CHAPTER 347: THE ADDICT AND THE SANDALWOOD DEALER

Micah grabbed his phone again, his thumb hovered uncertainly before he clicked on the web search. He typed Leo’s name, his brows creasing. Honestly, he had been so busy lately that Leo had completely slipped his mind. His life had been revolving around Darcy and the swapped case, then... Clyde.

The search results were surprisingly against Leo. The silence Leo had chosen, his lack of public response, was being read as guilt. The netizens had turned on him viciously, and the absence of denial or explanation painted him as complicit. Post after post twisted his silence into proof; some claimed he was an accomplice to the manager, others went further, accusing him of being the true mastermind who had scapegoated his own manager to take the fall.

Micah rubbed his temple, exhaling slowly. It wasn’t surprising then, that Seth had sought his help. The situation was dire, almost hopeless. Twilight’s entertainment PR firepower was relentless. Being their target had made Leo appear as a shameless, ungrateful white-eyed wolf, biting the hand that fed him. His reputation was crumbling.

If Micah had been honest with himself, he wouldn’t have cared about what might happen to Leo’s future. Leo being blackened and discarded might even be better for Darcy. Yet, knowing Jacklin and Seth, Micah couldn’t bring himself to just leave him be.

Earlier, after some thinking, Micah’s fear had gone down. So what if Leo knew him? First of all, he hadn’t done anything except point his brother toward him. Second, even if he did meet Leo in person, what could possibly happen?

The Leo in the novel was cold, detached, a man who cared about no one but himself. That was why, in the fan meeting, the warm smile Leo wore shocked him. But after what that manager had almost done to him, Micah was certain now that smile would never exist again. If it had, it would already have been buried under the recent scandals. Maybe it had already vanished for good.

And regarding Darcy... Micah recalled that day at the restaurant when he and Darcy accidentally ran into Leo. Leo didn’t recognise Darcy at all. They had spoken face-to-face, and still nothing clicked for him. So the possibility of recognition now was laughably low.

In the novel, Leo only recognised Darcy later, after Darcy’s fame exploded from the birth-switch scandal. Every single detail of his life had gone online then, including the old neighbourhood where he had once lived, the place Leo remembered. So until now, Micah felt they were safe. Leo seemed too dense, too narcissistic, to bother about details. He hadn’t even remembered Darcy’s name, his supposed childhood sweetheart!

Micah let out a long sigh, rubbing his cheek. But still, it was better to check the situation more carefully.

He switched to his SugerPlumFairy WeChat account. He had been absent for too long, no idea if he was still in that group or had been kicked out.

The familiar aviator loaded after a second, and immediately the screen began to lag from the sheer flood of messages. Leo’s fan group, the Majestic King, was in chaos.

Micah gingerly scrolled the chat, and his mouth fell open slightly. The members had all been panicking, running around like headless chickens, messages flying faster than he could read. Arguments, insults, accusations, it was a battlefield of words. They were tearing each other to shreds. In one word: utter discord.

Micah’s arrival didn’t gain much attention. That surprised him, but what shocked him more was the silence of one person in particular, Big sister. LioNessQueen, aka Jacklin, hadn’t spoken a single word. Normally, she would have jumped in, calming everyone down. But now? Nothing. She did not do anything to stop the chaos.

Micah frowned, tapping faster as he scrolled through the chat until his eyes caught something. SunshineSparkle.

Wasn’t she Leo’s notorious black fan? Why was she doing here?

The messages flashed across his screen.

HisMajestyMuffin: Go away, you traitor!

LeoLuvsMe: How did she even get access to here?

KingFourthLioness: Yeah, wasn’t she expelled?

SunshineSparkle: Are you still siding with Leo? I told you guys he is evil! He ruined my life! But none of you believed me. Ha, see now?

CozyLioness: Big sister, where are you? Block this woman.

KingRuleOverMe: Wait! Let her talk. What exactly happened? With the way Leo is silent, my faith is going to be shaken.

NumberOneKing’sFan: Are you nuts? Have you stumbled upon their filthy methods? Blacken any star that won’t bow down to them? Abide by their orders? Open your eyes!

