CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 86.

Lucas rubbed his temples, the gravity of Isaac’s words weighing heavily on him. "Isaac, are you seriously saying that Adrian, Ethan, and even you might be tied to this... Project CALE?"

Isaac nodded solemnly, an uncharacteristic seriousness in his expression. He stood, lifting Lucas into his arms with an ease that made Lucas glare at him in mild irritation. "Put me down, Isaac. I’m not some fragile doll."

Isaac smirked but carried him to the couch anyway, carefully setting him down. "I need you to stay calm for this. What I’m about to tell you isn’t easy to digest, and if you freak out, I’ll have to knock some sense into you."

Lucas crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "Just tell me everything already."

Isaac took a deep breath and sat beside him. "Alright. Here’s the deal. Luri and I hacked into Savas’s phone recently. I was looking for dirt on him—anything we could use to stop his stupid schemes—but we found something much bigger. He had files on Project CALE."

Lucas frowned. "CALE? I’ve heard whispers about it in some of the classified reports, but nothing concrete. What is it, exactly?"

Isaac leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly. "CALE stands for ’Cognitive And Latent Evolution’. It was a government-backed research project started about 20 years ago. Officially, it was a medical program aimed at treating genetic disorders, but unofficially, it became something far darker—a human experimentation project designed to manipulate and accelerate human evolution."

Lucas stiffened. "Human experimentation? Are you saying they were testing on people?"

Isaac nodded grimly. "Exactly. The goal was to enhance cognitive abilities, physical resilience, and even latent genetic traits. They wanted to create a new ’superhuman’ species—people who could think faster, heal quicker, and survive in extreme conditions. But, like most things that sound too good to be true, it all went horribly wrong."

"What happened?" Lucas asked, his voice tight.

Isaac sighed, running a hand through his hair. "From what we found on Savas’s phone, the initial experiments were... horrifying. Many of the subjects died, and those who survived were either permanently disabled or mentally unstable. The government tried to cover it up by declaring the project a failure and shutting it down, but—"

"But it didn’t end," Lucas finished, his tone laced with dread.

Isaac nodded. "Right. Behind the scenes, Project CALE was taken over by private entities, funded by people with more money and power than they knew what to do with. They refined their methods and started targeting specific individuals—people with certain genetic markers they believed were key to unlocking the next stage of evolution."

Lucas’s heart sank. "And you think Adrian, Ethan, and Jaya are connected to this somehow?"

Isaac hesitated before answering. "I don’t just think—I’m almost certain. Savas’s files included detailed profiles on them, including genetic data and reports on their health and abilities. Adrian’s unique traits—like his silver eyes—match descriptions of subjects from the CALE experiments. Ethan’s resilience and rapid recovery from injuries? Same deal. And Jaya..."

Isaac’s voice faltered for a moment. "Jaya’s been in a coma for ten years, right? According to Savas’s files, she was one of the youngest subjects in the program. They were testing something new on her, something they called the ’Eden Protocol.’ It was supposed to activate latent genes, but it went wrong, and she ended up in that coma."

Lucas stared at Isaac, his mind reeling. "How could something like this have gone unnoticed? Why hasn’t anyone spoken out?"

Isaac’s expression darkened. "Because anyone who tries to expose it disappears. The government is complicit, Lucas. They’ve been suppressing the truth for decades, silencing whistleblowers, and erasing evidence. Savas’s files are the first real proof I’ve seen."

Lucas leaned back, his mind racing. "And you’re sure about all of this?"

Isaac nodded. "As sure as I can be. The files were encrypted, but Luri and I cracked most of them. There’s even evidence that Project CALE is still active today, targeting people who fit their criteria. Adrian, Ethan, me... and probably even you."

"Me?" Lucas looked stunned.

"Think about it," Isaac said. "You’ve always been freakishly good at staying calm under pressure. Your memory is insane, and you pick up on patterns faster than anyone I’ve ever met. That’s not just talent—it’s enhanced."

Lucas shook his head, trying to process everything. "But if all of this is true, then what’s their endgame? What do they want with us?"

Isaac shrugged, his frustration evident. "That’s the part I don’t know yet. But whatever it is, it’s not good. Savas’s files mentioned something about a ’final phase,’ but there weren’t any details. We need to figure out what they’re planning and stop it before it’s too late."

Lucas exhaled slowly, his mind working through the implications. "This is insane. And Ethan—he doesn’t know any of this?"

Isaac hesitated. "I don’t think so. But there’s something weird going on with him. Didn’t you say his medical reports were... unusual?"

Lucas nodded, his brow furrowing. "Yeah. I ran some tests on him recently, and the results didn’t make sense. His immune system is off the charts, and his blood cells regenerate at an accelerated rate. It’s like his body is constantly healing itself, even from minor injuries he doesn’t know he has. At first, I thought it was just a quirk of his biology, but now..."

"Now you think it’s because of CALE," Isaac finished.

Lucas nodded grimly. "If what you’re saying is true, it would explain a lot. But it also means Ethan is in danger, especially if the people behind CALE are still watching him."

Isaac clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "They’re not just watching, Lucas. They’re waiting. And I’m not going to let them hurt Ethan—or Adrian. Not on my watch."

Lucas placed a hand on Isaac’s shoulder, his expression serious. "We need to be smart about this. If the people behind CALE are as powerful as you say, we can’t afford to make any mistakes. We need more information, more evidence. And we need to keep this from Adrian and Ethan until we know exactly what we’re dealing with."

Isaac sighed but nodded. "You’re right. But we can’t take too long. Every day we wait is another day they’re vulnerable."

Lucas looked at him, determination shining in his eyes. "Then we’d better get to work."

The room fell silent as both men contemplated the enormity of the task ahead. For Isaac, the thought of Adrian and Ethan being pawns in a decades-old conspiracy was infuriating. For Lucas, the realization that the people he cared about were in grave danger made his resolve stronger than ever.

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