Chapter 126: ONE HUNDRED AMD TWENTY-SIX

Adrian’s POV

We spent the entire day going through everything we could find.

The room had practically turned into a command center, with laptops open across the tables, files spread everywhere and information pulled from every private account and database we had managed to access.

We were searching through people’s profiles, company records, old connections and anything else that could lead us to the Alphas who had been working with our father on his anti-Omega agenda.

The resources we had taken from his private spaces had made the search easier than it would have been otherwise.

Cassian sat with two laptops in front of him, comparing information from different accounts while Roman went through a collection of files we had found earlier.

Elijah was focused on another set of profiles, occasionally passing something useful across the table.

Every time we came across a new name, we immediately wrote it down in our growing list of accomplices.

Out of habit, I kept checking Nicholas’s tracker. Every time I looked at the screen, the same signal appeared.

Nicholas was still alive.

His location hadn’t changed much, and the tracker showed him somewhere surrounded by what appeared to be woods. I didn’t know exactly what building he was in yet, but knowing the signal was still active was enough to keep me from doing something reckless.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the others. "We need to finish this tonight."

Cassian glanced up from his screen. "We’re trying, Adrian."

"I know. I’m not asking you to stop." I rubbed a hand over my facs.

Roman closed one of the files in front of him and rubbed his eyes. "We’ve already found several names connected to him. The problem is figuring out which ones are actually involved and which ones are just business contacts."

"Then keep checking," I said. "We don’t need every person he’s ever spoken to. We need the ones who were involved in what he was doing to Omegas."

Elijah nodded, turning back to his laptop. "We’ll find them."

I looked at Nicholas’s location one more time before standing. "I’ll be back."

None of them asked where I was going. They knew I needed a moment away from the room.

I walked downstairs and stepped outside through the entrance. The night air hit me immediately, and I stopped a short distance from the house before pulling out my phone. I looked at the tracker again, then made the call I had been waiting to make.

The person on the other end answered quickly. "Mobilize the army," I said. "We have a place to be tomorrow."

There was a brief pause before the order was acknowledged. "Understood."

"Have everyone ready." I instructed.

"Yes, sir."

I ended the call and lowered my phone. Tomorrow, we were bringing Nicholas home.

I turned toward the entrance, but stopped when I saw Nicholas’s mother standing there.

Oh fuck.

She looked nervous. For a second, I just stared at her, my eyes wide. What was she doing out here? Had she suspected something was going on?

"Adrian." Her voice was a whisper.

I walked toward her. "Hm?"

"Is something going on?"

I didn’t answer immediately. She glanced toward the house before looking back at me. "Is it Nicholas? Or you and your brothers? You all have been acting strangely since yesterday, and now you’ve been standing outside making phone calls. Something is wrong."

I immediately shook my head. "There’s nothing you need to worry about."

She didn’t look convinced. "Please don’t tell me that if it isn’t true." Her voice softened as she stepped closer. "I may not understand everything that’s happening between you boys and your father, but I can tell something is wrong. If something has happened to Nicholas, you need to tell me."

I kept my expression steady. "Nicholas is fine."

It was the only answer I could give her.

She watched me for a moment, then sighed. "Adrian, I’m his mother. I’m also your father’s wife, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see when something is happening. If there’s anything I can do to help you or your brothers, you can ask me." She hesitated, her voice becoming even gentler. "Whatever it is, don’t feel like you have to carry everything yourselves. If you need me, I’ll help."

I didn’t know what to say to that.

She had no idea that Nicholas had been taken. She had no idea that the man she lived with had him somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or that we were already preparing to go after him.

There were things I couldn’t tell her now. She was curious, but I also knew she would ruin everything. After all, the only reason my father even knew about the bond and our findings was because Nicholas had told her a few things.

For a moment, I simply looked at her. Then I turned and started walking upstairs.

I made it several steps before stopping then I looked back at her. "Thank you."

She gave me a small, confused smile.

I looked at her for another moment before continuing. "The person who always cared about us like that was our mother."

Her expression changed slightly. "Oh."

To be honest, I wasn’t sure why I was telling her that. But I was also being serious. I hadn’t completely warmed up to her, but I knew she didn’t have any bad intentions towards us. She was just married to the wrong person.

For a split second, I almost felt bad as she stared at me with confusion in her eyes.

"You remind me of her." I whispered, my brows furrowing as I looked her over again.

She didn’t say anything as I turned and walked upstairs, returning to the room where my brothers were still working.

The moment I entered, I looked at all three of them. "Speed it up."

Cassian looked at me. "We’re almost there."

"Then get there." I walked back to my place and looked at the information covering the table. "We need to wrap everything up tonight. Tomorrow, we’re going to get Nicholas back."