From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 112: His Grip, His Fear

Chapter 112: His Grip, His Fear

For the rest of the day, Micah went on absentmindedly. Commands blurred into white noise, the harsh bark of the instructor went in one ear and out the other. Nothing stuck. When they marched, he was half a beat late. When they pivoted, he spun the wrong way. By the third error, Sergeant Seth McKay’s whistle echoed so fiercely that everyone flinched.

"Ramsy!" he yelled. "Eyes front, brain engaged, move!"

Micah jerked to attention, straightening his back. But the second the instructor’s eyes landed on another student, his thoughts rushed to anything unrelated to the training.

He dreaded tonight’s meeting. For the first time, he was going to be in the same space as both the novel’s original male lead and its protagonist. And worst of all, he himself filled the role of villain in the novel.

The combination felt dangerous, perhaps even lethal. What if something went wrong? What if the world’s unconscious or plot power was activated because of it?

When they dropped to push-ups, Micah copied the motion. His palms were coated with dust and sweat. His gaze landed on the burn scar on his hand. Darcy, the kind, real young master, had gone through worse than just a burn scar. Micah’s throat tightened. No, he never let those terrifying things happen to him...

Halfway through the set, Micah missed the count, froze in the air, and drew a roar from the Sergeant. His arms shook, but he persisted, earning ten additional push-ups for his error.

From the neighbouring line, Emile stared. Sweat plastered his curls to his forehead, yet his gaze stayed pinned on Micah.

During a water break, Emile walked over.

"Micah, are you all right?" he asked.

After lunch, Emile had noticed his strange behaviour, stumbling through the training.

"Hmm?" Micah glanced at him. "Yeah, just something on my mind, that’s all," he said. His eyes drifted to the field where Darcy practised posture exercises with the other students.

"You are not keeping anything from us again, are you? like when you ignored your stomach pain on the first day, right?" Emile pressed.

Micah waved a hand. "Nah, that was just one time. I’m as healthy as a horse!"

Emile didn’t believe it. Micah was like an open book. Most of his emotion would leak out if you paid attention to him. In just a few days, Emile had figured out this young master was hard outside but soft inside. Nothing like those annoying spoiled rich kids he had met before.

What puzzled Emile more was his uncle Clyde Du Pont’s sudden interest in Micah. Clyde was not the sort of man to seek advantage through casual friendship and connection with the younger generation. Yet, he had asked Emile to spend time with Micah, the young master of the Ramsy family, to learn more about him. Yeah, it was a mystery that he could not unravel.

He had tried to ask Jacklin and Dean for an explanation last night by video call, but both had changed the subject and told him not to say anything in front of little uncle.

"So, should I still follow little uncle’s request?!" Emile had asked them.

"Yeah! Definitely!" Jacklin had said.

"Absolutely, you must!" Dean had added.

Their strange answers only deepened Emile’s confusion. If Micah were a taboo subject, why were the two eager to know more about him?! Like every small detail, including strangely whether he has a romantic partner?!

How on earth should he know that? He had met the boy less than a week!

Still, he had answered truthfully.

"Nick, my other roommate, had inquired, and Micah said he is single."

Even that reply struck him as strange.

"Who knows??! Maybe he just didn’t want others to know about his girlfriend?!" Jacklin had said.

Emile was near to flipping out. What the hell did they want from him? If you were not going to believe his words, what the hell were you asking in the first place?

He had seethed with anger and had ended the call with a huff.

Now, watching Micah rub his temple as the whistle blew for the next exercise, Emile’s questions piled up.

********

Micah survived the rest of the day somehow, and when Sergeant McKay finally gave the blessed words dismissed until 0600, he dragged Darcy to the appointment.

They reached the courtyard behind the old gym. Russell Norris was already pacing, sneakers squeaking faintly, fingers typing on his phone.

Archie stood beside him.

Micah halted in his tracks. He had previously found a picture of Archie on the net, winning an Esports competition. But seeing him in person was different. The man was taller than Micah expected, with broad shoulders filling his jacket, his posture relaxed. The man’s imposing build jolted Micah with an unwelcome memory.

Micah glanced at Darcy standing beside him. The thought of the two of them being intimate in the novel made him shiver. Once again, a deep hatred and disgust suffocated Micah. But he swallowed down the rising bile. He forced himself to appear normal, but subconsciously, Micah grabbed Darcy’s hand tightly. As if he were ready to bolt with him at any time, fearing the worst possible outcome.

Darcy felt the touch and looked down at the grip. Micah’s hand was icy cold. His fingers were trembling slightly around his wrist. Darcy glanced up. Micah’s jaw was tense, and his pupils dilated. His muscles tense.

All symptoms of panic? Or something deeper? Darcy followed Micah’s gaze to the new man beside Russell, who had been pestering him yesterday.

Who was this man?

Suddenly, those green eyes locked on him, sensing his gaze. Darcy felt a deep sense of danger.

But before he could understand what it was, the man took his gaze from him and stared at Micah intently.

A small smirk filled his face like a predator finding amusing prey.

Every hair on Darcy’s nape prickled. He opened his mouth to say to Micah Let’s go back. He didn’t need to know who was behind the rumour. Was it solved or not, who cares?

Darcy just wanted to take away Micah this instant, separating him from this man.

But Russell, oblivious to the electric undercurrent, jogged toward them. "Ah, thanks for coming, really!"

The voice woke Micah up from those horrifying images he had read in the novel. He cleared his throat and stepped forward.

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