So Ji-won slipped past the three sleeping brothers in the adjoining suite, heart hammering as he eased the door shut. The private Grand Wailea estate suite was dark except for the glow of his phone. Lu Sheng's message still lit the screen: I'll be waiting at the resort's private beach lounge for sunset. He moved quietly across the marble floors, past the infinity pool that overlooked the ocean, and down the private path that led to the lounge. The sun was already dipping low, painting the sky in oranges and reds. Lu Sheng waited exactly where he said he would, leaning against the railing in a crisp white linen shirt that caught the breeze. "You came," Lu Sheng said, voice low. He didn't move from his spot, just watched So Ji-won approach with that familiar half-smile. "Good boy." So Ji-won stopped a foot away, pulse racing. "My brothers are still asleep. We don't have long." Lu Sheng reached out, fingers brushing So Ji-won's wrist before sliding up to cup his jaw. "Then we make the most of it." He pulled So Ji-won closer, their bodies nearly touching. One hand settled at the small of So Ji-won's back while the other traced down his chest, slow and deliberate. "I've been thinking about this since you left." So Ji-won shivered as Lu Sheng's thumb brushed over his nipple through the thin fabric of his shirt. Lu Sheng leaned in, lips grazing the shell of his ear. "Two thousand miles and you still came running to me." His hand slid lower, palm pressing against the front of So Ji-won's shorts, feeling the growing hardness there. He rubbed slowly, teasingly, watching So Ji-won's face. "Such a responsive little thing." So Ji-won bit his lip to stay quiet, hips twitching forward into the touch. Lu Sheng's fingers worked the button of his shorts open, slipping inside to wrap around his cock. He stroked with firm, measured pulls, thumb circling the head on each upstroke. So Ji-won's breathing grew ragged, one hand gripping Lu Sheng's shoulder for balance. "That's it," Lu Sheng murmured, lips brushing So Ji-won's neck. "Let me feel you." His grip tightened, pace steady, drawing soft sounds from So Ji-won's throat. The ocean breeze cooled the heat building between them, but Lu Sheng's hand was warm and insistent. So Ji-won came with a stifled gasp, spilling over Lu Sheng's fingers. Lu Sheng worked him through it, slowing gradually until So Ji-won sagged against him, breathing hard. He pressed a kiss to So Ji-won's temple, then withdrew his hand, wiping it clean on a handkerchief from his pocket. "Go back before they wake," Lu Sheng said, straightening So Ji-won's shirt. "And remember—I can reach you anywhere." Ji-won’s knees were trembling so violently he could barely navigate the private stone pathway leading back up to the Grand Wailea estate suite. The damp night air chilled the sweat clinging to the back of his neck, but his skin still felt as though it were burning where Lu Sheng had touched him. Every rustle of the palm fronds sounded like a footstep; every crashing wave against the cove sounded like his name being called out in accusation. He clutched his shirt together at his chest, his heart hammering a frantic, erratic rhythm against his ribs as he reached the double teak doors of the penthouse. With painstaking care, Ji-won slipped his keycard into the electronic lock, turning the handle with micro-millimetric precision to prevent the latch from clicking. He slid through the narrow crack into the dark, air-conditioned foyer. The suite was silent, bathed in the deep indigo glow of moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Ji-won let out a long, silent breath, letting his forehead rest against the cool wood of the closed door. He had made it. His brothers were still asleep in their respective master suites. The secret remained buried. He took a single step forward into the living room—and froze dead in his tracks. Sitting in the high-backed velvet armchair near the dark infinity pool, illuminated only by the pale moonlight and the glowing screen of his tablet, was Min-jun. Min-jun wasn't in his pajama pants or a relaxed bathrobe. He was still wearing his crisp dark trousers and a black silk dress shirt, sleeves folded neatly to his elbows. He wasn't sleeping. He had never been sleeping. In his hand, Min-jun held a small glass of neat scotch. He didn't turn his head immediately; he simply took a slow, deliberate sip, the ice clinking softly against the crystal. "The ocean breeze is cold at this hour, Ji-won-ah," Min-jun said, his voice dropping into the quiet room like a lead weight. Ji-won’s blood ran completely, utterly ice-cold. Paralyzing fear seized his throat, locking his muscles in place. He stood pinned to the entryway runner, his eyes wide, his hands frantically tightening around the hem of his disheveled linen shirt. "H-Hyung..." Ji-won squeaked out, his voice cracking so badly it barely registered as human sound. "You're... you're awake?" Min-jun slowly set his crystal glass down on the side table. He turned his head, his dark, sharp eyes locking onto Ji-won in the dim light. There was no sudden explosion of anger on Min-jun's face, but that made it a thousand times more terrifying. His expression was a wall of cold, unyielding stone—the face of an executioner reviewing a final ledger. "I haven't slept since we landed," Min-jun murmured, standing up from the armchair with slow, fluid grace and stepping toward Ji-won. "Because forty minutes ago, our private perimeter satellite detail logged a localized signal breach near the lower cove lounge." Ji-won backed up until his spine hit the teak door, his chest heaving as he tried desperately to pull his collar higher up his throat to cover the hot, flushed patches on his skin. "I... I couldn't sleep, Hyung! I just went down to get some fresh air by the water!" Min-jun stopped three feet away from him. He reached out, his large, warm hand taking Ji-won by the shoulder. Ji-won flinched violently at the contact, a reaction so sharp and instinctive that Min-jun’s eyes narrowed into dangerous, lethal slits. Min-jun didn't let go. Instead, his dark eyes slowly tracked down Ji-won's face, taking in his trembling lips, his wild, glossy eyes, the disheveled buttons of his shorts, and the distinct, lingering scent of expensive sandalwood and sea salt radiating from his skin. "Fresh air?" Min-jun whispered, his voice dropping an octave, heavy with a suffocating, lethal edge. "Then why do you smell like Lu Sheng's cologne, Ji-won-ah?" Before Ji-won could choke out a response, the master bedroom door on the left swung wide open. "What is going on out here?!" Do-hyun shouted, stumbling out into the living room wearing an absurd silk tropical pajama set, blinking sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. "Min-jun? Ji-won? Why are the lights off? Is there another dolphin emergency?!" Min-jun didn't look back at Do-hyun. His hand remained firmly clamped on Ji-won's shoulder, his gaze burning straight into Ji-won's soul. "Call the airport, Do-hyun," Min-jun said, his voice flat, terrifyingly calm, and entirely devoid of mercy. "Order the pilot to prepare the jet for an immediate return to Seoul. The vacation is over."

Chapter 16