From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 682: Excuse Me? You are all Completely Off-Track!

Chapter 682: Excuse Me? You are all Completely Off-Track!

Jacob leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped. "Son," he began carefully, choosing his words with visible effort, "there’s something else we need to talk about."

Micah’s gaze flicked up warily.

"We’ve noticed changes," Jacob continued. "You’re not sleeping properly. The lights in your room stay on until late. You barely eat at dinner."

He swallowed hard, his voice softer now. "You’ve stopped going out unless it’s for university. You don’t see your friends. You don’t answer calls. You lock yourself in your room for hours." He hesitated briefly before adding, "You won’t even go on a date with your... friend."

Micah blinked.

Elina nodded gravely. "When you broke down and cried that day, we thought maybe it helped. That afterwards, slowly, you would begin to return to yourself." She exhaled slowly. "But you haven’t. You still isolate yourself. You barely speak at meals. You avoid eye contact."

Elina’s eyes filled with tears. "We’re scared, Micah."

He stared at them, confusion overtaking irritation. "Scared of what?"

Jacob exchanged a look with his wife before answering. "We think you might be showing signs of depression."

The word echoed in the space between them.

Micah’s head snapped up.

"Depression?" he repeated, disbelief etched across his face.

"Yes," Jacob said quietly. "Lack of sleep. Loss of appetite. Mood swings. Withdrawal."

He gestured gently toward him. "These are signs. We’re not accusing you. We’re concerned."

Elina reached for a tissue, dabbing at her eyes. "What if you start having dangerous thoughts?" she whispered. "What if you feel hopeless and don’t tell us? You’ve always been impulsive, Micah. You act before thinking things through. We’re terrified something might happen when we’re not looking."

Micah’s expression shifted from shock to frustration. "That’s not..."

"We tried to suggest seeing a psychiatrist," Elina continued, voice trembling. "We hinted at it. We tried to invite you out, to talk. But you avoided us. You refused to leave the house."

Her gaze lifted to meet his. "Can you understand why we’re afraid?"

Micah opened his mouth, then closed it again. He stared at them in disbelief. They had completely misunderstood.

Yes, he had been grieving. Yes, the loss of Zhou Ruyan still pressed against his chest like a weight. But that was not why he avoided going out.

There were reasons.

The lunatic who had stalked Ilyas in lifetime after lifetime was still somewhere out there. Micah did not want to move carelessly and make more work for those secretly monitoring him.

And then there were the four men circling him like satellites who had lost all sense of normal boundaries.

And his sudden fame.

He could not simply step outside without drawing attention. Cameras. Whispering. Fans calling out his name in cutesy tones that made his ears burn.

Grief had drained him. He had no energy to smile politely at strangers. He was not depressed. He was just cautious and tired.

Before he could explain, Willow suddenly snapped her fingers. "Wait."

Everyone turned toward her.

Her eyes widened. "Did you break up with him?" she demanded abruptly. "Is that what this is? Did he dump you?"

The room froze.

Aria gasped loudly, clapping a hand over her mouth. "No way! Seriously?" Her eyes darted over Micah’s face as if searching for confirmation.

Micah stared at them, incredulous. "What?"

Aria leaned forward urgently, panic creeping into her voice. "Oh, my god. Is that why you’ve been hiding? Why you won’t go out?"

Her mind raced ahead of her logic. If Micah and Clyde had broken up and Dean hadn’t told her... no! Why hadn’t Dean told her? Wouldn’t that mean Dean was caught in the middle? That family gatherings would turn into awkward disaster zones? Two exes sitting across from each other at dinner.

Tension. Silence. No. Absolutely not.

She shook her head vigorously. "Micah, how could you let someone like that slip away? He’s a real catch!" she burst out. "Do you even realise how rare he is? Just call him! Apologise if you have to. Swallow your pride."

She waved her hand impatiently. "I’m sure he’d take you back if you coax him a little."

Micah’s jaw dropped. "Are you listening to yourself?" he demanded, disbelief thick in his voice. He gestured helplessly between her and Willow. "What exactly do you take me for?" His voice rose with every word.

A strange muffled sound interrupted him. Micah turned sharply.

Darcy had one hand over his mouth, shoulders trembling violently. He was shaking.

Micah narrowed his eyes. Fuck! He was totally laughing at him.

Darcy also knew why he was staying at home. And like hell Clyde would ever dump him!

Then Elina gasped dramatically. "Oh my goodness," she cried. "So it was a double blow! Losing your grandmother and getting dumped? My poor baby!"

Micah shot to his feet. "You guys!" he shouted. "I did not get dumped! That would never happen!"

He paused. "If anyone gets dumped, it would be Clyde! not me!"

He froze.

"That’s not the point!" he corrected quickly, throwing his hands up. "I don’t have depression. I don’t have suicidal thoughts. You can all stop jumping to dramatic conclusions."

He began pacing.

"I’m not going out because strangers keep shouting those ridiculous nicknames at me in public, okay? It has nothing to do with anything else!"

Silence.

"Oh my God," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Why can I never have a normal, serious conversation with you people? It always ends up like this."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and stormed upstairs. His footsteps echoed sharply against the marble floor.

The living room remained quiet for a few seconds. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Then Willow snorted.

Darcy lost the battle entirely and let out a laugh.

Elina covered her mouth, not in distress, but in relief. "At least he’s arguing again," she said softly. "He sounds like himself."

Jacob nodded. "He hasn’t raised his voice in weeks."

Aria placed a hand dramatically over her chest. "Thank goodness he’s still in a relationship."

Elina narrowed her eyes at her. "Why are you so invested?"

Aria waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I just think nobody could handle Micah the way Clyde does."

Willow glanced at her knowingly but chose not to expose whatever secrets Aria was clearly hiding.

Elina let the matter drop. Her gaze shifted toward Darcy.

"Aside from worrying about Micah," she said gently, "I’m glad you’ll get to see your maternal family properly. If they say anything blunt, don’t take it to heart. They can be... very honest."

Darcy straightened from the doorframe and nodded respectfully. "I understand. Micah warned me."

Jacob stood and walked over, placing a firm hand on Darcy’s shoulder. "Take care of him," he said quietly.

Darcy’s expression softened. "I will," he replied.

Though privately, he thought that even if he failed, someone else would not.

Clyde would never allow anything to happen to Micah. Not while he was breathing.