From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 139: Waiting For an Ending

Chapter 139: Waiting For an Ending

Micah sat between Clyde and Uncle Lin, his back straight, hands resting on his knees like an obedient good boy. His palms were starting to sweat, but he didn’t dare wipe them on his pants. The silence stretched forever. Was he supposed to say something? Was it rude to just sit here? His knee bounced once before he caught himself. The table before them was set neatly, but the food hadn’t arrived yet.

The room was too quiet. Micah’s tolerance of being still had stretched dangerously to its limit.

Uncle Lin noticed the boy’s subtle shifting, signalling his impatience. Clyde, god bless him, was drawn to that cup of tea like it was holy water.

Uncle Lin’s fingers tapped gently on his cup before he looked at Micah.

"So are you studying or working?" he asked, deciding it was his job to not let the young man bolt from the room.

"I’m studying. Fashion design," Micah replied, his body relaxed a bit.

Uncle Lin raised his brows in interest. "Oh, then you must know Georgina."

"Huh?" Micah tilted his head. "Is she a student too?"

Uncle Lin let out a deep chuckle. "No, no. She is a lecturer. A friend of Heye and Clyde."

Micah’s mouth opened in surprise. "No way. You don’t mean... Georgina Malleti?" he exclaimed.

"That’s her." Uncle Lin confirmed with a smile. "You know her?"

"Of course I do! She is the dean of our faculty. She’s a legend!" Micah turned his head sharply toward Clyde. There was an accusation in those hazel eyes. Like why he was in the dark about something this important.

Clyde remained calm, as always. He lifted his teacup slowly and took a quiet sip, savouring the taste. Sensing his gaze, Clyde said in a low voice, "How should I know what’re you studying in university?"

Micah rolled his eyes. "Nice try. You know my family history from my generation all the way back to my ancestors like the back of your hand and still have no idea what my major is?"

Clyde didn’t change his expression. "She was my brother’s student. We are not in much contact."

Micah stared at him for a second, then scooted inches by inches closer to Clyde. "So... can you get her to see my designs?" he asked eagerly, tugging lightly on Clyde’s sleeve with his fingers. "Even though she is our dean and teacher, barely anyone ever gets the chance to be mentored by her."

Clyde tensed at the sudden touch but remained expressionless. "I can ask her..."

As if to ground himself, Clyde’s fingers moved toward the wooden prayer beads tied around his wrist. He tugged at them, a habit he fell into when something made his mood fluctuate.

"Really?" Micah gasped, bouncing in place. He clutched Clyde’s arm in excitement. "I will give you the drafts!"

Clyde’s arm stiffened under Micah’s grip. He stared at the boy’s hands in silence, fingers looped gently around his forearm. His pale blue eyes turned cloudy for a second before returning to their calmness.

"Umm..." he hummed. He tugged forcefully at the wooden prayer beads as if snapping himself out of something.

Micah beamed up at him, eyes behind his glasses sparking with pure, unfiltered hope. Clyde swallowed hard and averted his eyes. There was something in those eyes. Too bright, he thought. Too easy to want. Something inside him faltered. A greed he hadn’t known existed in him.

Then as if needing escape, he rose abruptly. "I need to make calls," Clyde said and left the room without looking back.

Micah blinked. "Huh?" his hands slipped from Clyde’s arm, and he tilted his head in confusion.

Uncle Lin silently sipped his tea. A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"He didn’t throw your hand off," he said softly, mostly to himself.

Micah turned to the old man. "Sorry?"

Uncle Lin chuckled again, low and thoughtful. "Nothing. Just thinking." he looked down at his cup, rolling it gently between his palms.

There was hope for the man. He thought to himself.

He hadn’t seen Clyde like that in a long time, letting someone touch him without flinching or snapping. He had just touched the wooden prayer that a famous shrine master had given him years ago.

It brought back memories, ones he wished he could forget but never would.

The first time he had truly seen Clyde was burned into his mind forever. Clyde had been a boy back then. Just a thin and small boy for his age...

They hadn’t expected what they found that day. But when they stepped into that basement...he was bruised. Beaten. Barely breathing.

His state was so shocking that had made everyone freeze.

Uncle Lin’s fingers tightened around the cup. His eyes darkened slightly, staring at the swirling tea leaves.

Back then, when Clyde disappeared for weeks, no one had thought too much of it at first. The Du Pont family was rich and private. It wasn’t uncommon for them to leave the city without a word. But his son, Heye, had been worried. Not just him, Georgia, Mason and Dylon too. They all insisted something was wrong.

So together, a group of them, parents and teenagers, went to the Du Pont mansion unannounced.

The place had been eerily quiet. No staff, no guards. Just silence.

They walked through the house, calling Clyde’s name. When they found the entrance to the underground floor, none of them were prepared for what they would see.

The room had been cold. Bare. Like a prison.

Clyde had been lying on the ground. Whipped. His wrists were swollen under the chains, and his eyes were open but empty. Like the life had been drained out of him.

The old man closed his eyes. The scene was so gruesome. He couldn’t believe a father could do something like this to his son.

They had called Clyde’s siblings, Gabin, Laura and Louise right after. All three returned from overseas as fast as they could. But it was too late for many things.

When everything settled, Clyde changed drastically. Even his friends could not get close to him. And the reason... well, he could guess. Clyde’s father... he had committed suicide right before Clyde. Not to mention how he was tortured over the years.

He didn’t know why but Clyde’s reputation took a hit instead. Rumours circled that he was the reason his father, mother and uncle had committed suicide. That he was a bad omen. A beast. A devil. There were many strange speculations about him.

His distant, cold behaviour did not help the situation. He never let anyone close, not physically, not emotionally.

After Clyde turned eighteen, his brother and sisters left him in charge of everything out of guilt for not realising what was happening to Clyde. At least Dean and Jacklin stayed with Clyde even though their ages were not that apart.

Uncle Lin sighed slowly and glanced at the door Clyde had walked through.

That boy sitting beside him, the silver-haired one was different. There was something about him. Something light.

His appearance had been a surprise. He wished the boy could break through that wall Clyde had built around himself all these years. And make him look at life with eyes full of hope not just monotone boredom.

He knew the truth.

Clyde had been waiting. Waiting to finish his job at La Riviere. Waiting for Dean to grow enough to take over. Waiting for the day he could step down.

But what most people didn’t know...was what that stepping down really meant.

It wasn’t retirement.

It was the end.

Uncle Lin frowned, placing his cup down gently. They were all doing what they could to keep Clyde going. But he was slipping. Losing pieces of himself bit by bit.

He looked over at Micah, who was now staring at the door waiting for Clyde to return.

The old man smiled faintly.

Maybe this boy was exactly what Clyde needed. A stubborn light in a dark place.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.