CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 83.

Ethan was seated in Cain’s expansive study, a room that exuded a timeless elegance. The walls were lined with dark mahogany bookshelves brimming with ancient tomes, journals, and files. The atmosphere carried the scent of aged paper and leather, mixed faintly with the lingering aroma of coffee. Cain, with his calm and composed demeanor, sat across from him, sipping his tea as they discussed business.

"So, Ethan," Cain began, his tone casual but inquisitive. "How’s your business these days? I hear it’s flourishing."

Ethan leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. "It’s going well, thank you. Expanding into some newer markets. Technology has been at the forefront of our efforts lately, especially in streamlining operations. It’s a competitive field, but we’re holding strong."

Cain nodded approvingly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You’ve done remarkably well for yourself. It’s not often you see someone as young as you managing such a vast empire."

Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It’s not just me. I have a solid team behind me. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am."

Cain’s gaze lingered on Ethan, his expression shifting into something more serious. He set his cup down, the faint clink of porcelain breaking the silence. "That’s admirable. But let me ask you something, Ethan... have you heard anything about Wuner Hudel lately?"

Ethan’s brows furrowed slightly at the mention of Adrian’s adoptive father. The name carried weight, a mix of respect and unease, especially given Wuner’s unpredictable nature. "Not much, honestly. He’s kept his distance from me ever since Adrian and I got married. Why do you ask?"

Cain leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "Because Wuner has been... active. Unusually so."

Ethan tilted his head, curiosity piqued. "Active? In what way?"

Cain’s voice lowered, taking on a conspiratorial tone. "He’s been trying to contact a variety of people recently. Most of them are professionals in medical-related fields. Some are retired surgeons, others are younger biotechnologists. A few are even pioneers in experimental medical practices."

Ethan’s frown deepened, his mind racing. "That’s... strange. What would he need with people like that?"

Cain shook his head, a grim expression on his face. "I don’t know. But it’s peculiar, to say the least. He’s being discreet, which only makes it more suspicious."

The air in the room grew heavier as Ethan processed the information. Wuner Hudel was a man who rarely acted without a purpose, and when he did, it was often for reasons that served his own interests. "Have you been able to find out anything about what he’s planning?" Ethan asked.

Cain sighed, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "Not yet. But I have a few contacts keeping an eye on him. What worries me is the type of people he’s targeting. Biotechnologists, surgeons, experimental researchers—this isn’t just some business endeavor. It feels... darker."

Ethan’s jaw tightened. "Darker? Like what?"

Cain’s eyes met Ethan’s, their gaze steady and calculating. "I can’t say for sure. But knowing Wuner, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think he’s meddling with things that shouldn’t be meddled with. And if that’s the case, it could have repercussions for all of us."

Ethan leaned forward, his voice firm. "Why haven’t I heard anything about this? I have my own network of informants, but this is news to me."

Cain raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps because Wuner knows you’re watching. You’re too close to Adrian, and Wuner likely assumes you’ll sniff out anything suspicious. That’s why he’s staying in the shadows."

Ethan exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "I don’t like this. Not one bit."

Cain nodded solemnly. "Neither do I. But we can’t jump to conclusions just yet. For now, we need more information."

As the two men continued their conversation, their words grew more speculative, diving into possible motives and implications. Ethan’s mind buzzed with questions he didn’t have answers to. If Wuner was indeed orchestrating something, what did it have to do with biotechnologists and surgeons? And why now?

A soft knock on the study door interrupted their discussion. Both men looked up, their conversation halting abruptly.

"Come in," Cain called, his voice returning to its usual calm tone.

The door creaked open to reveal Adrian, standing in the doorway with a curious expression. He glanced between the two of them, sensing the tension in the air. "I hope I’m not interrupting," Adrian said, his voice gentle.

Ethan quickly masked his unease, offering Adrian a reassuring smile. "Not at all. What’s up?"

Adrian stepped inside, his gaze shifting between Ethan and Cain. "Jesper and Diana are calling you both down for dinner. They said everything’s ready."

Cain smiled warmly, standing up from his chair. "Of course. We’ll be right there."

Adrian lingered for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What were you two talking about? You both looked pretty serious when I walked in."

Ethan chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Just business, nothing too important."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced but choosing not to press further. "Alright, but don’t keep them waiting too long. You know how Diana gets when people are late."

Cain laughed, placing a hand on Adrian’s shoulder as he walked past him. "She certainly does. Let’s not test her patience tonight."

Adrian turned to follow Cain out of the room, but Ethan gently caught his hand, stopping him for a moment. Adrian looked back, his silver eyes meeting Ethan’s with a questioning gaze.

