing edge. "Already did."

Lucas’s laptop chimed. He clicked on the message and found an encrypted file with the subject line: "The Key to Awakening."

Lucas’s breath hitched.

"Lucas," Isaac’s voice softened slightly. "We’re going to fix this, okay?"

Lucas closed his eyes briefly. "I hope so."

Then he hung up.

Lucas arrived at Dr. Zara’s lab in record time.

Dr. Zara stood at her workstation, her sharp black eyes analyzing multiple data screens at once. Her lab coat was thrown over a deep blue turtleneck, her short dark hair barely reaching her chin.

She was a legend in medical research, though few knew of her true brilliance.

Lucas placed the formula printout on her desk. "We might have a way to stabilize Ethan’s genetic condition. And wake him up."

Dr. Zara raised an eyebrow. "Might?"

Lucas hesitated. "This formula—it’s incomplete. I need your help to finish it."

She scanned the paper, eyes narrowing. "This..." She trailed off, then suddenly snatched the page from his hands.

Lucas watched as she pulled up several files on her screen, typing at lightning speed.

Five minutes passed in complete silence.

Then—

"This formula..." Dr. Zara muttered, eyes sharp with realization. "It’s not just a genetic stabilizer. It’s a full-body molecular recalibration sequence. If it works, it could not only stabilize Ethan’s genes but also reverse the damage done to his neural pathways."

Lucas’s heart skipped a beat.

"...That means it can wake him up."

Dr. Zara gave him a look. "That means it should wake him up. But there’s a problem."

Lucas swallowed. "What problem?"

She tapped a part of the formula. "This section—this sequence is missing key variables. If we input the wrong values, the formula will fail. Worse, it could kill him."

Lucas clenched his fists. "Then we make sure we don’t fail."

Dr. Zara smirked. "That’s the spirit."

---

They worked nonstop for the next 12 hours.

Dr. Zara, with her brilliant mind, ran simulations while Lucas manually tested the chemical interactions. The formula was delicate—one mistake could collapse the entire structure.

Their first attempt failed spectacularly.

The serum they created was unstable. The molecular bonds collapsed within minutes. The lab filled with the smell of burnt chemicals, and Lucas slammed his hands on the desk.

"Damn it!"

Dr. Zara sighed, rubbing her temples. "We need a stabilizer."

Lucas exhaled. "I thought we used one."

"We did. It wasn’t strong enough."

Lucas ran a hand through his golden hair. "If we don’t figure this out soon—"

Dr. Zara cut him off. "We will. We don’t have another choice."

--

Isaac showed up uninvited, munching on a protein bar while watching them struggle.

Lucas glared at him. "Why are you here?"

Isaac smirked. "Because you need me."

Dr. Zara glanced at him. "If you’re not here to work, get out."

Isaac raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, doc. I brought something."

He pulled out a small vial filled with an iridescent blue liquid.

Lucas frowned. "What is that?"

Isaac grinned. "A special bio-reactive stabilizer. Found it while I was snooping through an old research database. Thought it might come in handy."

Dr. Zara grabbed it and analyzed the contents. Her eyes widened slightly.

"...This might work."

Lucas’s breath caught. "How?"

Dr. Zara tapped the glass vial. "It can reinforce the molecular bonds in our formula, making it stable long enough for cellular absorption."

Lucas didn’t hesitate. "Then let’s test it."

---

Hours later, they stood before the final batch of the formula.

The stabilizer had worked. The liquid inside the vial was now a brilliant, shimmering gold—a sign that the molecular structure was intact.

Lucas held the vial carefully. His hands trembled.

"This is it," he whispered.

Dr. Zara nodded. "This is it."

Lucas turned to Isaac, who had been surprisingly quiet.

Isaac met his gaze, then cupped Lucas’s face gently.

"...You did good, professor," Isaac murmured.

Lucas scoffed. "You doubted me?"

Isaac smirked. "Never."

But Lucas could see the concern in his lover’s eyes.

He pressed their foreheads together briefly before stepping back. "Let’s wake Ethan up."

Isaac grinned. "Hell yeah."

---

They returned to Ethan’s room, where Adrian sat beside him, his silver eyes red from crying.

Lucas gently placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. "We have it."

Adrian turned to him, disbelief and hope warring in his expression. "You—You really—?"

Lucas nodded. "It’s ready."

Dr. Zara prepared the injection, her fingers steady despite the weight of what they were about to do.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

She carefully inserted the needle into Ethan’s IV line.

The golden liquid disappeared into Ethan’s veins.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

Ethan’s body jerked violently.

Adrian gasped. "Ethan?!"

Ethan’s breathing grew ragged, his fingers twitching. His heart rate spiked.

Lucas clenched his fists. Please work.

Then—

Ethan’s eyes snapped open.

They returned to Ethan’s room, where Adrian sat beside him, his silver eyes red from crying.

Lucas gently placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. "We have it."

Adrian turned to him, disbelief and hope warring in his expression. "You—You really—?"

Lucas nodded. "It’s ready."

Dr. Zara prepared the injection, her fingers steady despite the weight of what they were about to do.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

She carefully inserted the needle into Ethan’s IV line.

The golden liquid disappeared into Ethan’s veins.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

Ethan’s body jerked violently.

Adrian gasped. "Ethan?!"

Ethan’s breathing grew ragged, his fingers twitching. His heart rate spiked.

