CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 89. Ethan’s real background.

Leclair’s expression was tight, his jaw set in a hard line as he stood by Ethan’s bedside. The soft hum of the machines monitoring his brother’s condition filled the room, a constant reminder of how fragile the situation was. Ethan lay motionless, his breathing steady but unnaturally shallow. The doctors had assured them he wasn’t dead, but the lack of response from him felt just as agonizing.

Dr. Rowen cleared his throat, his voice breaking the tense silence. "This isn’t death, as we initially feared," he said firmly, his tone steady but laced with urgency. "It’s a case of what we call pseudo-death. All of Ethan’s vital organs are functioning, his metabolism is stable, and there are no signs of trauma or failure. This means... he will wake up. We just don’t know when."

Isaac, standing on the other side of the bed, let out a sharp exhale. Relief flickered across his face, though his brows remained furrowed. "But why did this happen? Ethan was perfectly fine before. What caused this... condition?"

Dr. Rowen hesitated. His eyes shifted to Lucas, who stood quietly in the corner. Lucas gave a subtle nod, silently urging the doctor to speak.

"I think it’s best if we discuss this in private," Dr. Rowen finally said. "There’s more to this than meets the eye. Please, follow me to my office."

The journey to Dr. Rowen’s office was heavy with unspoken tension. Lucas trailed behind them, his face unusually grim.

When they entered the doctor’s office, another figure was already waiting for them. A middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and an air of authority rose from her seat. Her lab coat was pristine, and her presence commanded immediate attention.

"Professor Zara," Dr. Rowen introduced her. "She’s been working closely on understanding Ethan’s condition. She might have the answers you need."

Zara nodded curtly, her gaze settling on Leclair and Isaac. "What I’m about to tell you is... difficult to process," she began, her voice steady but tinged with regret. "But it’s crucial that you understand the truth about Ethan—and yourselves."

Leclair crossed his arms, his skepticism evident. "What do you mean? Ethan and I have been through enough. We deserve straightforward answers."

Zara sighed, gesturing for them to sit. "Ethan’s symptoms resemble the effects of a research project conducted decades ago—Project CALE."

Isaac stiffened at the mention of the infamous project, his hands curling into fists. "Project CALE? That’s been shut down for years. Are you saying it’s still active?"

"In a way, yes," Zara admitted. "While the original project was officially terminated, remnants of its research have persisted in secret. Ethan’s condition suggests he’s been unknowingly tied to this research for years. But there’s more to it than that."

Leclair frowned, his patience wearing thin. "Get to the point. Why is Ethan involved in this?"

Zara leaned forward, her expression somber. "Ethan isn’t just involved. He’s the product of another experiment—a highly classified one conducted by Professor Turan."

Leclair froze, his mind racing. "My father? That’s impossible. My father was a businessman, not some scientist."

Zara’s eyes softened, though her voice remained firm. "That’s not entirely true. Professor Turan was a brilliant geneticist, one of the leading researchers in human genome manipulation. He worked on the forefront of experimental science, pushing boundaries that most of his peers wouldn’t dare approach."

Leclair shook his head, disbelief etched across his face. "You’re lying. My father was nothing like that. He was... normal."

Zara offered a sad smile. "Professor Turan never married, Leclair. How could he have children if he never had a wife?"

The weight of her words sank in like a stone. Leclair’s mind reeled as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. "Then... what are you implying? That I’m not his son?"

"You are his nephew," Zara clarified. "The child of his eldest sister. Turan raised you as his own, but your genetic link to him is indirect. As for Ethan..." Her gaze turned to Isaac, who was glaring at her with barely contained fury.

"What about Ethan?" Isaac demanded. "What are you trying to say?"

Zara’s expression hardened. "Ethan was genetically created in a lab by Professor Turan and his partner—his male lover, Zenya."

The revelation hit like a thunderclap. Leclair slumped back in his chair, his face pale. Isaac was on his feet, pacing the room like a caged animal. Lucas sat silently, absorbing the information with a grim expression.

"You’re telling me Ethan was... created?" Leclair finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not born?"

"That’s correct," Zara confirmed. "Ethan’s existence was the result of an ambitious experiment. Turan and Zenya wanted to create a child with enhanced genetic traits. But things went wrong."

Isaac stopped pacing, turning to face her. "What do you mean by ’wrong’?"

"Zenya... had a different vision for their project," Zara explained. "He was obsessed with proving the existence of the human soul. To do this, he manipulated Ethan’s genetic structure in ways that destabilized his very essence. Turan discovered this too late. By the time Ethan was born, his genetic balance had been severely compromised." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Leclair’s voice rose, his anger finally breaking through. "Why didn’t Turan stop him? Why go through with it if he knew it would harm Ethan?"

"Because he loved Ethan," Zara said simply. "When Ethan was born, Turan saw him not as an experiment, but as his son. He couldn’t let Zenya destroy him. So, he took Ethan and fled, exchanging him with the newborn child of his second wife. He left the research world forever."

The room fell into stunned silence. Leclair buried his face in his hands, struggling to process the revelations. Isaac clenched his fists, his knuckles white.

Zara continued, her voice tinged with regret. "Turan did everything he could to repair the damage Zenya caused. He even kidnapped Ethan for two years when he was a toddler, conducting secret treatments to stabilize his genetic structure. But the damage was already done."

"And my mother?" Leclair asked bitterly. "Did she know about any of this?"

Zara hesitated. "She suspected, but she chose to remain silent. She loved you both, regardless of the truth."

