The day of the independent audit arrived like a storm cloud that refused to break.
Guàn Jǐngchén woke before dawn. Lin Yuè felt the shift in the bed, the way the CEO's body tensed even before his eyes opened. Strong arms pulled him closer, Guàn Jǐngchén burying his face in the crook of Lin Yuè's neck, breathing him in as if he could memorize the scent.
"Stay in bed a little longer," Guàn Jǐngchén murmured, voice rough. His hand slid down Lin Yuè's bare side, fingers tracing the curve of his hip. "I need you."
Lin Yuè turned in his arms, offering his lips without hesitation. The kiss started slow and tender but quickly deepened into something hungrier. Guàn Jǐngchén rolled on top of him, pressing him into the mattress with his heavier body. His mouth trailed hot kisses down Lin Yuè's neck, sucking faint marks into the pale skin while his hands roamed possessively.
He took his time undressing Lin Yuè completely, kissing every inch of exposed skin — collarbones, nipples, the dip of his waist, the sensitive inner thighs. When he reached Lin Yuè's cock, he took him into his mouth slowly, tongue swirling around the head before sliding down. One hand stroked what his mouth couldn't reach while slick fingers pushed inside, stretching him open with careful patience.
Lin Yuè moaned softly, fingers threading into dark hair. Pleasure built in waves until he was trembling and begging.
Guàn Jǐngchén rose up, slicked himself, and pushed inside with one deep thrust. Both of them groaned at the tight heat. He set a slow, intense rhythm — deep rolls of his hips that dragged against that sensitive spot with every stroke.
Their eyes stayed locked.
"I love you," Guàn Jǐngchén whispered, voice raw with emotion. "No matter what today brings, I love you."
Lin Yuè came with a soft, broken cry, tears slipping down his temples. Guàn Jǐngchén followed moments later, burying himself deep with a low groan as he filled him.
They stayed connected for a long time afterward, foreheads pressed together, breathing ragged. Guàn Jǐngchén kissed away the tears on Lin Yuè's cheeks, murmuring soft reassurances.
At 8:30 AM, the audit team arrived at the tower — three external security specialists handpicked by the board, along with Li Wei overseeing the process.
Guàn Jǐngchén insisted Lin Yuè stay by his side the entire morning. They sat together in the CEO's office while the team began their work in the server rooms and secure data centers. Guàn Jǐngchén kept one hand on Lin Yuè's thigh under the desk, thumb stroking slow circles as if to ground them both.
By midday, the first preliminary report came in.
"No major anomalies in core access logs," the lead auditor stated via video call. "However, we've flagged several subtle coding patterns that match historical Eclipse signatures. We'll need deeper cross-referencing with personnel financial trails and old IP logs."
Guàn Jǐngchén's jaw tightened, but his voice remained ice-cold. "Proceed. But remember — any overreach will have consequences."
Lin Yuè sat perfectly still, the picture of a nervous but supportive partner. Inside, his mind raced. The dormant backdoor was still hidden, but the deeper cross-reference could connect old financial transactions he had used years ago to survive. One wrong link and the entire Lin Yuè identity would unravel.
That afternoon, while the audit team worked, Guàn Jǐngchén pulled Lin Yuè into the private lounge attached to his office and locked the door.
He didn't speak. He simply backed Lin Yuè against the wall and kissed him with raw desperation. Hands shoved clothes aside. Guàn Jǐngchén lifted him, wrapped Lin Yuè's legs around his waist, and thrust inside with one hard stroke.
The rhythm was urgent and possessive — hips snapping forward, the sound of skin meeting skin filling the small room. Guàn Jǐngchén's mouth was on Lin Yuè's neck, sucking marks as if trying to brand him.
"You're mine," he growled between thrusts. "No audit will change that. No one will take you from me."
Lin Yuè clung to him, moaning softly, nails digging into broad shoulders. Pleasure crashed through him hard and fast. They came together — Lin Yuè with a broken whimper, Guàn Jǐngchén with a low groan as he filled him.
Afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén held him close, forehead pressed to his.
"I trust you," he whispered. "Completely."
Lin Yuè's eyes stung with unshed tears. He kissed the CEO softly, clinging to him as if this moment might be one of the last honest ones they would share.
By evening, the audit team had flagged three minor inconsistencies in old financial trails linked to personnel who joined in the last year. Nothing conclusive yet, but enough to keep digging.
Guàn Jǐngchén dismissed the team for the night and took Lin Yuè home.
In the penthouse, he held him tighter than ever, making love to him slowly on the couch, whispering "I love you" with every deep thrust, every tender kiss.
As they lay together afterward, Guàn Jǐngchén stroked Lin Yuè's hair and said quietly, "Whatever they find tomorrow, it won't change us."
Lin Yuè closed his eyes, pressing his face into the older man's chest.
He had run out of time to run.
The audit would continue tomorrow.
The truth was now only hours away from breaking free.
And all Lin Yuè could do was hold onto the man he loved with everything he had left — praying that love would somehow survive the coming storm.
End of Chapter 38