CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 70.

In a sterile lab coated with the dull glow of fluorescent lights, the scientist, Dr. Mori, scrutinized the array of data on his monitors. Years of research, all distilled into a series of complex graphs and readings, flashed across the screens. He leaned closer, his thin glasses reflecting the numbers with an intense gleam of satisfaction.

A knock on the lab door caught his attention. Without looking away from his work, he called out, "Enter."

His assistant, a younger man with a tense, wary expression, stepped in and closed the door behind him. "You called for me, Dr. Mori?"

Dr. Mori nodded, eyes still glued to the screen. "I need you to pull the records from 20 years ago. You remember—the classified list."

The assistant stiffened slightly, but he nodded, quickly moving to a terminal on the far side of the room. He typed in a password, his fingers shaking slightly as he accessed the locked files. Within moments, a list of names and identifiers appeared on the screen: data points, dates, and locations—most of them matching infants from decades ago.

Dr. Mori looked at the data with a hungry gleam in his eye. "These children... they’re not children anymore. But the results of their early experiences, their reactions, will finally be visible." He glanced at the assistant. "And now, it’s time to test them all."

The assistant hesitated. "Sir... are we certain this is safe? There’s no telling how they might react, or if they even survived with any... side effects."

Dr. Mori smirked, adjusting his glasses. "Safe? Did you hear any of them asking if it was safe for me to spend two decades on this research?" He leaned forward, tapping a finger on the assistant’s screen. "No, we’re past that. Now we push forward, and let the world see the results."

Meanwhile, across the city, Isaac Shaw was in a very different sort of struggle.

In Lucas’s spacious, modern kitchen, Isaac was frowning down at a frying pan filled with sizzling ingredients. He nudged it cautiously, trying to recreate a dish he’d once watched Lucas make with such ease. The aroma was enticing, but his confidence was... limited.

Lucas entered the room, raising an eyebrow as he saw Isaac wearing an apron that seemed a few sizes too big, his hands slightly trembling as he tried to flip something in the pan.

"Isaac, are you... cooking?" Lucas asked, his lips twitching in amusement.

Isaac nearly jumped, startled by Lucas’s sudden entrance. "Uh... yeah! I thought... well, you know, you’re always the one making food. Thought I’d give it a shot."

Lucas’s amusement softened, a warm smile spreading across his face. "That’s... sweet, Isaac." He approached the stove, peering over Isaac’s shoulder. "What’s on the menu?"

Isaac glanced at the pan, then back at Lucas. "I think it’s supposed to be, uh, pasta? Or something close to it?"

Lucas chuckled, folding his arms. "Pasta, huh? And who gave you the idea to try making that?"

Isaac shrugged, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I just thought it’d be nice to cook for you for once." He quickly turned his focus back to the pan, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It’s... it’s not that great, though."

Lucas shook his head, smiling. "Here, let me help." He reached over, his hands gently guiding Isaac’s on the spatula. They moved in sync, Lucas demonstrating the proper way to stir and flip the ingredients, their fingers brushing now and then.

"So, what inspired this sudden interest in cooking?" Lucas teased, his voice soft.

Isaac shot him a quick grin. "Maybe I’m trying to impress you."

Lucas laughed, and Isaac felt his heart race at the sound.

---

Cain and Jesper exchanged a look of determination as they approached the massive doors of Levistis Manor. Jesper’s face held a tense, almost anxious expression. He glanced sideways at Cain, who gave him a brief nod, silently affirming that this was the moment they had both been waiting for.

They stepped up to the door, and as they rang the bell, Cain could feel Jesper’s hand tighten slightly by his side. Before they could exchange another word, the door opened, revealing Leclair. He raised an eyebrow at the unexpected guests.

"Mr. Cain? Sir Jesper?" Leclair’s voice was calm, but a hint of curiosity flashed across his face. "What brings you both here?"

Cain cleared his throat, looking past Leclair into the house. "We’re here to speak with Adrian," he said with a steady voice, although Jesper’s hand still had a slight tremor.

Leclair hesitated, noticing the unusually serious expressions on both men’s faces. "Of course. Please, come in." He stepped aside, allowing them to enter the grand hall. Cain and Jesper exchanged a quick glance as they followed Leclair deeper into the house.

As they stepped into the living room, the sight that greeted them made Jesper’s heart sink. Adrian and Ethan were seated together, looking cozy and at ease, while Augustin and Luri were each holding one of the twins, Seraphina and Aurelius, laughing as the babies gurgled and waved their little hands. Isaac was sprawled on the couch, immersed in a game on his tablet, while Lucas and Ethan seemed to be deep in conversation. The room buzzed with laughter and warmth, a snapshot of family life that Cain and Jesper hadn’t been a part of for years.

Jesper’s heart ached as he took in the scene, his eyes lingering on Adrian and Isaac. Cain, feeling Jesper’s gaze, gently touched his arm, offering silent support.

Leclair cleared his throat to capture everyone’s attention. Isaac looked up from his game, surprised to see his father and Jesper at the entrance. His gaze quickly shifted to Adrian, who had also noticed them and was frowning slightly, trying to place where he’d seen them before.