Isaac’s voice cut through the air like a blade. "Where is Zenya now? If he’s behind this, I’ll—"

"Zenya disappeared years ago," Zara interrupted. "But his influence lingers. Whatever is happening to Ethan now, it’s tied to the remnants of Zenya’s work. And if we don’t act quickly, Ethan may not survive the aftermath."

Leclair sat in stunned silence, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to process the tidal wave of revelations crashing over him. His life, which he had always believed to be straightforward—a privileged existence as the son of a successful businessman—now seemed like a web of lies, woven by the very people he had trusted the most. He clenched his fists, staring at Zara with a mix of disbelief and anger.

"What... happened to my real parents?" he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to hear the answer, but the question burned inside him.

Zara sighed deeply, her eyes softening with regret. "Your real parents, Leclair, were extraordinary people. Your mother was a humanitarian worker, and your father was an international journalist. They dedicated their lives to helping others, often working in dangerous regions of the world. Tragically, their work led them to the wrong place at the wrong time."

Leclair’s chest tightened as Zara continued.

"They were caught in a terrorist attack abroad," she said gently. "It happened when you were only three months old. They were both killed instantly."

A cold weight settled in Leclair’s chest. The room seemed to blur for a moment as he tried to imagine the parents he had never known, their lives cut short before he could even remember their faces.

"Professor Turan adopted you after their deaths," Zara went on. "He was close to your parents and felt it was his responsibility to ensure you were cared for. But Turan... he wasn’t exactly the nurturing type. His work always came first. That’s why he arranged a business marriage with Lady Sachel."

At the mention of Lady Sachel, Leclair’s gaze snapped back to Zara. "My mother," he murmured, his voice trembling. "She was... good to me."

"She was," Zara agreed with a faint nod. "Lady Sachel couldn’t have children at the time, and she loved you as her own. She poured all her maternal instincts into raising you. But life has a way of changing people."

Leclair’s throat tightened. "What do you mean?"

Zara hesitated, as if weighing how much to tell him. "A few years into the marriage, Lady Sachel had an accident that unexpectedly restored her ability to conceive. She became pregnant with Turan’s child, but her love for you never wavered. When her biological child was born, she loved both of you equally."

Leclair’s hands curled into fists. "But that wasn’t her child, was it?" he said bitterly. "It was Ethan."

Zara nodded slowly, her expression heavy. "Unbeknownst to Lady Sachel, Professor Turan exchanged her biological child with Ethan. He saw Ethan as his true legacy, the culmination of his life’s work, and he was determined to protect him from Zenya."

Leclair’s head dropped into his hands, his breaths shallow and uneven. "So, she never knew," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "She never knew she was raising someone else’s child. She thought we were both hers."

"She loved you both as if you were her own," Zara said gently. "In her heart, you were her children, regardless of blood."

Leclair looked up, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "So, everything I’ve known has been a lie," he said hoarsely. "My father wasn’t my father. My mother... she didn’t even know the truth. And Ethan—Ethan’s life was stolen before it even began."

Zara reached across the table, her voice soft but firm. "Leclair, your life wasn’t a lie. Lady Sachel loved you deeply. That love was real. But yes, Professor Turan’s choices shaped your life in ways you were never told."

Isaac, who had been standing silently in the corner, stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "Turan had no right to do what he did," he said sharply. "To any of you. He played with lives as if they were experiments. How could he justify that?"

"Because he thought he was saving Ethan," Zara replied quietly. "He believed he was doing what was necessary to protect his son from Zenya. But in doing so, he created a ripple effect that impacted everyone around him."

Leclair shook his head, his expression torn between anger and despair. "He stole Ethan’s identity. He lied to my mother. And now Ethan is lying in that hospital bed because of him."

Zara didn’t argue. Instead, she placed a hand on Leclair’s shoulder. "You’re right to feel betrayed. But remember this: you are more than the circumstances of your birth. And Ethan... Ethan needs you now more than ever."

Leclair stood abruptly, pacing the room as he tried to calm the storm raging inside him. His hands ran through his hair as he muttered to himself, piecing together fragments of his past with this new information. Finally, he stopped and looked at Zara.

"What happens now?" he asked, his voice steadier but still tinged with raw emotion. "What can we do for Ethan?"

Zara exchanged a glance with Dr. Rowen before replying. "We need to understand exactly what’s happening to him. Ethan’s condition isn’t just the result of Zenya’s manipulations or Turan’s experiments. There’s something more at play here—something we haven’t uncovered yet."

Isaac frowned. "And how do we find out what that is?"

Zara’s expression darkened. "We need to go back to the source. Turan’s old research facility. It’s the only place where we might find answers."

Leclair nodded slowly, a spark of determination igniting in his eyes. "Then that’s where we’ll go. Whatever it takes, we’re going to bring Ethan back."

Isaac clapped a hand on Leclair’s shoulder, his grip firm. "We’re with you. Ethan’s family, and we don’t abandon family."

For the first time since the conversation began, a faint smile touched Leclair’s lips. He didn’t know what they would find at Turan’s facility or how they would untangle the mess of lies and secrets that had defined their lives. But one thing was certain: he wouldn’t let Ethan face it alone.

As they left the office, Leclair glanced back at Zara. "Thank you for telling me the truth," he said quietly. "Even if it hurts, I needed to know."

Zara nodded, her expression softening. "Sometimes the truth is the first step toward healing. Take care of each other, Leclair. You’re stronger than you think."

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