CHAPTER 212: CHAPTER 212: BETWEEN PASSION AND PUBLIC EYES

~Evric’s POV~

"Yes," I replied instantly, my eyes sparkling. "Completely crazy for you."

Zayn laughed, pushing lightly against my chest. "Are you really going to have sex with me out here on the balcony?"

I tightened my grip on his waist, pulling his hips close against mine. "Yes," I murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Not every time needs to be in the bedroom. We can be a little crazy sometimes. Think of the adrenaline, baby. The thrill of it being outdoors."

I leaned my chin on his shoulder, listing the possibilities with a low, seductive voice. "We could have a quickie right here, beneath the stars. Or maybe the kitchen island when the maid is out. Or even better, against the wall in the wine cellar where no one would ever think to look."

I kissed his neck, letting my voice drop to a growl. "Being my boyfriend means embracing the spontaneity and love. Don’t you want to see how quickly I can make you forget we’re outside?"

"I already know," Zayn said, his voice laced with amusement.

I kissed his neck again, the scent of his skin driving me mad. "Know more," I countered, pulling him tighter against my chest. "I could handle you better when we are quick to finish."

"Okay, baby, but not tonight," Zayn sighed, settling back. "We have an event to attend tomorrow. Speaking of which, it’s been two days since the news broke. How does it feel to be a young CEO all over the media now?"

I frowned slightly. "I don’t know, honestly. I haven’t exactly gone outside to see new people, aside from the people I’ve already been seeing. My daily routine hasn’t changed. I’m still coming home to you, not signing autographs." I was trying to explain that even with a huge project launch, I didn’t feel like a celebrity; my world was still just our world.

Zayn laughed softly.

"Maybe it hasn’t gone as public or been recognized as well as we hoped," I suggested, trying to downplay it.

Zayn immediately got serious. "I don’t believe that," he insisted. "When you were in Dubai and the first promotional ad came out, it was incredibly popular. It was trending."

"For real?"

"Yes," he confirmed. "Have you checked the main pages or social media to see how famous the project became?"

"That’s true," I admitted, realizing I had been too focused on work and on him. "I haven’t."

I reached for my phone, and we both leaned in to open the news pages and social media feeds together. The main business pages were indeed blowing up. There were hundreds of articles and thousands of comments flowing beneath every post.

Look at this," Zayn murmured, scrolling through. "We should read the comments and see what people really think."

We started reading. The praise was overwhelming. People raved about the brilliance of the project and the visionary approach.

"This young CEO is the future! Absolute genius to pull this off."

"Evric Draeven is changing the game. My company is investing immediately."

"Forget about the old CEO, this is the innovator we needed!"

But as we scrolled, the tone quickly changed from professional praise to typical social media chaos.

"Evric and Vanya are definitely dating. They look so good together."

"They are fighting over which one of them should be the new face of the brand, LOL."

"No way, he’s totally too handsome for her! Vanya is great, but Evric is the prize."

Then we spotted a comment that made my heart drop slightly.

"Evric is my dream man, I’m obsessed."

A direct reply came underneath: "Don’t even dream; I heard he’s gay."

Suddenly, that became the new, immediate topic. The comments section exploded with arguments.

"How could that be? His father practically founded the religious league that hates homosexual people!"

"It’s a waste! Such a talented man, why the hype if he’s gay?"

"Why does it matter? Does his sexuality build the project? No. Stop being ridiculous."

"How does he even get into a project when the founder is so religious? Maybe it’s just a rumor."

Then came one comment that made Zayn squeeze my hand.

"He can be gay, but he’ll be straight for me, I don’t care either way. I’m supporting the successful young CEO regardless!"

Of course, the haters immediately jumped on that one, unleashing a new round of petty insults and virtue signaling. It was classic social media: one minute, genius; the next, a complete mess of personal attacks.

Seeing all that, I sighed, suddenly feeling heavy. I set the phone down on the small table between us on the balcony and shook my head.

"See?" I said, rubbing my face. "That’s why I won’t check the comments again."

I looked at Zayn, whose expression was now a complex mix of amusement and quiet concern.

I noticed the shift immediately. "Babe?" I called, my voice gentle.

"Yes," Zayn answered, but his voice was suddenly low, lacking its usual warmth.

"What happened?" I asked, my attention fully on him.

He tried to force a small smile. "Nothing, I’m just tired."

I reached for his hand, giving him a gentle squeeze. "Please, Zayn, don’t think about the comment. Don’t let this ruin anything for us," I pleaded, my voice soft.

Finally, Zayn looked up at me, the laughter gone from his eyes. "I’m concerned, Evric. What if... what if this affects you in..."

I stopped him gently, putting my fingers to his lips. "Hey, stop it." I pulled him off the lounger and wrapped him tightly in my arms, holding him against my chest. This was our reality now, and he needed not to falter.

"You can’t start being like this when it’s just the beginning, Zayn. I’m counting on you. You need to be my strongest supporter right now, because you already knew one day everyone would know about my sexuality."

I kissed the top of his head. "I can’t hate myself just because I’m gay. I use my brain for business, not my sexuality. My work is what matters."

I pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes, giving him my most sincere word. "This won’t be a problem, trust me."

He nodded once, the fear in his eyes easing as trust settled back in.

"I love you so much, more than I love myself, Zayn," I whispered, meaning every word.

That brought the genuine, beautiful smile I loved back to his face. "I love you more, Evric," he replied.

I kissed him, a quick, reassuring press of my lips to his. "Come on, let’s go inside."