From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 692: While He Was Unconscious (part two)

From the moment Edmund’s hand shot forward and fisted itself into Clyde’s collar, the atmosphere in the waiting room shattered.

It happened so fast that for a second no one reacted. The sharp rustle of fabric, the scrape of shoes against the polished hospital floor, Edmund’s harsh words, those sounds cut through the low mechanical hum of the air conditioning. Clyde did not move. His back remained straight, his expression cold and steady, but the tightening of Edmund’s knuckles against the dark fabric of his coat was impossible to ignore.

The nurse at the reception desk had already sensed something brewing. She had been watching the group ever since the raised voices first echoed down the corridor and someone had been punched. She had turned a blind eye to it as they looked like people with influence. But the second Edmund grabbed Clyde, she pressed the emergency call button beneath her desk.

By the time Aidan snapped at Emile, his voice sharp, cutting, full of accusation, the security team had stepped out of the elevator at the far end of the hallway.

Their boots struck the tiles in unison. The sound was firm, authoritative. Conversations in the waiting area died down. Several families turned to stare.

"Sir, step away and leave immediately," the guard said firmly to Edmund. The lead guard’s voice was calm but carried weight.

Edmund breathed unevenly, his chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven bursts. Before he could protest, Edgar nodded and dragged him away.

The tension did not dissolve. If anything, it thickened, spreading like smoke. Aidan and Emile were still glaring at each other. Leo stood rigid, jaw tight. Silas stared blankly at the floor.

"This is a hospital," the security guard continued. "You are disturbing patients. Everyone except immediate family members must leave."

A murmur ran through the group.

"Excuse me?" Emile stepped forward at once. His hands were clenched at his sides. "I’m his close friend. I’m not leaving."

The guard turned to the nurse, silently asking for confirmation. The nurse hesitated, then gave a small shake of her head.

The guard’s expression did not change. "I’m sorry. Only close relatives."

Emile’s jaw tightened. "You don’t understand..."

Clyde’s gaze flicked toward him. It was a small look. Calm. Steady. Meaningful.

Emile stiffened. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Dean, who had been silent until now, straightened his back as well. Without protest, he stepped beside Emile. The two of them moved toward the four men, Aidan, Archie, Leo, and Silas, who had been standing near the far wall.

"Let’s go," Dean said flatly.

None of the four resisted.

Perhaps they were too drained. Perhaps the weight of the situation had finally pressed down hard enough. Or perhaps Clyde’s quiet presence still lingered in their awareness, warning them not to escalate things further.

The security guards watched as Emile and Dean guided the four men toward the elevators.

Then the lead guard turned back to Clyde. "And you, sir?"

Clyde did not hesitate. "I’m his partner." The words were spoken evenly, without pride or embarrassment. Just a fact.

The guard’s eyes shifted toward the Palmer family.

Darcy stood slightly behind Ida, his face pale but firm. He gave a small nod. Ida followed, her tired eyes soft but resolute. "It’s true," Darcy said quietly.

The guard inclined his head. "Understood."

And so Clyde remained.

The elevator doors closed on the others.

—

The hospital lobby was colder than the waiting room upstairs. The lighting was harsher too, reflecting off the glossy marble floor. A faint scent of disinfectant hung in the air.

Emile shifted his weight from his left foot to his right, then back again. He folded his arms, then unfolded them. His restlessness showed in every small movement.

A few feet away, Edmund paced like a caged animal. His steps were uneven, his breathing audible. Edgar walked beside him, murmuring low words meant to calm him.

"Enough," Edgar whispered. "Not here."

Edmund raked a hand through his hair. His eyes were red.

Emile watched him. Didn’t Micah resemble Edmund a little? The thought struck him suddenly. Micah had that same fire in his eyes when he lost his temper. The same impulsiveness. The same refusal to back down when provoked.

But recently...

Recently, Micah had changed. He had mellowed. Less sharp edges. Less reckless laughter before doing something outrageous. He still chased thrills, still smiled with that mischievous tilt to his lips, but there had been something steadier beneath it. Probably Clyde’s influence.