Leo’sFirstConcubine: Yeah. Girls, don’t panic. I heard Leo is in a dire state mentally. He has cut off contact with everyone.

TheKing’smarshmallow

: Oh God! What did they do to him?

SunshineSparkle: It’s just a guilty conscience. This is retribution! He deserves it.

NumberOneKing’sFan: Someone please kick her out already!

HisMajestyMuffin: Ditto! She is crazy!

KingFourthLioness: What should we do? It’s been two months! No clarification! Not from Leo or that actress Clara Davis. It’s just tabloid nonsense. Even the police are keeping quiet!

Micah paused. Yeah. It was really bad for Leo. Not one person had come forward to tell the truth. His gaze lingered on that black fan. She was the manager’s ex-girlfriend, wasn’t she? Had she been really in a mutual relationship? What if she had been forced into this role?

He needed to meet her. His fingers tapped quickly on the screen.

SugerPlumFairyisLeo’sWife: Do you have any evidence to back up your words, @SunshineSparkle? I can help you file a report. If not, you might get a lawyer’s letter for defamation instead.

The reaction was immediate. The group chat exploded at his words.

Micah rolled to his side in the bed, waiting for the woman to bite the bait. And it didn’t take long. A private friend request blinked on his screen.

SunshineSparkle: Hey. Are you a lawyer? Or know someone?

Micah smirked, thumbs moving quickly.

SugerPlumFairyisLeo’sWife: Better. My family has connections and money to back Leo up. I was out of town. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be free to roam here. Let’s meet if you don’t want to go to court. I also have something to show you.

There was a pause.

SunshineSparkle: I don’t have any reason to believe you. It is just a bluff.

SugerPlumFairyisLeo’sWife: Really? Miss Azalea Garnet, do you want to gamble on that?

SunshineSparkle: How do you know my name? Are you a hacker? This is a crime.

SugerPlumFairyisLeo’sWife: Of course not. I am just a student. I told you how. But if you don’t want to believe. Suit yourself. I thought you needed help.

SunshineSparkle: Fine. Let’s meet.

Micah smiled, lips curling with satisfaction. He typed the time and address, hit send, and switched his account again.

He had investigated her long ago, back when he realised there was such a good opportunity to corner Leo. But he hadn’t seen the need to use her or that information until now.

Micah’s eyes flickered to the icon for the Alpha Duminus app. His thumb moved toward it, but he pulled back, pressing the mobile phone flat against his chest, holding himself back. He didn’t dare to open it. What if Silas was still interested in him, even after he had claimed he was a girl? Or worse, what if that feisty sub was still trashing him in the group?

He could already imagine his temper snapping, his fingers flying over the screen until he said something he would regret. He didn’t trust himself not to go ballistic on them. Better to wait for a bit. If he stayed quiet long enough, maybe they would forget about him.

But seriously, why had Silas chosen him in the first place? His username screamed meek and boring. Not to mention his lack of presence in the group. What part of him could possibly line up with the type Silas liked?

In irritation, Micah tossed the phone aside, staring at the ceiling in the dim light. Sleep refused to come. He shut his eyes, turned onto his side, then onto his back again. Nothing. His body was restless, buzzing with unease, though he already knew why.

In spite of vehemently not admitting it, Micah felt helpless. Just two nights sleeping beside Clyde, and his body was already ruined. Addicted to that sandalwood scent.

Micah groaned softly, covering his eyes with one arm. It didn’t help that Eddie’s snore echoed in the dorm room like thunder. With a resigned sigh, Micah got out of bed and walked toward Eddie. He leaned over him, gave him a rough nudge, and rolled him to his side. With a quick flick, he pushed Eddie’s mouth shut.

The snores cut off instantly, but Micah chuckled under his breath. Who was he kidding? The problem wasn’t Eddie’s snoring. The problem was Clyde.

The man had made him an addict. First to his guest bedroom, then to his scent, his warmth, and his very presence. His lips pressed into a thin line as he lay down again on the bed.

Was Clyde also the same? Trouble sleeping without him?