Autumn deepened into a golden haze, the IPO success still ringing in their ears like triumphant bells. WestTech shares climbed steadily, ErosAI dominated app stores worldwide, and the quartet—Simon, Lily, Betty, and Chunmei—lived in a bubble of triumph, love, and endless desire.
But even the strongest empires have fault lines.
The first real emotional earthquake struck in late October, triggered by something small that snowballed into something profound.
Chunmei's family was coming to visit—her traditional parents and younger brother flying in from Shanghai for a week. They knew she'd landed a dream job at a hot American tech company, but nothing about her personal life. Chunmei had always kept that door firmly closed.
"I'm not ready to tell them," she confessed one night in bed, head on Simon's chest while Lily and Betty flanked them. "They expect the perfect daughter—married to a nice Chinese boy, grandchildren on the way. This…" She gestured at the four tangled bodies. "They'd disown me."
The words hung heavy.
Lily reached across Simon to take Chunmei's hand. "We get it. You come out when you're ready. Or never. Your choice."
Betty nodded. "We'll support whatever you need. Play the role, or keep distance."
Simon kissed Chunmei's forehead. "You're not alone in this."
But the visit loomed like a storm cloud.
They agreed on a cover: Chunmei would stay at her loft most nights, the others would be "colleagues" if introduced. No PDAs, no slip-ups.
The first dinner—parents at a fancy Midtown restaurant—was tense but survivable. Chunmei introduced Simon as "my boss," Lily and Betty as "team members." Her mother grilled Simon on marriage prospects; her father nodded approvingly at WestTech's success. Chunmei smiled tightly, translating when needed.
Back home later, she fell apart.
"They kept asking when I'll 'settle down,'" she sobbed in the penthouse, the three of them holding her on the couch. "I felt like a liar. Like I'm ashamed of us."
"You're protecting yourself," Lily said fiercely. "That's not shame. That's survival."
But the damage lingered.
Chunmei withdrew slightly—fewer women-only nights, more time alone "processing." The others gave space, but worry grew.
Then Betty's entanglement surfaced.
Her parents planned another visit—Thanksgiving this time. Last time, the women had charmed them as "close colleagues." But Betty's mother had started dropping hints: "You're not getting younger. A nice man would be good."
Betty spiraled.
One night, after a family video call, she sat on the terrace staring at the city, tears silent.
"I want kids someday," she whispered when Simon found her. "But how? With us? Society… my family… they'd never accept."
Lily and Chunmei joined, wrapping blankets around her.
"We'll figure it out," Lily said. "Surrogacy, adoption, whatever. Kids raised with four parents who love them insanely."
Chunmei nodded. "My culture has sayings about chosen family being stronger than blood."
Simon pulled Betty close. "We don't need society's blueprint. We make our own."
But the fear lingered, planting seeds of doubt.
Lily's turn came during a freelance pitch that went south—a big client ghosted after weeks of work. She came home defeated, self-worth crumbling.
"I'm the weak link," she said in bed that night, voice small. "You three are changing the world. I'm just… designing pretty interfaces."
The others pounced—literally and figuratively.
Chunmei pinned her down playfully. "You're the reason ErosAI looks like sex and feels like magic. Without you, we're just code."
Betty kissed her tears. "You're our heart. The one who makes us laugh, pushes us, loves us fiercest."
Simon entered her slowly, eye contact intense. "You're irreplaceable. Say it."
Through gasps as they made love to her—three mouths, six hands—she repeated it until belief sank in.
The individual entanglements wove into a collective one.
One raw night, all four fears spilled out.
Chunmei: "What if my family forces me to choose?"
Betty: "What if we want different futures—kids, marriage, normalcy?"
Lily: "What if I hold you back? I'm the chaotic one."
Simon: "What if I fail you all? The company crashes again, or I can't be enough for three incredible women?"
They talked until dawn—no sex, just holding, crying, listening.
Vows emerged from the wreckage:
No choices forced. Ever. Futures built together, step by step. No one's chaos or ambition too much. Simon enough because they made him so.
The emotional storm cleared the air.
They emerged stronger, rules refined:
Monthly "state of the union"—raw check-ins. Individual therapy for each, plus couples (or quartet) sessions when needed. Future planning meetings—practical talks about kids, living arrangements, legal protections.
The intimacy deepened beyond physical.
Sex became even more emotional—tears during orgasms common, "I love you"s mid-thrust constant. Slow, eye-contact-heavy lovemaking where souls bared as much as bodies.
One healing night after the big talk: all four on the massive bed, no rush.
Simon inside Chunmei missionary, slow and deep, while she faced Lily—kissing, hands linked. Betty behind Simon, fingers teasing where they joined, then moving to Lily.
The connections multiplied: Simon thrusting into Chunmei pushing her mouth against Lily, Betty's touch amplifying everything.
They came in waves—Chunmei first, tears of release, then Lily grinding against her, Betty bringing herself off watching, Simon last—deep inside Chunmei with all three women holding him.
After, they lay intertwined, hearts synced.
"We're going to be okay," Betty whispered.
"Better than okay," Lily added.
Chunmei smiled through tears. "We're everything."
Simon kissed each forehead. "My empire. My home."
The emotional entanglements hadn't threatened to unravel them.
They'd woven a stronger tapestry.
As winter approached, with holidays looming and their love battle-tested, they faced whatever came next unbreakable.
Four hearts, deeply entangled.
Eternally bound.