CEO loves me with all his soul.-Chapter 50. Shock

Adrian sat on the living room couch, his hand resting protectively on his swollen stomach as his eyes flickered back to the clock on the wall. It was already past midnight, and neither Ethan nor Leclair had returned. His heart pounded with anxiety, a feeling that intensified with every second of silence.

"Why aren’t they home yet?" Adrian muttered under his breath, gripping his phone tightly.

Augustin sat beside him, fidgeting, equally concerned. "I’m sure they’re fine," he tried to reassure Adrian, but his own voice trembled slightly. "Maybe they got caught up in some work?"

Adrian nodded, but the knot of worry in his chest only tightened. "I’m calling Mathew," he said decisively, dialing the number. The phone rang a few times before Mathew picked up.

"Adrian?" Mathew’s voice sounded groggy, like he’d just woken up.

"Mathew, Ethan hasn’t come home yet. It’s already midnight. Do you know where he is?" Adrian asked, his voice filled with tension.

Mathew paused, clearly surprised. "He left the company earlier this evening, around six. He didn’t stay late."

Adrian’s grip on the phone tightened. "What about Leclair?"

"Leclair’s assistant said the same. They both left together."

Adrian exchanged a panicked glance with Augustin. "Mathew, something’s wrong. They haven’t come home yet, and I can’t reach Ethan’s phone."

Mathew cursed under his breath. "I’ll try calling some of the staff. Give me a few minutes."

Adrian hung up and stared at the phone, willing it to ring again with good news. But deep down, something gnawed at him—an instinct that told him something was terribly wrong.

Augustin suddenly shot up from his seat and ran to his room without a word. Adrian watched him go, confusion and fear swirling in his mind.

Minutes later, Augustin returned, pale as a sheet, carrying his laptop. He sat down and immediately began typing furiously, hacking into the company’s security system. Adrian looked at him, startled. "What are you doing?"

"I’m checking the security footage," Augustin muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. After a few tense moments, he cursed under his breath. "They left the building hours ago, just like Mathew said."

Adrian felt his heart drop. "Then why haven’t they come home?"

Augustin didn’t answer. His fingers continued flying across the keyboard as he hacked into Leclair’s phone, searching for its location. After a few moments, he froze, his face draining of color. "Adrian..." he whispered.

"What is it?" Adrian asked, his voice shaking.

"The last location... It’s near the sea." Augustin’s voice was barely audible as he turned to face Adrian. "Four hours from here by car."

The color drained from Adrian’s face. His mind raced as he tried to process what that meant. Leclair and Ethan were nowhere near home—they were near the sea, completely off the radar. Panic surged through his veins.

"They’re... They’re kidnapped, aren’t they?" Adrian’s voice trembled as he spoke, barely able to get the words out.

Augustin didn’t reply. He stared at the screen, his hands shaking. His eyes were wide with fear, and his face was ghostly pale. "I... I need to make a call."

Adrian clutched his stomach, feeling a sudden sharp pain. His breath hitched, and his vision blurred for a moment. Something wasn’t right. His babies...

His hand instinctively went to his stomach, trying to calm himself down, but the pain intensified. "A-Augustin," he called out weakly, trying to stand.

Augustin, engrossed in his frantic phone call, didn’t notice at first. He was speaking in a low, urgent voice to someone on the other end of the line. "Master, it’s Augustin. I... I need your help. Leclair and Ethan—they’re missing, and I don’t know where they are. The last location was near the sea."

His voice broke as he continued, clearly struggling to keep his composure. "Please, you have to help me. I can’t—"

Suddenly, a pained gasp from Adrian caught Augustin’s attention. He dropped the phone and rushed to his side. "Adrian! What’s wrong?"

"I... I think something’s wrong with the babies," Adrian whispered, his face pale and beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Augustin’s blood ran cold. "Lucas. We need Lucas. Now."

Adrian nodded weakly, barely able to speak through the pain. Augustin wasted no time, grabbing his phone and dialing Lucas with trembling hands.

"Lucas, get here now. It’s Adrian—something’s wrong with the babies."

In less than ten minutes, Lucas burst through the front door, his medical bag in hand. His face was a mask of calm, though there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. He rushed to Adrian’s side and immediately began examining him.

"Breathe, Adrian," Lucas said softly, trying to calm him down. "It’s probably just stress, but I need you to relax. Worrying will only make it worse."

Adrian nodded, though it was clear the fear in his heart was overwhelming him. "I can’t... I can’t stop worrying about Ethan," he admitted, his voice shaky.

