Chapter 20

TWENTY

E llie stirred awake, her body nestled comfortably against Zy's warm, muscular frame. The events of the past few days swirled in her mind—the attack, Zy's rescue, and their passionate night together that had sealed their bond as mates. She blinked, orienting herself in the luxurious surroundings of Zy's penthouse bedroom, which now felt like a sanctuary.

Zy's arm tightened around her waist, and she felt his lips brush against her shoulder. "Good morning, beautiful," he murmured, his deep voice sending a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Ellie turned in his arms, drinking in the sight of him. His hair was tousled from sleep, his eyes warm with affection. It struck her how quickly he'd gone from business rival to her everything. "Good morning," she replied, leaning in to kiss him softly.

The kiss deepened, reigniting the passion from the night before. Zy's hand caressed her cheek, and Ellie melted into his touch, marveling at how right it felt to be with him like this.

A quiet growl rumbled in Zy's chest as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "As much as I'd love to spend all day in bed with you, I did promise you breakfast."

Ellie laughed, the sound light and happy. "Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

Zy grinned, placing one quick kiss on her lips before sliding out of bed. "I'll be right back. Don't move an inch."

As Zy left the room, Ellie stretched languidly, reveling in the pleasant soreness that reminded her of their lovemaking. She'd never felt so cherished, so completely accepted as she did with Zy. The depth of her feelings for him should have scared her, given how quickly they'd developed, but instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of rightness.

True to his word, Zy returned shortly with a tray laden with breakfast. He'd thrown on a pair of loose pajama pants but remained shirtless, giving Ellie an unobstructed view of his chiseled torso. She admired him openly, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"See something you like?" Zy teased, setting the tray across her lap.

"Absolutely," Ellie replied, her gaze traveling appreciatively over him. "The food looks pretty good too."

Zy chuckled, settling beside her on the bed. He leaned in, nuzzling her neck affectionately. "Eat up. You'll need your strength after last night."

A blush crept up Ellie's cheeks, but she didn't shy away from his touch. Instead, she turned her head to capture his lips in another kiss. "Thank you," she murmured against his mouth. "For everything."

As they shared the meal, feeding each other bites of waffle and fruit between kisses, Ellie marveled at how comfortable she felt with Zy. The intimacy between them went beyond the physical; there was an emotional openness that she'd never experienced.

However, as they finished eating, Ellie noticed a shift in Zy's demeanor. His brow furrowed slightly, and the easy smile from moments ago faded into a more serious expression.

"Ellie," he began, his tone measured but gentle, "there's something important we need to discuss."

Concern flickered in Ellie's chest, but she quelled it, trusting in the bond they now shared. "What is it, Zy?"

Zy took her hand, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her skin. "It's about your game, Infinite Odyssey."

Ellie set her fork down, her appetite vanishing. "What about it?"

"During the convention, when we played together, I noticed something... unusual," Zy continued. "There are elements in your game—specific code and features—that are identical to proprietary technology developed by Ashford Entertainment."

The words hit Ellie like a physical blow. She stared at Zy, struggling to process what he was saying. "What? That's impossible. Every line of code in my game was developed by my team."

Zy held up a hand, his expression sympathetic. "I believe you, Ellie. That's why I'm bringing this to you now. I never suspected you of any wrongdoing, but I needed to understand how this happened before I involved you."

Ellie's mind raced, trying to make sense of the revelation. "But how? I don't understand. We've been working on similar AI and customization features, but it was all our own work."

"That's what we need to figure out," Zy said gently. "Is there a way to trace who worked on those specific parts of the code?"

Ellie nodded, her game developer instincts kicking in despite her shock. "Yes, we keep detailed logs of all our development work. Everything's on my laptop at the office."

"I can have someone bring it here," Zy offered. "The sooner we start looking into this, the better."

As the initial shock began to fade, a mix of emotions washed over Ellie. Gratitude that Zy trusted her, fear about what this meant for her game and company, and anger at whoever had put her in this position.

"Zy, I swear I had no idea," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "If someone on my team did this..."

Zy reached out, taking her hand in his. The warmth of his touch grounded her. "We'll figure this out together, Ellie. I promise."

Ellie squeezed his hand, drawing strength from his support. "Okay. Let's get my laptop and start digging. I want to know exactly how this happened and who's responsible."

As Zy made the call to have her laptop retrieved, Ellie's mind whirled with possibilities. Who on her team could have done this? And why? The implications for her game and her company's reputation loomed large.

