CHAPTER 343: THREADS OF RECOGNITION

Micah exited the app with a huff, already feeling that dealing with Silas had gone from easy to nightmare mode.

He exhaled a slow sigh and scrolled through his contacts until his gaze stopped on the name saved simply as the instructor. He pressed the call button. The dial tone rang in his ear, steady and unhurried, but it only made the nagging feeling more prominent. He didn’t know why, but ever since Willow had mentioned that incident, it had been nudging him in the back of his mind like a splinter he couldn’t ignore. He wanted to know more about that woman, her motives, her intentions, and what exactly she had been planning that night.

The line clicked. "Hello?" Seth’s voice came after a few rings.

Micah straightened instinctively, his tone polite. "Hi, Instructor, how are you?"

There was a soft chuckle on the other end. "What a surprise, what can I do for you, young master?"

"You are teasing me again, sir," Micah said, his voice carrying the faintest pout. "Just call me Cadet Ramsy like you always did. I actually called to thank you for helping me that night.... And, if possible, to ask if I could meet you."

There was a brief pause. "Sure, I have time now. But I will be dispatched from tomorrow for about a week." Seth replied.

Micah checked his watch. "No, I can come now. Just send me the address, sir."

"I’ll text you then," Seth said, tone decisive, before the call ended.

As the line went silent, Micah lowered the phone slowly, staring at the blank screen in thought.

Darcy returned, catching the last part of the conversation. "Are you going somewhere?"

Micah stood up from the couch. "Yeah. Do you remember our stern instructor from the military training?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Darcy’s brows knitted together.

"He happens to be my uncle’s friend. And I need to ask him something." Micah paused, biting his bottom lip. "I know you are busy, so..." Micah added, playing with the phone in his hand, ready to go alone.

Darcy said quickly. "I have time. Don’t worry, let’s go together."

Micah didn’t see a problem with it. "Alright." He thought it might be a good opportunity for Darcy. Let him see first-hand what kind of danger lurked in high society. It could serve as training for his future.

Meanwhile, Darcy clenched his fists at his side, nails digging into his palm. He had recognised the instructor immediately. Seth had not changed much from the man he remembered as a child. He knew he was Leo’s older brother. But he didn’t care at that time.

Yet after running into Leo himself at the restaurant, seeing the way the man’s eyes had burned when he asked after Micah... Darcy couldn’t shake the unease growing inside of him.

And it seemed something was going on between them by the way Micah had hidden, fearing that Leo would see him.

And now, Darcy had a bad feeling hearing Micah wanted to see the instructor again. What if Leo was there too? He still remembered the crazed look that flashed in Leo’s eyes, the desperate intensity as he searched for Micah. The thought made Darcy’s jaw tighten.

Micah’s phone finally buzzed. He glanced at the screen, reading the text. "Great. It’s that famous restaurant. We can grab some takeaway for the others too."

The two of them hailed a cab quickly and arrived at the destination.

Inside, a waitress led them through the soft hum of clinking cutlery and low voices to a private room tucked away from the bustle. Micah opened the door after a knock. Inside, Seth was already waiting. He sat with perfect posture, shoulders squared, dressed sharply in his military sergeant’s uniform. His cap rested nearly on his lap, his expression composed as though he were sitting for inspection.

Micah stepped forward with an easy smile, but beside him, Darcy still didn’t let his guard down, glancing around for any sign of Leo.

"Young master Micah," Seth greeted warmly, his voice carrying both respect and familiarity. But then his eyes shifted, catching on the figure beside him. His eyes narrowed slightly as memory stirred, Leo’s words from before, a mention of a black-haired boy always stuck next to Micah. Was this him?

Micah gestured lightly. "Hello, I hope you weren’t waiting long. This is my friend Darcy Edwood. I am sure you remember him; he was our representative during training. You don’t mind that he is with me, do you?"

Seth’s eyes flicked from Micah to Darcy and back, a small pause before he shook his head. "Oh, no, of course not. Sit down." His voice remained even, though his mind briefly turned over the name. "Edwood? Why does that sound familiar?" he mumbled to himself.

Micah didn’t dwell on it. He glanced at the menu, flipping it once before handing it across the table to Darcy with a small tilt of his head. Then he lifted his gaze back to Seth. "Sir, can I ask what exactly happened that night?"

Seth’s hand tightened slightly over the cap in his lap before he set it carefully on the table. His eyes lowered for a brief moment as if weighing how much to say. "I wasn’t sure whether I should mention it...That woman... she was using her phone to record you. The angle was deliberate; it would have made it look as though you were hugging him on your own accord." His eyes flickered meaningfully toward Darcy. "It was a risky situation. I didn’t know who she was or what her aim was, but when I confronted her, she fled. At first, I thought I would overstep our boundaries if I came forward. But then..." he paused, his voice softening lightly. "I found out you had helped my brother. So I thought it was only decent to return the favour."

Micah leaned back, listening. So Gu Feifei... her plan had been to fabricate a scandal that night. To twist his actions into something disgraceful, then perhaps use it to annul the engagement, tarnishing the Ramsy family’s name as if they were morally unfit. Strange. This was not enough to sever ties between the two families. What exactly was her endgame? Did she even have the wit to put this together?

Then he caught the last sentence. "Have I what? Who’s your brother, sir?"

"I hope you don’t take it the wrong way. I know you didn’t want that matter to be known, but I think what you did was honourable. It shouldn’t simply be buried in the dark." Seth said hesitantly.

Micah grabbed the glass of water and took a sip, his expression blank. He had no idea what the instructor was talking about. He had come to thank the man, but instead found himself being thanked. The reverse left him utterly bewildered.

He raised his hand, gesturing for the other man to stop. "Pardon me, but I couldn’t quite understand what you are talking about," he said politely, watching Seth in confusion. "I think you’ve got the wrong person."