CHAPTER 361: WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU A PROTAGONIST, BUILD A COMPANY

The afternoon sun cast long rays of light across the street when they stepped out of the Royal Dragon Pavilion. A faint trace of jasmine clung to Micah’s clothes, from when he had brushed against the flowers before leaving the restaurant garden. He grinned and unlocked his car. Lunch had gone better than he expected. Nora had laughed nonstop, Flora had chimed in two or three words, and even Darcy had talked more than before. Micah had joined their chatter, and though he never admitted it aloud, part of him liked slipping into their small family dynamic.

The ride back to Munster Street passed in fits of conversation, mostly driven by Nora, who poked fun at her brother and bombarded Micah with questions.

When the car finally rolled to a stop before the old apartment complex, Micah’s lips pressed together. The building was just as run-down as the last time he had visited. A group of thugs loitered near the alleyway entrance, leaning against motorbikes, smoking, while their voices were loud and unruly.

Micah immediately got out and walked around to help Flora. He steadied her arm as she climbed the worn steps, carrying her bag with his other hand. Darcy held open the building’s heavy door, eyes fixated on Micah helping his mother. Something stirred in him as he watched them side by side. But before he could grasp it, he was distracted by Nora’s antics.

Micah smiled as he trailed behind them, warmth lingering in his chest. After today’s lunch, he felt closer to Flora than ever. All the awkwardness and distance that had existed between them from last week had melted away under her gentle care. She had slipped food onto his bowl the way she did for her children, once a tender duck leg, another time a glossy slice of braised pork belly. Flora had tried to make her gestures discreet, but Micah had noticed every one. And each time, his heart had bloomed with warmth. Now, with her hand resting in his as he guided her up the steps, Micah felt an almost dazzling gratitude. How lucky he was to be given even this small chance to stand beside his biological mother.

By the time Micah returned to the car, Darcy had followed him back. The two of them lingered near the curb, silence pressing between them.

Micah’s eyes drifted across the cracked pavement, the overflowing garbage bins, the gang of thugs still laughing in the alley. His jaw tightened. "Are you still wanting to stay here?"

Darcy shoved both hands deep into his pants pockets and hummed.

Irritation filled Micah’s mind, but he didn’t insist on changing Darcy’s mind. He had tried before with Silas’s threat looming over them, yet Darcy had refused. "Well," he said, voice dropping, "my father heard about your situation and offered to sponsor you."

Darcy’s head jerked slightly, surprise flashing across his face. His brows drew together before he shook his head firmly.

Micah’s lips curved into a knowing smile. "I told him you would refuse." His tone carried a teasing note, but his eyes softened, betraying his concern.

Darcy hesitated, gaze shifting away. "Please let him know I appreciate the offer... but I want to stand on my own two feet."

"I know," Micah said, staring seriously at Darcy, "but your situation makes me worry."

Darcy met his gaze. For a heartbeat, all he saw were Micah’s eyes, clear and painfully earnest. He cleared his throat. "I am not being stubborn. I already tried to sell the gaming app I developed before."

His words barely left his mouth before Micah lunged forward, gripping his shoulders tightly. His whole face lit up like fireworks. "Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? When did you develop that? Why do you want to sell it? Wouldn’t it be better to open a gaming company instead?" He rambled on breathlessly, excitement spilling from him. His fingers dug into Darcy’s jacket, shaking him slightly.

He knew from the novel that Archie used Darcy, the protagonist, to establish his gaming company. But he never thought Darcy had stepped into this field long before meeting Archie.

Darcy blinked at the sudden storm of energy, caught off guard by the sheer force of Micah’s enthusiasm. His lips parted, then closed again before he finally admitted. "I know. But I don’t have the capital. So I thought selling a few apps first, to gather funds." His calm words contrasted with Micah’s bubbling energy, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of pride at Micah’s interest.