Adrian tilted his head in confusion. "You’re... you’re the man from the hospital," he said, looking at Cain, "and... I saw you in the bookstore." He pointed to Jesper, his face a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

Cain stepped forward, nodding. "Yes, Adrian, it’s us. My name is Cain, and this is Jesper."

The room went quiet, each family member now turning their full attention to the two unexpected visitors. Ethan subtly shifted closer to Adrian, his hand lightly resting on Adrian’s arm, a silent gesture of support.

Jesper took a deep breath, his eyes watering slightly as he looked at Adrian. "Adrian... there’s something you need to know." ƒreewebɳovel.com

Adrian’s gaze softened at the evident vulnerability in Jesper’s eyes. He gave a small nod, as if urging Jesper to continue.

Cain spoke up, his voice steady but holding an undeniable emotion. "Adrian, there’s no easy way to say this... Jesper and I... we’re your fathers."

A stunned silence filled the room. Adrian’s eyes widened, and he instinctively leaned back into Ethan, who tightened his grip on Adrian’s arm.

"What... what are you talking about?" Adrian’s voice was barely above a whisper, as though speaking too loudly would shatter his grip on reality.

Jesper swallowed, his voice choked with emotion. "It’s true, Adrian. You were taken from us when you were a baby. We... we’ve been looking for you ever since."

Isaac, who had been standing silently, took a step forward, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a somber expression. "Hold on," he interrupted, "does that mean...?"

Cain nodded, turning to Isaac. "Yes, Isaac. You too. Both you and Adrian are... you’re our sons."

Isaac’s mouth opened, then closed as he struggled to process the revelation. His gaze flicked from Cain to Jesper, and then finally to Adrian, his expression a mix of disbelief and shock.

Adrian’s face drained of color, and he looked at Ethan, who gave him a reassuring squeeze. "This... this can’t be real," Adrian murmured. "I’ve... I’ve had a family all this time. You’re saying I was... taken?"

Jesper nodded, wiping a tear from his cheek. "It’s a long story, Adrian. But yes, you were taken from us. We tried to find you... and when we finally did, we were told you were in good hands, but we still wanted to tell you ourselves."

Adrian’s gaze dropped to the floor as he tried to process the revelation. "I don’t understand... why tell me now?"

Cain stepped forward, his voice soft. "Because, Adrian, you deserve to know the truth. You deserve to know that we never stopped looking for you. Every day, every year, we held onto hope."

Ethan’s gaze hardened as he looked at Cain. "But why now? After all this time? Adrian has a family, a life here. You can’t just walk in and turn everything upside down."

Cain’s expression was resolute. "We don’t intend to disrupt Adrian’s life. But we wanted him to know where he came from... and to let him decide what he wants."

Isaac, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "So... all these years, you’ve been looking for us?" His tone was skeptical, a hint of pain evident in his voice.

Cain nodded, turning his gaze to Isaac. "Yes, Isaac. I know it’s hard to believe, but you and Adrian have always been on our minds."

Isaac scoffed, looking away. "Then why didn’t you come sooner? All those years I spent wondering... feeling like something was missing."

Jesper took a shaky step toward Isaac, his voice breaking. "We didn’t know where you were, Isaac. But when we finally found out... we were so close. We just needed the right moment."

Adrian, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "But I have a family now. Ethan... the twins. They’re my life. I don’t... I don’t know if I can just open up to new... parents."

Jesper’s face fell, but he nodded in understanding. "We’re not here to replace anyone, Adrian. We just wanted you to know the truth. We’re here if you ever want to talk... to get to know us. But we’ll respect whatever choice you make."

Cain’s gaze softened, and he added, "We don’t want to intrude. We just want to be there if you need us."

Ethan looked from Cain to Jesper, then back at Adrian. "They don’t need to disrupt anything, Adrian," he said softly. "This is your decision. If you want to take time to process this, that’s okay."

Adrian bit his lip, clearly overwhelmed. "I just... I need time."

Jesper nodded, a sad but understanding smile on his face. "Take all the time you need, Adrian. We’ll be here. We’ll always be here."

Isaac, who had been leaning against the wall, finally looked up. "Well... if you’re really our... parents, I guess that means we have a lot to talk about." He smirked, but there was a hint of vulnerability in his gaze.

Cain’s eyes softened. "I would love that, Isaac."

Lucas, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "Adrian, Isaac... you’ve both built a life here. If anything, this doesn’t have to change who you are. It’s just... an addition, not a replacement."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "That’s awfully poetic of you, Lucas."

Lucas smirked. "Someone’s got to keep you grounded."

Ethan squeezed Adrian’s hand, leaning close to whisper, "Whatever you decide, I’m with you."

Adrian smiled faintly, grateful for Ethan’s support. He looked back at Jesper and Cain, his expression softening just a little. "I... I think I’d like to know more. But... slowly."

Jesper’s face lit up with hope, and Cain’s expression softened. "That’s more than we could’ve asked for," Jesper murmured.

Leclair, who had been silent throughout, stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Why don’t we give them some space?"

With a nod, the others began to file out of the room, giving Adrian, Isaac, Cain, and Jesper a moment of privacy.

Visit freewe𝑏(n)ovel.co(m) for the b𝘦st novel reading experience