CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 88. Calm before storm

Adrian sat quietly in his airplane seat, staring out the small oval window at the world below. The plane had just ascended, and the sight of the clouds, golden and soft against the sunlight, should have felt magical. Instead, Adrian felt a weight in his chest, a tightness he couldn’t shake. He had never felt so reluctant to leave before—never so tied to a place, a home, and someone he loved.

He pressed his forehead against the cool glass, the hum of the plane’s engines a dull backdrop to his swirling thoughts. When Wuner Hudel had sent him abroad years ago, he remembered the excitement he’d felt then. It wasn’t just the thrill of going to a new country; it was the freedom, the chance to leave behind the suffocating confines of a family that he didn’t feel connected to. Back then, he had practically counted the days until he left.

But now, as he thought of Ethan’s warm embrace, the laughter of the twins, and the quiet strength of the home they had built together, the tears he’d been holding back began to spill silently down his cheeks.

The girl sitting beside him, a young woman with curly brown hair tied in a messy bun, glanced over and noticed his tears. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she hesitated before speaking. "Hey... are you okay?" she asked gently, her voice tinged with concern.

Adrian turned to her, startled by the sudden intrusion into his thoughts. He quickly wiped his tears with the back of his hand and forced a weak smile. "I’m fine," he murmured, though his voice betrayed him.

The girl didn’t look convinced. "You don’t look fine," she said, her tone kind but insistent. "You know, it’s okay to be upset. I’m leaving home for the first time too, and I already miss my parents like crazy." She smiled a little, though her own eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I guess I’m a bit of a crybaby."

Adrian’s heart softened at her words. For a moment, he envied the simplicity of her sorrow—missing her parents was something he could relate to in theory, but it came with so much more weight now. Hearing her talk about her family made him think of his own real parents, Cain Sebanil and Jesper.

He sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. He hadn’t even said goodbye to them before leaving. After spending two months reconnecting with them and seeing how much love they had showered him with, he felt ashamed. They had waited so long to find him, and yet he had left without even a word.

Adrian promised himself that as soon as the plane landed, he would call them. He needed to hear their voices, to apologize for leaving so suddenly.

The girl beside him offered him a piece of chocolate from her bag, her way of cheering him up. Adrian accepted it with a grateful smile. Though the ache in his chest didn’t lessen, her kindness reminded him that he wasn’t alone in his feelings.

Back at the Levistis estate, Ethan sat in the living room, staring at the empty space where Adrian had been just hours ago. His elder brother, Leclair, lounged nearby, sipping tea with an amused look on his face. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

"You know," Leclair began, his voice teasing, "you’re moping. It’s not a good look on you, little brother."

Ethan shot him a half-hearted glare. "I’m not moping," he said defensively, though the heaviness in his tone betrayed him. "I’m just... worried. Adrian hasn’t been apart from me for this long since we got together. And the twins—they’re only five months old. I can’t believe he’s gone."

Leclair set down his cup, his expression softening. "Ethan, he’s gone for a month, not forever. And the twins will be fine. Augustin and I can handle them. You should go after Adrian. Take this as an opportunity to have a little honeymoon or something."

Ethan hesitated, his brows knitting together. "I can’t just leave. The kids need me. What if something happens? They’re so small—"

"Stop worrying so much," Leclair interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Augustin and I raised you too, didn’t we? We’re perfectly capable of looking after your little ones for a few weeks. Besides, Adrian needs you too. Don’t you think he’d feel better if you showed up to surprise him?"

Ethan fell silent, torn between his responsibilities as a father and his longing to be with Adrian. He loved Adrian more than anything, but the thought of leaving his babies behind made his chest tighten.

As he and Leclair debated, the front door opened, and Isaac entered with Lucas trailing behind him. Isaac glanced around the room, his expression puzzled. "Where’s Adrian?" he asked.

Ethan looked up, surprised by the abrupt question. "He left this morning," he said. "He’s gone abroad to finish his degree."

Isaac froze, his jaw tightening. "What?"

Lucas’s eyes widened as he stepped closer. "When is his flight landing?" he asked quickly, a note of urgency in his voice.

Ethan and Leclair exchanged confused looks. "Why does it matter?" Ethan asked. "What’s going on?"

Isaac ignored the question, his focus entirely on Lucas. "We need to check the flight schedule," he muttered, already pulling out his phone.

Ethan stood, his frown deepening. "Isaac, what’s wrong? Why are you so worked up about this?"

Isaac finally turned to him, his usual smirk replaced with an expression of concern. "You wouldn’t understand," he said flatly.

Ethan bristled at the response. "Try me."

