From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 167: Echoes In the Hallway

Chapter 167: Echoes In the Hallway

Leo Mckay arrived at the quiet, upscale restaurant right on time. The lighting was soft, and the lobby quiet, except for the faint clinking of cutlery and low voices from behind closed booths. He ran through his styled hair and adjusted the collar of his dark coat. Tonight was a big deal. If things went well, he might finally break free of Twilight Entertainment without having to pay the ridiculous breach fees they were threatening him with.

He had been contacted by a powerful agency after Jacklin helped him. Tonight, they were supposed to put forward their demands before they agreed to sign him, after he managed to terminate his contract with Twilight Entertainment, of course.

A young server in a black vest bowed and guided him to a private booth in the back. As he opened the door, Leo saw two people already seated. A sharp-eyed man and an older woman with elegant posture and cool eyes.

"Actor Leo," the woman greeted him with a polite smile. "We’ve been expecting you."

Leo returned the gesture with a slight nod and sat across from them. They didn’t waste time on small talk.

"We know how...unfair your situation has been," the woman began, folding her hands on the table. "Twilight Entertainment’s contract terms are cruel, and your manager’s actions have been nothing short of exploitation."

Leo’s face stayed still, his eyes unreadable. He gave a small nod to show he was listening.

"But," she continued, "we are business people. And business is about numbers. Our boss looks at the results. At the end of the day, potential doesn’t pay bills. Profit does."

Leo reached for the tea in front of him. He took a sip calmly. He understood what the woman meant. He was too much risk for them. Even if he could terminate his contract peacefully, there was no solid guarantee he could get out of the situation without backlash. And if he couldn’t, he wouldn’t be able to earn for them.

The man placed a folder on the table. "This is our offer. Please look at them with your lawyer."

Leo glanced at it with cold eyes. He already could guess what was written in the contract. They were his best chance to protect himself from Twilight. But he wasn’t about to trade one cage for another.

"I understand," Leo said simply, placing the cup back down without a sound. "Thank you for the opportunity. I will think about it."

Neither party smiled. The man gave a short nod, and both stood. With a polite farewell, they slipped out through the door, leaving Leo alone.

He sat back against his seat, his shoulder slightly relaxed. He stared blankly at his tea. Even after all that, there was no real progress. His choices were shrinking. One wrong move and Twilight would destroy him, or worse, blackmail him into crawling back.

But strangely, he didn’t feel too bitter. Because all that truly mattered now was finding the person who had saved him. The one who had stepped in that night and given him a lifeline when he had no one. The silver-haired young man whose voice he couldn’t forget no matter how many nights passed.

He had searched high and low. But every trail led to a dead end. No name. No record. No face. A ghost.

Searching for him was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Leo let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes. Then as he reached for his tea again, something caught his ear. Voices. From outside the booth. He froze mid-reach.

One voice. It hit him like a bolt.

His body reacted before his brain could finish the thought. The teacup slipped from his fingers and fell onto the carpet with a soft clink. He shoved the door and stepped out into the hallway, scanning left and right.

Empty.

He hurried forward, footsteps light but urgent. His heart was pounding. That voice.., he would remember it forever. It was him. He was here. Somewhere.

He turned a corner and a few feet ahead, he saw someone.

A young man stood leaning against the wall. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a relaxed stance. Not his saviour. No silver hair. But still, Leo walked straight toward him.

"Excuse me," Leo said, staring at the young man. "Have you seen someone... a young man... with silver hair pass through here?"

Darcy blinked slowly. He recognised the man instantly. Leo McKay. Now a star, but once a neighbour from long ago. He doubted Leo remembered him. That was fine. Those memories had been buried anyway, under grief and stress and hospital visits after his dad died and his mother got sick. Nothing from that life remained now.

But Leo’s question... silver hair...

He frowned. Did he mean Micah? What did he want from him?

He kept his expression neutral. "I’m sorry," Darcy said, voice calm. "I haven’t seen anyone like that."

Leo’s shoulders dropped just a little. There was a flicker of something on his face, disappointment, weariness, maybe even hurt. But it was gone quickly. He gave a small nod then turned and headed to another hallway. It wasn’t his saviour’s voice.

He should ask the manager about it. Maybe see CCTVs?

Darcy watched him go, waited until his footsteps faded, and then turned toward the large pillar nearby. His voice was low. "Come out. He’s gone."

From behind the pillar, Micah jolted and sheepishly walked toward him. "Uh..." he stammered. Micah didn’t know what to say.

"What did you do to him? Isn’t he a famous actor?" Darcy raised an eyebrow.

Micah’s eyes widened. "Wait. What do you mean??! I didn’t do anything."

"Then why were you hiding?"

"I...I was a bit surprised..." Micah mumbled, looking down.

"Oh?" Darcy asked. "So you don’t have any history with him?"

Micah shook his head furiously. Not him. Darcy and Leo had a history, they were childhood neighbours.

He knew hiding like that only made him look more suspicious. But he didn’t have any valid good reason to justify his action.

Right. What was Leo talking about with Darcy? Before he could ask, Darcy spoke again.

"Then why was he asking about you?" he said, folding his arms.

"What?!" Micah’s voice shot up in alarm. It echoed in the hallway. Loud. Too loud.

Both of them froze.

Hurried footsteps were heard.

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