From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL) Chapter 287: The Girl He Loves (part 1)

Back in the condo, they gathered in the living room.

"What’s for dinner?" Dylon asked, dropping his basket onto the counter.

"Let’s have a barbecue!" Georgina said brightly, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

"I’ll get the ingredients," Lin Heye added, already ducking into the kitchen.

The group moved into motion like clockwork. Mason lit the outdoor grill, flas licking up in a hiss. Lin Heye unwrapped skewers of marinated at and vegetables, arranging them on a wooden tray. Dylon ran to grab plates and tongs, while Soha spread out the tablecloths with the help of Dean.

Micah and Emile ca out with trays of bottled drinks, lemon sodas, sparkling water, and a couple of wine coolers, setting them down on the side table. Micah stayed behind after Emile went to help Dean, pretending to sort the drinks.

From the grill, sizzling sounds filled the air. The sll of roasted garlic, butter, and marinated at was impossible to ignore.

Everyone began eating and chatting.

Clyde flipped a skewer of vegetables and placed it onto a plate, adding grilled mushrooms and slices of lamb. He turned, scanning for Micah. But the boy had vanished, probably realised what he was doing.

Clyde sighed, his shoulders falling. He glanced down at the plate in his hand, then set it on the table with a quiet thud.

This had beco hard. Micah was too self-conscious about his relationship with him. Avoiding him on purpose. Clyde didn’t know how to make him relax.

No one would judge him here. Not for his feelings. Not for who he loved.

No one would mock him for falling in love with the Du Pont Patriarch. Or get jealous. Here, all these people were friends and family. The ones who would stay with him, back him up.

They were different from the Ramsy family, where every action was weighted, where love ca second to legacy and reputation.

Here was a place Micah could be himself.

Clyde rubbed his forehead again. Jacklin was still a bit of a problem. She was too invested in Asena. But Clyde couldn’t just co out and tell her the truth. Maybe he should tell Jacklin that he never liked Asena? No, that would be a lie. Perhaps saying Asena had turned him down was better. There was no point in pushing the idea anymore.

That way, Micah would be safe, and Clyde could still keep his cross-dressing a secret.

*****

Micah sat alone on the edge of the deck, legs pulled up slightly, plate resting on his knees. A few skewers of grilled at and vegetables lay untouched.

Earlier, everyone had sward him with food and drinks. Georgina had nearly dumped an entire rack of ribs onto his plate, laughing, while Dylon tried to hand him a beer. Lin Heye pushed grilled shrimp his way, and Mason offered a spicy sauce with a wink. He had to wave them off, politely but firmly.

"Ah... I’ve got a weak stomach," he’d mumbled. "Can’t eat too much at once. And no drink."

Which wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Micah just didn’t want to get drunk again.

Then, Lin Heye slapped his forehead. "Right! I totally forgot. Wait here, I’ll warm up so soup for you."

"No, no... I’m fine. Really. In fact, I’ve brought so decoction that Grandpa Lin gave . I’ll go prepare them now."

With that, he had escaped from them.

Now, he had ended up here, away from everyone.

Micah felt out of his comfort zone. These people were nice. Too nice. He wanted to join them, to joke and laugh with them. But every ti he opened his mouth, a voice in his head warned him to shut it. What if you offended soone? What if you make Clyde look bad?

They were Clyde’s people. His friends. His family.

He never thought he would beco like this, scared. Careful. Afraid of losing sothing he hadn’t even fully grasped yet.

Afraid of losing Clyde.

Their bond felt too fragile. Beautiful, but fleeting. Like a frost on a windowpane. One wrong move and it could shatter. And Micah didn’t know how to open up to Clyde. To show him his fears. His insecurities.

Even though Clyde had told him again and again that he was there for him, taking the first step still felt impossible.

He picked up a piece of grilled chicken and chewed it slowly, staring out at the scenery. It tasted like paper. Bland.

He sighed and stood up, stretching his arms lazily overhead.

"Micah!"

He turned at the sound of Emile’s voice. Emile was walking toward him, rubbing his stomach exaggeratedly, with Dean trailing just behind him.

"Oh man, I ate way too much," Emile groaned, patting his belly. "Do you wanna go for a stroll? I need to walk off this food before I explode."

Micah nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good."

They wandered away from the deck, circling the condo.

Dean began to speak. "I feel so bad for brother Lin. He has a thing for Sister Soha, like from when I was a kid. But he is too afraid to say it..."

Emile scoffed. "Ugh, love. Sounds exhausting. I don’t ever want to fall for anyone. Too much work for way too much uncertainty."

Micah pressed his lips together, thoughtful. Then he turned to Dean. "What do you think?"

Dean was taken aback. "Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never felt that pull. Not like they described in books or movies."

Micah nodded, hiding a small smile. He figured out Dean probably had not t Aria yet. That night, Micah had been too distracted to care about introducing them together. He made a ntal note.

"What about you, Micah? Do you have soone you like?" Dean asked in return.

Micah’s feet faltered for a split second before he resud walking. "Yeah. I do," he said, voice soft.

Emile and Dean’s hearts dropped.

"Have you confessed?" Dean asked.

"What! Since when? You never said anything!" Emile exclaid.

Micah shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets. "I wasn’t sure before. But now.." he paused, then turned to Dean and Emile. "Yeah. I did kind of..." he smiled, a genuine happy one.

Dean and Emile felt petrified. Who was Micah talking about?

"Wait, wait...what! To who?" Emile half-shouted, rushing forward. "Do I know them? What did they say?"

Micah’s smile widened mischievously. "I’m not telling," he said and turned around.

Emile didn’t stop pestering him. "Ah, co on! Don’t do this to ! I am dying from curiosity!" Emile groaned, latching onto Micah’s shoulder like a child begging for candy. "You’re smiling, so that ans they accepted, right? Who is it?"

Micah laughed, soft and breathy.

They were halfway around the condo when voices floated in from the other side. Loud. Unmistakable.

"I’m telling you. She is so perfect! She totally deserves to be our family’s future madam. Uncle is lucky to have t her." Jacklin said loudly.

They all went quiet.

Especially Micah. He froze, his smile faded, wiped clean from his face like chalk in the rain.