"Is everything okay?" Ethan asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of concern.

Adrian smiled, squeezing Ethan’s hand reassuringly. "Yes, everything’s fine. I’m just glad you’re here with me."

Ethan’s expression softened, and he nodded. "Always."

The three of them made their way to the dining room, where Jesper and Diana were busy setting the table. The aroma of delicious food filled the air, and the twins were already seated, their laughter echoing through the room. The tension from the study melted away as the warmth of family enveloped them.

Cain took his seat at the head of the table, his earlier worries set aside for the moment. He exchanged a knowing glance with Ethan, silently agreeing that their discussion about Wuner Hudel would remain between them for now. Tonight was about family, and for that, they would cherish every moment.

--

Isaac leaned over Luri’s workstation, his arms crossed and his expression impatient as his sharp eyes darted between her and the screen of her laptop. The lines of code scrolling across the monitor seemed to be endless, and every passing second felt like an eternity to him.

"Hurry up, Luri," Isaac urged, his tone clipped. "We don’t have all day."

Luri, hunched over her laptop with her fingers flying over the keyboard, didn’t even bother looking up at him. "Oh, sure," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Because hacking into the phone of one of the most paranoid and well-protected individuals in the city is just a walk in the park. Maybe I should throw in a coffee break too, just to make it more fun."

Isaac’s jaw tightened as he shifted his weight, clearly unimpressed. "I’m not asking for miracles. I’m asking you to move faster. We’re on a clock here, Luri."

Luri paused her furious typing just long enough to shoot him a glare. "And I’m telling you, this isn’t child’s play. Do you think I’m just pressing a magic button here? If you’re in such a rush, why don’t you do it yourself, Mr. Know-It-All?"

Isaac rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning closer. "I would if I didn’t think you’d screw it up worse than you already are. Less talking, more working, and maybe we’ll actually get somewhere."

Luri clenched her teeth, her fingers momentarily freezing on the keyboard. Without a word, she grabbed her phone off the desk and hurled it toward him. Isaac barely dodged the device as it whizzed past his head and clattered against the wall.

"Do me a favor and get out, Isaac!" she snapped, her voice rising with frustration. "If you’re not going to help, then shut up for God’s sake. You’re more distracting than a toddler on a sugar high."

Isaac stared at her, momentarily taken aback by the outburst. But the stunned expression quickly gave way to a smirk. "Temper, temper, Luri. I didn’t realize you were so fragile."

Luri groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Fragile? You’re insufferable! I’m trying to work here, and all you do is breathe down my neck and throw insults. How about you actually contribute instead of standing there like a glorified statue?"

Isaac grabbed a chair and plopped himself down beside her, his smirk widening. "Alright, fine. Let’s see what you’ve got. Show me where you’re stuck."

Luri narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "You know how to hack now, too? Or are you just planning to criticize every move I make?"

"I know more than you think," Isaac shot back, leaning toward the screen. "And for the record, you wouldn’t be stuck if you weren’t overcomplicating things."

"Overcomplicating things?" Luri echoed incredulously. "Do you even hear yourself? This is a level-five encryption with secondary firewalls designed to detect even the faintest anomaly. But sure, Isaac, let me just simplify that for you. Maybe I’ll draw it with crayons next time."

Isaac ignored her sarcasm, gesturing at the lines of code on the screen. "Right there. That’s your problem. You’re trying to bypass the authentication sequence manually when you could just reroute through the dummy file Savas uploaded last month."

Luri blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. "How do you even know about that?"

"Because I’ve done my homework," Isaac replied, looking smug. "Now, do you want my help or not?"

Luri gritted her teeth but begrudgingly moved her chair slightly to the side, giving him access to the keyboard. "Fine. But if you screw this up, it’s on you."

Isaac cracked his knuckles and dove in, his fingers flying over the keys. The tension in the room was palpable as both of them focused on the task at hand. For a few minutes, the only sounds were the rapid clicking of the keyboard and the occasional hum of Luri’s laptop.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a notification popped up on the screen: Access Granted.

Luri let out a long breath of relief, slumping back in her chair. "Okay, I’ll admit it. That was impressive."

Isaac leaned back in his chair, a triumphant grin on his face. "Of course it was. I told you I knew what I was doing."

Luri crossed her arms, still not ready to give him too much credit. "Don’t let it go to your head. We’re not out of the woods yet. What’s on his phone could be encrypted too."

Isaac leaned forward, his grin fading as he grew serious again. "Then we’d better get to it. Let’s see what Savas Faust has been hiding."

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