From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 154: The Quiet Between Us

Chapter 154: The Quiet Between Us

Clyde and Micah sat stiffly in the Maple room, the silence stretched longer than either of them liked. The soft rustling of Micah’s fingers playing with the edge of Clyde’s coat was the only sound in the room.

Micah didn’t seem to notice what he was doing. He tugged gently at the thick fabric draped around his shoulders, fiddling with the hems. His eyes lowered, staring blankly at the polished table in front of him. Every now and then, he shifted slightly in his seat, his damp hair brushing against the collar of the coat.

Clyde tried not to look, but his eyes kept sliding sideways. From the corner of his eye, he caught glimpses of Micah toying with the coat, his coat. Something about that sight made the back of his neck heat up. He cleared his throat quietly, hoping the sound would shake off the strange feeling crawling up his chest.

Micah still didn’t look up. He just kept touching the coat with gentle fingers, like it was something precious. Clyde’s fingers twitched at his side.

He looked away quickly, forcing his gaze to the other end of the room.

"I see what Lin Heye was doing," he muttered under his breath.

Then, without waiting, he got up and headed to the door in a few fast strides. As he opened it, he nearly bumped into someone leaning heavily on the other side.

Lin Heye wobbled and stumbled forward, clearly having been caught eavesdropping.

Clyde stared at him, unimpressed. His glare was sharp enough to make Lin Heye straighten his back instantly.

"I wasn’t..." Lin Heye began, then gave up and laughed awkwardly.

Clyde raised an eyebrow. "Are you that free?"

"No, I was going to ask what you wanted to eat..." Lin Heye said quickly, craning his neck to peek into the room behind Clyde.

Clyde shut the door behind him, blocking his view. "Pack up whatever is done," he said flatly. "We’re not eating here."

Lin Heye’s face fell. "Okay," he mumbled, already turning around with a defeated shrug.

Clyde exhaled through his nose and walked back into the room. Micah looked up at the sound of the door opening again. "We’re leaving. Staying here dressed like that, you’re definitely catching a cold."

Micah blinked but didn’t argue. He stood up quietly and followed him out.

Once outside, Clyde opened the car door and gently pushed Micah into the back seat.

"Wait...I brought my own car..." Micah protested.

"We’ll come back here tomorrow anyway."

"Huh? Aren’t you dropping me off at my home?" Micah asked.

Clyde turned to look at him. "And what? You clearly don’t even have the basics at your place. Come on. My place is just two blocks away."

Micah opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He was too tired to fight. His body ached, his stomach was half empty and the emotional rollercoaster of the day had left his brain feeling like mush. He wasn’t in the mood to banter with Clyde. He leaned back in the seat and stayed quiet.

The driver glanced at Micah through the rear mirror when Clyde spoke. "Put on the partition."

The driver quickly pressed the button. A soft whirring sound filled the car as the privacy screen rolled up, cutting them off from the front seat.

Clyde pressed his lips together. Tonight had gone nothing like he planned. He had done things he never expected he would do.

Bringing Micah to one of his private places...

His fingers tapped restlessly on his thigh before curling into a tight fist.

Micah stared out the window quietly, lost in thought.

The car ride didn’t take long. Soon, they pulled into a quiet underground parking garage. Clyde got out first and led Micah into the elevator. Neither of them spoke during the short ride up. Clyde’s apartment was clean and modern, almost too perfect like no one really lived there.

Without a word, Clyde disappeared into one of the rooms and came back holding a set of clothes. "Go change into these," he said, handing them over.

Micah nodded and took the clothes. The hoodie was soft and thick, a warm grey colour and the pants were long and baggy. He had to roll up the cuffs, but he didn’t complain. He returned to the living room, adjusting the sleeve of the hoodie as he walked in.

"Sit," Clyde said, pointing to a chair.

Micah sat obediently.

Clyde plugged in a hair dryer and turned it on. The warm air filled the space with a low hum. He stepped behind Micah and gently combed his fingers through his damp hair, drying it carefully.

Micah relaxed under the touch, his shoulders dropping. He leaned back a little, closing his eyes as the warm air brushed against his scalp. It felt nice, strangely intimate.

Clyde’s movements slowed. His fingers brushed the soft strands, his gaze skipped lower. Micah’s sharp jawline, the slight rise of Adam’s apple, the curve of his chin before stopping at his lips.

An hour ago, they were painted pink, disguising as a girl. Now they were bare, a soft nude colour, no longer hidden behind lipstick... Clyde tore his eyes away.

He swallowed hard and quickly turned off the hair dryer. "Done. Let’s eat."

Micah opened his eyes and looked up. Behind his round glasses, his expression was unreadable. His lips parted slightly like he wanted to say something. But he didn’t.

He wanted to ask, why do you care so much? But the words stuck in his throat.

Back when he was dressed as Asena, Clyde barely gave him a second glance. Even today, he only stepped in because he thought Micah was his sister, Aria.

If not for that...he would probably have walked right past...

He didn’t believe a word Clyde had said to him at the food alley. A stray cat... there were plenty of people like him in need everywhere, was Clyde doing it for everyone? Caring this much?

He had seen how much Clyde’s subordinates, his driver, bodyguards, assistant or even his friend feared him.

Clyde was not the kind of man who helped people.

However, Micah did not utter those words. He sat and slowly began to eat.

The dinner went on quietly. The soft sound of clicking tableware was the only sound between them. Micah picked at his food absentmindedly while Clyde glanced at him from time to time but looked away.

After clearing the dishes, Clyde stacked the bowls and turned to Micah.

"There is a guest room down the hall. Sleep there. Tomorrow we’ll go to Uncle Lin’s acupuncture session together."

Micah hummed and went to an empty room. He quickly climbed into bed and went under the blanket, burying his nose in the hoodie’s fabric. It smelled faintly of sandalwood. He didn’t know why but it was calming, almost comforting. He felt safe. He closed his eyes and within minutes he was asleep.

Meanwhile, Clyde lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He turned to his side. Then back. His mind wouldn’t rest.

He sat up with a frustrated sigh and reached for the drawer beside his bed. Inside, a small wooden prayer bead bracelet sat nearby. He took it out and rolled it between his fingers slowly, letting the motion steady his breathing.

He leaned back against the headboard, eyes half closed. Then he let out a dry bitter chuckle. He hadn’t meant to let his emotions stir this much. But somehow, somewhere along the way, they already did.