Isaac hesitated, his fingers hovering over his phone screen. He exchanged a glance with Lucas, who gave him a small nod.

"We have reason to believe," Lucas began, his voice calm but serious, "that Adrian might be in danger. Something related to the Project CALE we mentioned before."

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. "Danger? What are you talking about? Adrian’s just going to school—"

"That’s what you think," Isaac cut in, his tone sharp. "But there’s more to this than you know. Adrian could be a target, and if he’s traveling alone, he’s vulnerable."

Leclair stood as well, his expression darkening. "If this is true, why didn’t you tell us sooner?"

Isaac crossed his arms, his frustration evident. "We didn’t have concrete proof until recently. And besides, Adrian didn’t exactly tell us he was leaving. If we had known, we would’ve stopped him."

Ethan’s mind raced, the weight of Isaac’s words sinking in. Adrian, his Adrian, in danger? The thought was unbearable. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening with resolve.

"If he’s in danger," Ethan said quietly, his voice firm, "then I’m going after him. Leclair, you’ll look after the twins, right?"

Leclair nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

Isaac smirked faintly, his usual confidence returning. "Good. Then let’s get moving. We have a flight to catch."

Lucas placed a reassuring hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "Don’t worry," he said. "We’ll get to Adrian in time."

Ethan nodded, his determination solidifying. Adrian was his world, and nothing—not time, distance, or danger—would keep him from protecting the man he loved.

Suddenly he felt something sharp in his chest, and Ethan paused and fainted.

This sudden change caused everyone around to panic and shocked. Lucas quickly checked Ethan and was saddened when he touched his pulse, Dead?

Huh?

No way, He was so surprised and shocked that all color of his face faded in an instant. Isaac and Leclair looked at Lucas’s sudden change and were even more shocked.

"What happened to Ethan? Hurry and tell me!" Leclair grabbed the chair beside him and his eyes turned red.

Lucas looked at Leclair and Isaac with teary eyes, "Dead...Ethan died?"

"What?!"

--

Augustin sat in his dimly lit study, his laptop glowing faintly in the dark. His sharp green eyes scanned the screen as data scrolled rapidly in front of him. A frown tugged at the corners of his lips as he pieced together the scattered fragments of information he’d uncovered about Savas Faust and Alia Shaw. These two were no ordinary individuals; their movements were calculated, their intentions shrouded in secrecy.

He rubbed his temples, exhaustion creeping into his posture, but he couldn’t stop. Every thread of data pointed to something larger, something deeply unsettling. Savas and Alia weren’t just observing the forces behind Project CALE—they seemed to be actively working on dismantling or perhaps controlling them.

He typed furiously on his keyboard, cross-referencing locations, communications, and financial records. A sudden alert popped up on his screen, and his eyes widened. "What the hell..." he muttered, leaning closer. The trail of breadcrumbs he’d been following led to a hidden facility just outside the city—a facility that had ties not only to Project CALE but also to the covert experimentation on humans.

Meanwhile, in her small apartment, Luri was surrounded by chaos. Her walls were covered in printouts and sticky notes, connecting names, dates, and events like a spider’s web. Her laptop screen displayed a dizzying array of files, government seals glaring at her like ominous sentinels. She sat in the middle of the mess, her usually sharp and composed demeanor cracked under the weight of what she’d discovered.

The government had hidden the truth for decades, locking away the details of Project CALE from the public eye. The experiments, the human trials, the misuse of resources—it was all there, buried under layers of bureaucracy and classified documents. But what disturbed Luri the most was the revelation that the personnel involved in researching Project CALE hadn’t been disbanded or punished.

"They’re still out there," she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "Still being used. Still working on this... monstrosity."

She took a shaky breath, her hands gripping the edges of her desk. If the common people knew even a fraction of what she had uncovered, there would be outrage, rebellion. But exposing the truth wasn’t simple. If she moved too quickly, the powers behind Project CALE would come for her, silencing her permanently.

Luri closed her eyes, trying to steady her nerves. Focus, she told herself. You’re the only one who can piece this together.

Adrian, meanwhile, was oblivious to the storm brewing behind the scenes. He had been restless throughout the flight, his heart still aching with the thought of leaving Ethan and the twins. When the captain announced over the intercom that the plane needed to make an emergency landing due to passengers experiencing heart attacks, Adrian’s unease only deepened.

The plane landed safely back at the airport, and Adrian filed out with the other passengers. He checked his phone, ready to call Ethan and let him know what had happened, but before he could dial, a sharp pain exploded at the back of his head.

His vision blurred, the world tilting unnaturally. The last thing he saw was a man in a dark suit stepping toward him before everything went black.

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