From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 96: The Cost of Indulgence

Chapter 96: The Cost of Indulgence

After a long afternoon of exploring the campus and stuffing themselves with sizzling skewers and deep-fried snacks from the food stalls, the group finally returned to their dorm just as night settled over the campus.

The moment they stepped into the room, Emile wrinkled his nose and sniffed his clothes. His eyes widened with exaggerated horror.

"Oh god, I reek of smoke!" he groaned, flapping his shirt. "I am gonna take a shower!" Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed his toiletry bag from the foot of his bed and rushed out.

The room fell into an awkward silence as the three macho boys glanced at one another.

Nick scratched the back of his neck and looked at Eddie. "Should we take one too?!"

"Maybe later? Is it that bad?" Eddie shrugged, uncertain.

Micah looked at Darcy, who stood outside the door, ready to return to his room.

Micah folded his arms tightly across his midsection. He tried not to wince. His stomach was beginning to churn ominously, the aftereffects of his earlier gluttony slowly creeping up on him. He had completely lost control at the food stalls, too many enticing smells, too many sugar-glazed pastries. Especially after Darcy had warned him, he, like a child, still had stuffed many into his mouth.

He glanced sideways at Darcy again, hoping he hadn’t picked up on anything.

Darcy was already looking at him, hearing Nick’s question, he stepped closer and leaned in, sniffing Micah lightly near the shoulder. "Yeah, it’s too heavy."

Micah flinched. His ears turned pink. "Then I should take one too," he muttered, trying to sound casual. But a slight grimace was formed at the corner of his lips.

"I’m going to my room," Darcy said, turning to leave.

"Umm," Micah hummed, suppressing his discomfort. He couldn’t let Darcy know. He would definitely scold him for overeating.

Darcy paused, turning his head to study Micah’s face. Micah forced a smile. "See you in the morning."

Darcy nodded and finally walked out to the stairs.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Micah clutched his stomach and dropped into the nearest bed with a groan.

"Hey, what’s wrong??!?" Eddie asked, rushing over.

"It’s your stomach?!" Nick added.

Micah pressed his lips together and nodded slowly.

Nick’s brow furrowed in concern. "Hang on. I have medicine. Drink some warm water before I get it for you."

Eddie was already reaching for the thermos sitting on the table. He unscrewed the cap and poured steaming water into a cup, then carefully handed it to Micah. "Here, drink it."

Micah accepted it with trembling hands. He took a small sip, just enough to wet his dry lips. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his breathing became shallow and ragged. His face turned ghostly pale from the pain.

Nick returned with a small plastic case. "Here," he said, selecting two pills. "You need to swallow this one and chew the other."

Micah followed his instructions silently. His expression twisted as he chewed the bitter tablet, but he said nothing. Ten minutes passed. Still, the pain didn’t subside. If anything, it was growing sharper, stabbing into his abdomen with increasing intensity.

"Maybe we should take you to the infirmary," Eddie suggested, his voice tense with worry.

Micah gritted his teeth. "No..." he clutched his stomach tighter. "Darcy will find out..."

"So?! What’s the problem??!" Nick asked.

"No, he will give me an earful about eating too much and not listening to his words..." Micah said breathlessly.

"Fine, fine. What now?!" Nick said, exchanging glances with Eddie.

Before they could come up with a solution, the door opened, and Emile emerged, drying his wet hair. "What’s going on?" he asked, pausing.

"Micah has a stomachache. Even medicine didn’t help." Eddie replied quickly.

Emile took one look at Micah and immediately grabbed his phone. "Cousin! I need help!" he barked into the receiver. "My roommate needs to go to the emergency room!"

His call caught his roommates off guard.

Micah’s head jerked up weakly. "W-what... no, I don’t..."

Emile glared at him. "You don’t understand!!" he snapped. "It might get worse!"

On the other end, Dean Du Pont paused. "What’s the matter? Maybe we should call an ambulance?!"

"No, he has severe stomach pain. One similar to my mum... when she used to throw up blood," Emile said.

"I am on my way. Meet me at the north gate. It’s the one close to your dorm." Dean said.

"Okay." Emile ended the call and turned to Eddie and Nick. "Help me get him up. We’re taking him to the north gate."

They didn’t hesitate. Eddie crouched down and gently pulled Micah’s arm over his shoulder. "Come on, we’ve got you."

Micah groaned but did not resist. His pride burned with shame, but he didn’t have the strength to argue. He kept his head low as they walked, hiding his face in Eddie’s shoulder.

Fortunately, it was dark; otherwise, he felt he would die from embarrassment.

As they arrived, a black Rolls-Royce pulled over. Emile paused, surprised.

But then the back door opened, and Dean stepped out. "Emile, help him into the car."

Eddie gently passed Micah to Emile. Nick and he stood aside, watching Emile and his older brother put Micah into the car and disappear into the busy street.

Inside the luxurious car, Emile sat rigidly, his hands folded in his lap. His eyes flickered to the man seated, focused on the laptop in his lap.

Micah’s head rested against the window, his breath short and shaky. He was vaguely aware that another presence was in the back of the car.

"Where to, Sir?" the driver asked.

"To our hospital," came a low, cold voice.

Micah blinked, trying to make out the figure, but all he saw were long legs and a wooden prayer on his left hand.

The ride blurred past in a haze of pain. By the time they reached the hospital, Micah was dying in agony.

After a quick examination and some painkillers, the doctors rushed him for an endoscopy just in time. He had started vomiting blood in the waiting room.

Emile turned white as a sheet.

Dean stood silently at his side, watching doctors with a tight expression, but his gaze flickered now and then to his uncle.

When Emile called, they had been on their way to the university to pick him up and have dinner with Jacklin.

Dean knew Emile was particularly sensitive to stomach issues. Seeing Micah in pain reminded him of his mother’s constant episodes of vomiting blood.

That was why he hadn’t dismissed his request.

Upon arriving, Dean suggested that they could take a taxi to the hospital, but his uncle glanced outside and refused. So they ended up bringing Emile’s roommate to the hospital in his uncle’s car.

His uncle’s action was the most surprising. Dean had expected him to drop them off and leave. But not only had he stayed, he had walked straight into the emergency room with them. His presence was so commanding that even the hospital’s head doctor had rushed to greet him personally.

Dean didn’t miss the way Clyde’s eyes kept returning to the silver-haired young man- his expression unreadable.

And that, more than anything, unsettled him.