Lucas clenched his fists. Please work.

Then—

Ethan’s eyes snapped open.

--

A dimly lit room. The air thick with silence.

At the center of the darkness, a man stood, a towering presence draped in black robes, a cold mask concealing his face. Only his piercing amber eyes shone through the shadows, filled with something unreadable—an unsettling mix of amusement and cold calculation.

In his gloved hand, he held a confidential report, the crisp pages carrying information that could change the course of everything. His thumb brushed the edge of the paper, an old habit from his days in the field, back when he still dealt with matters personally.

But now?

Now, he simply orchestrated.

And the world danced to his tune.

Beside him, seated in a chair of blackened oak, was the leader of the Shaw family—a man just as ruthless, just as dangerous. His hair was neatly combed back, his features sharp like a blade honed for years. Dorian Shaw was a name whispered in hushed tones, a man whose power had spanned generations, yet even he sat in deference to the masked figure.

"Interesting," the masked leader finally spoke, his voice a smooth, haunting baritone.

Dorian crossed one leg over the other, his wine swirling in the crystal glass he held. "I assume the report has given you both good and bad news?"

A pause. Then the masked leader lifted his gaze.

"Dr. Zara has succeeded." His voice lacked inflection, but something dark lingered beneath it.

Dorian raised a brow. "So Ethan is stabilized?"

A slow nod. "Not only that. Adrian is regaining his memories. The shackles I placed on him are breaking."

Dorian hummed, taking a small sip of his wine. "A pity. That boy was far more useful when he was... incomplete."

The masked leader let out a low chuckle. "Indeed. But we always prepare for contingencies."

He tossed the report onto the table between them. The papers scattered, revealing details of Dr. Zara’s breakthrough—her formulas, her calculations, her sheer brilliance in achieving what should have been impossible.

"She was always a thorn in my side," the masked leader mused, his fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. "I should have killed her years ago."

Dorian smiled lazily. "But that would have been a waste. A genius like her comes once in a lifetime."

A dark silence settled between them.

Then, the masked leader’s gaze sharpened.

"But there is something else."

Dorian’s amusement flickered. "Oh?"

The masked man reached for another document, sliding it toward his companion. "Diana Sebanil. The youngest daughter of the Sebanil family. She has disappeared."

Dorian’s brows furrowed. "Disappeared?"

"Our men have searched the hospital and surrounding areas. There is no trace of her." The masked leader’s voice was steady, but there was a dangerous edge to it.

Dorian leaned back, studying the report. "So you’re telling me a helpless little girl has managed to escape from a facility crawling with your men?"

The masked man’s eyes gleamed through the slits of his mask. "Nothing is ever that simple."

A flicker of understanding passed through Dorian’s sharp gaze. "You think someone took her."

A pause. Then a quiet, "Yes."

Dorian placed his wine glass down, fingers tapping against the wooden surface. "The question is... who?"

The masked leader’s fingers curled slightly against the armrest. "That is what we need to find out. If she has fallen into the wrong hands, it could ruin years of planning."

Dorian’s smirk returned. "How amusing. It seems fate enjoys making you work harder than necessary."

The masked leader exhaled through his nose, the closest thing to an expression of irritation he would allow himself. "Fate?" A soft chuckle followed. "Fate is nothing but an illusion for the weak. We control our own destiny."

Dorian tilted his head. "And yet, Adrian remembers. Ethan survives. The Sebanil girl vanishes. I’d say fate is rather... stubborn."

The masked leader stilled, his fingers stopping their rhythmic tapping. Then he murmured, "There is no such thing as a perfect plan. Only perfect execution."

Dorian studied him for a long moment.

Then, with a low chuckle, he leaned forward. "So tell me... what is our next move?"

The masked leader’s voice was deathly calm.

"We eliminate Dr. Zara."

Dorian’s expression didn’t change, but there was something darker in his gaze now.

"You’re certain?"

The masked leader nodded once. "She has overstepped. She was useful—until she became dangerous."

Dorian exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Tch. A shame. I rather admired her."

The masked leader tilted his head slightly. "Admiration has no place in our world, Dorian. You of all people should know that."

Dorian sighed dramatically. "Yes, yes. Cold, efficient, ruthless. You do enjoy your chessboard, don’t you?"

The masked man’s golden eyes gleamed. "And yet, you never refuse to play."

Dorian smirked. "Touché."

A moment of silence passed between them.

Then, Dorian picked up the report on Diana Sebanil, his expression darkening. "And what of the girl?"

The masked leader leaned forward slightly. "Find her. If she is alive, bring her to me. If not..." A pause. "Dispose of the body."

Dorian nodded, the weight of the command settling between them.

"What about Adrian?"

The masked leader exhaled. "We wait."

Dorian’s brow lifted. "You’re not going after him?"

A slow, predatory smile curled beneath the mask. "Not yet."

Dorian hummed in approval. "Ah. You’re letting him dig his own grave."

"Precisely." The masked leader’s voice was almost pleased.

Another pause.

Then Dorian chuckled, shaking his head. "I have to admit... I do enjoy watching the pieces move on your board."

The masked leader turned his gaze toward the large window behind them. Beyond the glass, the city stretched endlessly, a sea of lights and shadows.

Then, in a voice as cold as winter’s breath, he murmured,

"The game is far from over."

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