CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 131.

Luri’s apartment sat on the twelfth floor of a modest building in the city’s quieter district—a place where the hustle of government agents, mercenaries, and twisted geniuses didn’t quite reach. Or at least, not directly.

Inside, the apartment smelled faintly of coffee and fresh fabric softener. The curtains fluttered in the wind, and the hum of a fan rotated quietly in the corner. Books and case files were scattered on the coffee table, some open, some bookmarked with sticky notes, others scribbled over with highlighter pens in Luri’s neat handwriting.

Diana Sebanil, tall and composed, sat cross-legged on the couch. Her dark burgundy blouse and tailored trousers made her look more like a royal emissary than a rogue investigator. But her narrowed eyes said she hadn’t slept properly in days. She held a half-empty mug of strong tea and stared at the board pinned with documents about the ongoing case—chief among them, the Apex Lab and Doctor Naehr’s twisted genome project.

Luri stood beside the whiteboard, arms crossed. Her short auburn hair was messy, tied loosely back with a pencil stuck behind one ear. Her expression was thoughtful, eyes flitting from photo to photo as she chewed her bottom lip.

"There’s something missing," Luri said quietly, for the fifth time that hour.

Diana nodded. "I feel it too. Chief Argo laid out the last stage of the plan—the supposed location of the central dispersion node, the modified genome vials, and Naehr’s projected timeline. But it’s too... clean. It’s like he wants us to stop him."

Luri’s dark eyes flicked toward Diana. "Like bait?"

"Exactly," Diana said, setting her mug down. "He’s leaving a trail because there’s something else going on. And if we take the bait too quickly, we might miss the real play."

They both fell silent. The faint ticking of the wall clock grew louder in the pause.

Luri sighed and plopped onto the beanbag near the window, dragging a folder into her lap. "I was reading over Yuin’s last update—he mentioned something strange about Lady Sachel."

Diana leaned forward. "What did he say?"

"That he found inconsistencies in her identity records. Birth dates, medical history, even her citizenship. Half of it reads like it was created retroactively. Like someone crafted a perfect background from nothing."

"She’s supposed to be Ethan’s mother, right?" Diana said. "The one who fled after Adrian and Ethan got married?"

Luri nodded. "Exactly. But Yuin suspects she might have ties to Apex—or worse, one of the early experiments. What if she’s not Ethan’s real mother at all?"

Diana frowned. "That would explain why she disappeared so suddenly. But if that’s true... Isaac can’t know. Not yet. He’s too close to Lucas’s case, and he’s barely recovered from the kidnapping."

The two shared a silent agreement. No more pain for Isaac—not now, not when he was just beginning to stand again. frёeωebɳovel.com

Just as Luri opened her mouth to say something else, a soft voice floated through the room:

"What exactly can’t I know?"

Diana jumped. Luri’s eyes shot toward the window instinctively.

And there he was.

Isaac Sebanil, tall, sharp-shouldered, and always a menace when it came to social boundaries, was crouched awkwardly on the window sill, one hand pressed to the frame. His black hair was wind-blown and his jacket caught on a nail.

Luri facepalmed.

"I swear to every god left alive, Isaac," she muttered, standing. "There’s a door."

Isaac swung a leg in and landed with a quiet thud. "Yeah, but this is faster. And more fun. I like watching you two get startled."

Diana, who had already composed herself, raised an eyebrow. "What are you? A bat?"

Isaac grinned at her, but the sharp glint in his eyes wasn’t playful. He looked between the two of them. "What were you talking about? What can’t I know?"

The silence that followed was like ice.

Diana rose from the couch. "We were just discussing Lady Sachel. It’s not that you can’t know, it’s just... not yet confirmed."

Isaac narrowed his eyes. "Lady Sachel? Ethan’s mother? What about her?"

Luri exhaled. "Yuin found some weird data. It doesn’t match. We don’t want to jump to conclusions. And you’ve already got your hands full."

Isaac scoffed. "You’re keeping secrets from me again."

Diana stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Not secrets. Protection. You’ve barely slept since Lucas ... Then the kidnapping, then those nightmares you have... We didn’t want to overload you."

Isaac pulled away, pacing toward the window he’d come through. "You don’t think I can handle it?"

"That’s not it," Luri said softly, her voice the only one that ever seemed to reach him when he was spiraling. "We know you can. But strength doesn’t mean you should carry every burden alone."