Lucas glanced at Augustin, who was still on edge, pacing around the room like a caged animal. "Ethan and Leclair are tough. They’ll be okay," Lucas reassured them, though his focus remained on Adrian. "Right now, we need to make sure you and the babies are okay. Stress isn’t good for them."

Adrian tried to focus on his breathing, though every muscle in his body was tense with anxiety. As Lucas monitored his condition, Augustin quietly stepped back, his face still pale.

His mind raced as he thought about his call with his Master. He had promised to find Leclair and Ethan within a day. Augustin just hoped they could hold on long enough for that.

--

Isaac paced back and forth in Luri’s living room, his expression a strange mix of excitement and amusement. The news that Adrian’s husband, Ethan, was missing had reached him early that morning, and despite the gravity of the situation, Isaac could barely contain his joy.

"I can’t believe it! That beast is finally out of the picture!" Isaac exclaimed, almost dancing in his excitement. "Now Adrian can be free from him! He doesn’t need to be with some guy who knocked him up—"

Before he could finish, Luri threw a pillow at him with surprising force, hitting him square in the chest. "Are you serious right now? You’re actually happy that Adrian’s husband is missing? Do you not have a single shred of decency?"

Isaac stopped mid-dance, holding the pillow and blinking in surprise. "Well... I mean, it’s not like Ethan’s good for him. This could be a blessing in disguise, right?"

Luri’s face darkened as she crossed her arms. "Isaac, your little brother is in a delicate situation. He’s pregnant, with twins no less, and you’re dancing around like it’s a festival. What he needs right now is support, love, and stability—not stress. And definitely not his so-called elder brother prancing around like he won the lottery."

Isaac opened his mouth to protest, but the scolding continued. "Do you think Adrian’s happy Ethan’s missing? Do you think he’s sitting there, relieved that the father of his children is gone? No! He’s probably worried sick. His health, not to mention the babies’ health, could be at serious risk because of all this anxiety—and you’re making things worse!"

Isaac went silent, his shoulders sagging under the weight of her words. His lips tightened into a thin line as he turned away, trying to mask the sting of her reprimand. He cursed quietly under his breath. "I wasn’t thinking about it like that..."

"No, you weren’t," Luri said firmly, stepping closer to him. "You’ve been so caught up in your stupid rivalry with Ethan that you’ve forgotten what really matters—your brother’s well-being."

Isaac grumbled, frustration evident in his voice. "Fine, fine. I get it. No more celebrating."

Luri raised an eyebrow at him, not entirely convinced. "And?" freewebnσvel.cøm

Isaac shot her an annoyed glance. "And... I’ll help find him."

Luri smirked triumphantly. "Now that’s the responsible elder brother I was waiting for. Took you long enough."

Isaac rolled his eyes, mumbling sarcastically under his breath. "Yeah, yeah, thanks for the pep talk."

Luri leaned against the wall with a satisfied smile, watching him with amusement. "You should be thanking me for stopping you from making a complete idiot out of yourself."

Isaac glared at her. "I already feel like an idiot. No need to rub it in."

Luri chuckled. "Oh, but it’s so fun." She walked past him to grab her laptop, plopping down on the couch as she booted it up. "Alright, let’s get down to business. If you’re really serious about being a responsible brother, you’ll need me to help track down Ethan and Leclair."

Isaac folded his arms, reluctantly conceding. "Yeah, yeah. You’re the tech expert. Just find them already."

Luri looked up at him, a sly smile on her lips. "Wow, Isaac actually acknowledging that he needs help? Now that’s something I never thought I’d hear."

"Don’t push it," Isaac grumbled, but his tone had softened. He was no longer the carefree, arrogant big brother he had been just moments ago. Luri had managed to snap him back to reality.

As she worked on her laptop, typing away at a rapid pace, Isaac leaned against the window, watching the sun rise in the distance. His thoughts drifted to Adrian, fragile and worried at home. Luri was right. He’d been too focused on his own feelings, ignoring the fact that Adrian needed Ethan—no matter what Isaac thought of him.

"So, what’s the plan?" Isaac asked after a few moments of silence.

Luri glanced up, her fingers still flying across the keyboard. "I’m working on it. Give me a few hours, and I’ll have something for you."

Isaac nodded, feeling a strange mixture of gratitude and frustration. As much as Luri’s scolding had stung, he couldn’t deny that she was right. He’d have to set aside his animosity towards Ethan and focus on what really mattered—Adrian’s safety and well-being.

Luri, catching the change in his expression, smirked. "There, that’s the Isaac I can tolerate—slightly."

Isaac shot her a look of mock irritation. "Don’t get used to it."

Luri laughed. "Too late, I’m enjoying this responsible version of you."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