"While we wait for your laptop," Zy said, returning his attention to her, "let's talk about how we want to approach this investigation."

Ellie nodded, pushing the breakfast tray aside and sitting up straighter. "We need to be thorough but discreet. If word gets out about this before we have all the facts, it could be disastrous."

"Agreed," Zy said. "I have a team I trust implicitly who can assist with the technical aspects if we need them. But for now, let's keep this between us."

As they discussed potential strategies, Ellie found herself grateful for Zy's calm, methodical approach. It helped temper her own swirling emotions and allowed her to focus on the problem at hand.

"Once we identify the source of the code integration," Ellie said, her mind already racing ahead, "we'll need to do a complete audit of our development process. I can't risk something like this happening again."

Zy nodded approvingly. "That's smart. It'll help protect you and your company moving forward."

A thought struck Ellie, and she fixed Zy with a serious look. "Zy, what does this mean for Infinite Odyssey? If your company's proprietary code is in my game..."

Zy's expression softened. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Once we have all the facts, we'll figure out a solution that works for both of us. I promise I'm not out to destroy your game or your company, Ellie."

The sincerity in his voice eased some of the tension in Ellie's shoulders. "Thank you. I just... this game means everything to me. The thought of losing it..."

"I understand," Zy said, his thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of her hand. "We'll do everything we can to protect your work while resolving this issue."

As they waited for Ellie's laptop to arrive, their conversation drifted to lighter topics. Ellie found herself marveling at how quickly Zy had become someone she trusted implicitly. The way he'd handled this situation—coming to her openly, offering his support—spoke volumes about his character.

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of Ellie's laptop. As Zy went to retrieve it, Ellie took a deep breath, steeling herself for what they might discover.

Zy returned, setting the laptop on the bed beside her. "Are you ready for this?"

Ellie nodded, determination replacing her earlier anxiety. "Let's do it."

As she booted up her computer and navigated through development logs, Ellie couldn't help but reflect on the strange turn her life had taken. A week ago, she'd seen Zy as nothing more than a business rival. Now, he was by her side, helping her unravel a mystery that threatened everything she'd worked for.

"Okay," she said, pulling up the relevant files. "Let's start with the AI customization features. That's where you noticed the similarities, right?"

Zy leaned in, his presence reassuring as they delved into the code. As they worked, Ellie found herself impressed by his technical knowledge. It shouldn't have surprised her—he was the CEO of a major gaming company, after all—but seeing him dissect complex code with ease added a new layer to her growing admiration.

Hours passed as they combed through logs and code snippets. Ellie's eyes burned from staring at the screen, but she refused to give up. They were close to something; she could feel it.

"Wait," Zy said suddenly, pointing to a section of code. "That sequence there—it's almost an exact match for one of our proprietary algorithms."

Ellie's heart raced as she checked the timestamp and user information associated with that piece of code. "It was uploaded three months ago by... oh no."

"What is it?" Zy asked, concern evident in his voice.

Ellie turned to him, her expression a mix of anger and betrayal. "It's one of my newer employees. A programmer I hired about six months ago. He came highly recommended with an impressive portfolio."

Zy's jaw tightened. "Do you think he could have connections to someone at Ashford Entertainment?"

"I don't know," Ellie admitted. "But I intend to find out."

As they continued their investigation, uncovering more instances of copied code, Ellie's emotions warred within her. The violation of trust cut deep, but having Zy beside her, offering unwavering support, soothed the sting.

Finally, as the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the room, they sat back, exhausted but armed with concrete evidence.

"What now?" Ellie asked, running a hand through her hair.

Zy considered for a moment. "We'll handle this together," he promised, his lips brushing her forehead. "No one messes with my mate and gets away with it."

The possessive note in his voice sent a thrill through Ellie. She looked up at him, seeing the fierce protectiveness in his eyes, and felt overwhelmed by the depth of her feelings for him.

"I love you, Zy," she said softly, the words slipping out naturally.

Zy's eyes widened for a moment before a brilliant smile spread across his face. "I love you too, Ellie."

He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her with a passion that left her breathless. When they parted, Ellie felt a renewed sense of strength and determination.

"Whatever happens next," she said, "I can handle it with you. As a team."

Zy nodded, his forehead resting against hers. "Always, my love. Always."

As Ellie closed her laptop, ready to take on whatever came next, she knew that in Zy, she had found not just a mate, but a true partner in every sense of the word.