Emile exhaled slowly. Yeah. Their little uncle’s steadiness had rubbed off on Micah.

The realisation made his chest ache. His gaze drifted toward the hallway leading to the elevators. Anxiety coiled tight in his stomach.

He and Micah had always pushed limits together. They had ridden the tube down bumpier roads just to feel the rush. They had dared each other to go faster, sharper, closer to the edge. It had been fun. It had felt harmless.

Emile swallowed.

He had never expected it to end like this. His fingers curled into his sleeves.

Three hours. They waited, and each minute felt heavier than the last.

More people from the ski resort arrived during that time. Jacklin came first with Soha, their expressions pale as they stepped into the lobby. Then Lin Heye. Then Dylon.

They gravitated toward Emile and Dean automatically. But their eyes kept drifting toward the four men seated around the corner.

Aidan Wilson. Leo McKay. Silas Durant.

Shock flickered across their faces when they recognised them.

"What are they doing here?" Jacklin whispered.

Emile explained in low, clipped sentences. The accident. The confrontation. As he spoke, the warmth drained from their expressions.

By the time he finished, their gazes toward the corner had turned cold. They didn’t need to say it aloud. They all agreed. In some way, whether directly or indirectly, those men were responsible for Micah’s accident.

Edmund continued pacing. Every few minutes, his glare snapped toward Aidan. But Edgar’s earlier words kept replaying in his mind. You’re not a match for them. Darcy had called the police at the resort. An investigation was already underway. If no evidence surfaced, Darcy had said that Micah’s boyfriend, Clyde Du Pont, would handle it personally. That name carried weight.

Even Edmund, furious as he was, understood that. He clenched his fists and looked away. He hadn’t even noticed when Jacklin arrived earlier. His world had narrowed down to the sound of his own heartbeat.

Across from him, Archie suddenly let out a sharp, humourless laugh.

"Nice going," he muttered, staring at Aidan. "Look at what you’ve done."

Aidan did not turn his head. His posture remained straight, almost rigid.

"Bah! Look who’s talking! You were so useless that you walked straight into his schemes," Aidan replied coldly. "If you had any sense, you would have known our best option was to approach him properly at the university. Build a connection. Clear misunderstandings."

He finally glanced at Archie. "But no. You had to go on a drunken safari on campus. Make a scene. Make it easy for that obsessive lunatic to get you suspended."

Archie’s face twisted. "What? You wanted me to act like you?" he shot back. "Pretend nothing happened? Deny everything? See a psychologist so you can claim you’re ’recovering’?"

His voice rose. "At least I knew how to feel regret! I knew how to admit I was wrong! What about you? Burying your head in the sand. Acting blind and deaf." He stepped closer. "You should have knelt in front of Micah. In front of Darcy. Begged for forgiveness."

Aidan’s jaw tightened. "And what right do you have to criticise me? You were no better."

Archie barked out a laugh. "I wasn’t a rapist. Or a kidnapper."

The word hung heavy in the air.

Several heads turned.

"Shut up! both of you." Leo’s voice cut through them like a blade. He had been silent until now, but his composure was cracking. "Every time Micah died," Leo hissed, "it was because of you two." His breathing grew uneven. "Who was it that took him down so that the germaphobe doctor could extract stem cells from him?" His voice shook. "Don’t act innocent. None of us are."

His volume dropped. "No. We’re all evil." His eyes lost focus, turning distant.

Silence fell.

From start to finish, Silas had not spoken. He sat with his hands resting on his knees, fingers slightly curled. His posture was straight, but there was no life in him.

The only time he had seemed alive was earlier, when Micah was in danger. After telling Clyde everything he knew, something inside him had gone quiet. As if his soul had stepped away. He stared ahead now like a machine waiting for instructions.

Even after Leo’s words, Silas remained blank as if he hadn’t been complicit in Micah’s repeated deaths.

His detached expression sent a chill through the other three.