Micah’s mouth dropped open. "Huh? You lack just money? That’s it?" His grip tightened. "Don’t I have plenty? Let me invest! You can just give me a share and the company will still be yours." His eyes gleamed, voice rising like a child begging for candy.

Darcy opened his mouth to refuse, but Micah interrupted again. "Come on! Do it for me. You know, every year during the Ramsy annual report, all those crusty shareholders and family members gloat and mock me. Saying I’m a useless waste! That I don’t have any business achievements at all. Don’t you see? With your gaming app, I can shut their mouths! I am sure it would succeed. Let me brag about it in front of those old geezers, please!" His voice cracked with desperation, a mix of frustration and determination.

Darcy fell into the thought. He had received offers, shiny contracts promising money. But honestly, he was too new to the business world and lacked the knowledge to see through the clauses buried in the contracts. He did not have the confidence to negotiate. He had been careful, cautious, and unwilling to gamble. But Micah’s pleading eyes pulled him in. The idea that he could help this boy, this infuriating, bright-eyed boy, stand tall before his family made his chest tighten. If he could give Micah even a shred of pride, if he could help him save face in front of others, wasn’t it worth it?

His thoughts tangled for several long moments before, finally, Darcy gave a single nod.

Micah’s face broke into a dazzling grin. "Great!" Without hesitation, he threw his arms around Darcy, hugging him so tightly that Darcy stumbled a step back. Micah clapped his back hard, laughter bursting from him. "Great, great. Let me know how much you need. Oh, right! If you lack human resources, I can recommend some people too. Oh man! I’m so excited!" He pulled back just enough to shake Darcy by the shoulders again, his whole body practically buzzing with energy.

Darcy felt warmth filling his heart as Micah’s joy was infectious. "Right."

Micah finally stepped back, running a hand through his hair. He hadn’t expected such a big pie to fall right into his hands. This was it. Archie was finished. He would never get a chance to manipulate Darcy or hijack his talent to build a company. Micah would make sure of it. He would put everything in line to help Darcy be where he belonged. Yeah. He would show everyone how the real young master could shine without those four degenerate Gongs! His cheeks were flushed from the euphoria.

Then his eyes caught the screen of the watch on his wrist. "Shoot! I’m late!" he shouted, whirling toward his car. "I have to go. Email me the list of what you need."

He waved a hand and jumped into his car. The engine roared to life, and in a blink, Micah was gone, tires humming against the street as the car disappeared around the corner.

Darcy stood rooted, staring after him. The street suddenly felt emptier without that vibrant presence. He drew a long breath, his chest rising and falling. His resolve to quickly stand on his own, untouched by others, wavered. It had gone down the drain the moment Micah looked at him with admiration and unshakable belief. That was always his weakness: Micah.

He sighed, raking a hand through his black hair before turning back toward the dim stairwell of the apartment. As he climbed the stairs, he opened his phone to look at his prepared file. But his eyes caught the red notification on WeChat. He blinked, curiosity tugging at him. Sliding it open, he found a new post in Moments.

Micah had uploaded a picture, just a wall thick with jasmine blossoms. Darcy frowned; his eyes dropped to the caption.

RogueOverLord: Stumble on the source. No need for a bunch of dried old ones anymore. Maybe it’s a sign. Tonight’s the night! 😎

Darcy’s forehead lines wrinkled. Tonight’s the night? What on earth did that mean? Suddenly, his mind flashed to that bunch of flowers in Clyde’s car. Was it related to that?

But still, he couldn’t comprehend what exactly Micah was implying. He tapped the screen, hesitated, then pressed the ’like’ button. His thumbs hovered only a moment longer before he added a comment.

DescendantoftheDarkOne: 💪💪💪

The emojis glared back at him, ridiculous yet strangely fitting. He huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. No matter how outlandish Micah’s plans sounded, he would always support him. Always.

Author’s note:

Sorry! I’m sick 😫😷😵‍💫Today will be a single Chapter.