NOVEL NEXT Chapter 433: Weapon of Mass Distraction
After Clyde kissed his forehead, Micah could hardly breathe. His heart was still thumping against his ribs, yet his face burned hotter when he noticed Darcy stood in the doorway, having seen it all. He braced himself for the inevitable. For Darcy's pointed question, for something, anything that would force him to explain what just happened, what was his relationship with Clyde, and then by answering breaking his heart right after having snatched his family and fortune. God damn it! He was disgusted by himself; then what would Darcy think of him?
But Darcy didn't say a word. Nothing.
They walked side by side down the hallway, their footsteps muffled against the plush carpet. Micah's mind raced, trying to come up with excuses if he was asked, but the silence stretched, suffocating. Finally, when they reached the corridor that split toward their separate room, Darcy slowed, casually popping his shoulder against the wall.
"Micah," he said evenly, though his voice carried an edge of something unsaid. "Until when do you want to stay here?"
Micah stopped, fingers twitching against his side. He turned slightly, eyes flickering downward as if he could avoid Darcy's gaze. "I didn't come here voluntarily, you know…" he said in a low voice.
"If you say you want to go back, I am sure your grandpa won't object. Anyway, you still have uni to attend. You can't just throw that out," Darcy said.
"Umm," Micah hummed. "I… I don't know how to face them." he swallowed hard, mouth dry.
Darcy exhaled slowly, eyes sliding shut for a brief moment before fixing Micah with a pointed look. "Why? They are your family. Nothing will change." He straightened from the wall, voice deepening with conviction. "Especially when I don't have any intention of living there."
"That's the reason!" Micah blurted, hands balling into fists at his side. "I'm sure by now, they all know that I am not their biological son. But none of them tried to contact me. None came after me…I bet it's because they didn't want to offend you. Not making things more awkward for you. But now you don't want to live with them…What if they think it is because of me that you didn't come back? That I took away their son?" His chest tightened, words spilling faster now that he had started. "They'll blame me, then."
Darcy's lips curved into a wry smile. He raised his hand without hesitation and flicked Micah's forehead with his finger. "Idiot! How can you say that when I had to use my hacking skills just to find you? Do you think your grandpa offered your whereabouts to me on a silver platter? I'm one hundred per cent sure your grandpa had not told them either."
Micah rubbed his red forehead and pouted.
Darcy's expression softened. "Stop overthinking and go back. Your mother needs you. She hasn't even attended her lectures."
Micah paused and dropped his head. He never thought his absence would make his mother this affected. She always looked composed and strong-willed. She had never missed teaching her students. "Have you talked to them?" His voice wavered.
Darcy gave a dry laugh. "No. They avoided me like the plague."
"What? Why?" Micah exclaimed.
Darcy shrugged. "Perhaps…they thought I pushed you away."
"That's ridiculous." Micah barked the words, frustrated. He lifted his chin, determination flashing in his eyes. "That's it. I will talk to grandpa, and we will go back."
Darcy glanced at him and nodded. "Okay. Rest for now," he said and stepped into his room.
The door clicked shut, leaving Micah alone in the dim hallway.
Inside, Darcy leaned against the closed door, feeling like a vicious person. He had lost his cool the moment he saw Clyde plant that kiss on Micah's forehead. He wanted to separate them. The easiest way? Drag Micah back to Isatis City. The drama there would force Clyde to stay away from Micah.
He chuckled bitterly. Scheming like this, using his brain for gaining Micah's love… that was really despicable.
Meanwhile, Micah stepped into his room and collapsed on the bed. What Darcy told him made him realise things weren't the same as he had thought. The Ramsy family did not welcome Darcy because he was away.
He rubbed his forehead. If things stayed like this, wouldn't everything go the way the novel had described? The Ramsy family hesitated to accept Darcy because the fake heir, then those four scums took this chance to get close to Darcy.
He couldn't let that happen. He was too selfish, just thinking about himself and how to face the Ramsy family. Never thought about how Darcy and his family would feel.
He sighed, pushing himself up. The bathroom's light flicked on, and he brushed his teeth with robotic movements before rinsing and grabbing his phone. His feet carried him to the balcony and stared upward.
The distance between his room and the annex was not that far.
Micah didn't risk using the hallway to go to Clyde. He was sure Darcy and his grandma were waiting for him to step out and be caught.
So instead, he tilted his head back toward the tree beside his balcony. Its thick branches stretched upward, leaves rustling faintly in the breeze. A crazy idea sparked. He bit his lip, glancing once more at Clyde's dark balcony.
"Guess I don't have a choice," he muttered. "I was the one who dragged him here, let him experience that ordeal; the least I can do is help him sleep tonight."
Gripping the edge of the railing, Micah swung a leg over, his breath hitching as he steadied himself on the narrow edge. He reached for the nearest branch, his fingers curling around the rough bark.
Step by step, he pulled himself upward, muscles straining with the effort. Bark scraped his palms, and leaves brushed against his face as he climbed higher. His heart pounded, not just from the effort, but from the thrill, the risk. He swung himself onto a sturdier branch, crouching as he tested its weight beneath him. His eyes locked on the balcony ahead. With one final push, he leapt from the branch, landing with a muted thud against Clyde's railing. His breath came out ragged as he steadied himself, a triumphant grin on his face.
He opened the door and stepped quietly inside, wanting to surprise Clyde.
The room was empty and dark. Micah froze. Did he climb to the wrong place?
Then the faint sound of running water reached his ears. The bathroom. He sighed in relief and stepped toward it. He raised his hand and knocked on the bathroom door.
But the door creaked open from the push unexpectedly, and in that instant, both of them froze.
Clyde stood there, damp strands of blond hair clinging to his forehead, a towel slung loosely around his neck. He wore nothing but a pair of black underwear, water still trailing down the lines of his chest.
Micah stared at the man's body like he had just discovered the existence of the male species. The pale glow from the bathroom light carved every muscle into sharp lines, the toned shoulders, the defined chest, the narrow waist tapering into lean hips. His skin glistened with droplets, sliding along the ridges of his abdomen before disappearing beneath the waistband. Micah's gaze lowered to those strong legs until they landed on a place he shouldn't have. The bulge made his face turn red, his mouth go dry. He gulped loudly.
He caught what he had done, he yelped and turned around in panic and shame.
"Sorry!" he blurted, before slamming the door shut behind him.
His legs went limp, and he slid to the ground. His heart thundered like it would break free. His entire face blazed crimson.
"What the hell was that? Was he hiding a weapon down there?!" he buried his face into his palms. God was not fair at all!