Isaac turned back to them. His eyes weren’t angry—just tired. Haunted.

"Then talk to me," he said. "Because I have a feeling that whatever you’re afraid to tell me is something I need to know."

Luri exchanged a glance with Diana. The latter gave a small nod. Luri stepped forward.

"We think Lady Sachel might be part of the early test group in the genome project. Or maybe something adjacent. Her files are too clean. Almost like they were created for show."

Isaac didn’t speak.

"And there’s more," Diana added. "If she was involved, then Ethan might not even know his true origin. This isn’t just about science anymore. It’s about family. Blood. Inheritance."

Finally, Isaac looked up. "What about Lucas?"

Luri’s breath caught. "We... haven’t told you yet. Because it’s unconfirmed."

Isaac’s voice sharpened. "Luri."

She closed her eyes. "Lucas might be alive. We’re not sure yet. But we think he’s working as a deep agent. Embedded."

The silence exploded in Isaac’s ears like a gunshot.

Alive?

Lucas... alive?

"I saw him die," Isaac whispered. "I saw the blood. The body..."

"Sometimes bodies are switched," Diana said softly. "Or identities are masked for protection. You of all people should understand that."

Isaac’s breath trembled. His fists clenched. "If he’s alive, and I’ve been grieving for nothing—"

"You weren’t grieving for nothing," Luri interrupted gently. "You were grieving the part of him that was taken away from you. That doesn’t change."

Isaac collapsed onto the arm of the couch, head in his hands. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

"Because if it was false hope," Diana said, "it would’ve broken you worse."

No one spoke for a long time.

Eventually, Isaac lifted his head. "Then let’s find out the truth. About Lucas. About Sachel. About this entire twisted mess."

Luri smiled faintly. "There’s the Isaac I remember."

Isaac smirked weakly. "You mean the idiot who climbs through windows?"

Diana rolled her eyes. "No. The idiot who always comes back for the people he loves."

2 months ago-

The manor was cloaked in the quiet hush of midnight, its grand halls bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through tall windows. The usual serenity was disrupted by the unexpected arrival of two figures at the entrance.

Adrian, Ethan, Augustin, and Leclair gathered in the drawing-room, their expressions a mix of surprise and caution as they took in the sight before them.

Standing confidently was Savas Faust, the enigmatic and unconventional heir of the Faust family, known for his unpredictable nature and disdain for societal norms. Beside him stood a young woman with long, flowing blonde hair and striking silver eyes—Jaya Sebanil, the long-missing daughter of the Sebanil family.

"Jaya?" Adrian’s voice was barely a whisper, disbelief evident in his eyes.

Jaya offered a gentle smile, her ethereal appearance reminiscent of their male mother, Jesper. Despite the years that had passed, she looked no older than sixteen, a result of her prolonged coma.

"It’s been a while, Adrian," she said softly.

Savas stepped forward, his demeanor as unorthodox as ever. "I found her," he announced. "Rescued her from that dreadful hospital. We go way back, schoolmates, you know."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And you decided to bring her here in the dead of night because...?"

"Because we have a plan," Savas interrupted. "And we need your cooperation."

He proceeded to explain how, during his own kidnapping by Doctor Naehr years ago, he had stumbled upon numerous files detailing a catastrophic plan aimed at the destruction of mankind. The documents were filled with references to genetic experiments and a vision of a new world order.

"I’ve harbored a deep hatred for humanity ever since," Savas confessed. "But I won’t stand by and let Naehr play god."

Jaya nodded in agreement. "We need to stop him. And we believe you can help."

Before anyone could respond, the door creaked open, and Lucas entered the room. His presence added another layer of tension to the already charged atmosphere.

"I want to help," Lucas declared, determination in his eyes.

Adrian looked at him, concern etched on his face. "Lucas, this is dangerous. Why would you risk your life?"

Lucas smiled, a mix of warmth and resolve. "Because I can’t bear the thought of innocent people suffering. My patients, our friends—they deserve better. But please, let’s keep this from Isaac. He has enough on his plate."

Adrian shook his head firmly. "No, Lucas. We can’t keep secrets, not like this. Isaac deserves to know."

The room fell silent, each person grappling with the weight of the decisions before them. The night was far from over, and the path ahead was fraught with peril.

This content is taken from fr𝒆ewebnove(l).com