CHAPTER 508: I’M SURROUNDED BY BEAUTIFUL IDIOTS

The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Micah. He sat there among the crowd, barely hearing the laughter and applause that rippled through the event hall.

His mind was elsewhere, stuck on Leo and his stupid, self-destructive decisions. The more he thought about it, the more his jaw clenched.

Why in the world would Leo agree to sign another slave contract with Twilight Entertainment? Hadn’t he suffered enough humiliation, control, and manipulation under them already? And now, he was doing it again, this time for Micah, of all people?

Micah chewed on his bottom lip. They had never even properly met! Not as Micah anyway. Yes. Micah had seen Leo when he was disguised as Asena. But Leo had never talked to Micah before!

How could someone be this foolish to throw his future away for a stranger? And what guarantee did he have that once he signed the contract and dropped the charges against his manager, they wouldn’t come after Micah next?

Doing all of that just because Micah had saved him?

It was ridiculous. Infuriating, even.

Did he not realise Micah had the entire Ramsy family behind him? No one could threaten him that easily?

So why the hell was Leo acting like Micah was the one who needed saving?

Micah’s eyes wandered to the brightly lit stage, where a young man named Mani stood under a shower of gold glint. The crowd around him cheered as he smiled and waved, his dimple deepening with every grin. He had the kind of soft charm that made people melt on sight: warm eyes, gentle posture, and an easy confidence that made him seem approachable.

His black hair framed his face neatly, the ends brushing just above his brows, and when he tilted his head, the light caught on his lashes. He wore a white shirt under a black sparkly jacket, paired with fitted black trousers that showed off his tall, lean frame. Unlike Leo, there was no cold demeanour about him, just the feature of someone kind and safe.

Micah studied him with detached curiosity. Mani’s features resembled Leo’s in a vague way, the same dark hair, the same fair complexion, but everything else was the opposite. Where Leo’s beauty was sharp, untouchable, and majestic, Mani’s was soft, warm, and down to earth.

When he smiled, a single dimple appeared on his right cheek, giving off a cute look. The type of face women found "sweet" but never "dangerous."

Micah sighed, leaning back in his seat. It was the definition of a second male lead trope, Micah thought dryly. Gentle enough to make the female lead swoon, but not charismatic enough like the male lead to actually win her heart at the end. The type who sacrificed themselves and gained nothing except maybe a "thank you."

Micah rested his chin and gazed at the man. He tried to remember how the novel described Mani’s future. Had he turned into a superstar like Leo? Why couldn’t he remember anything? Except he was Leo’s rival?

Micah didn’t dwell on it anymore.

His fans, though, seemed normal enough. They waved light sticks, squealed, and threw plushies toward the stage. Nothing extreme. No one was crying or threatening to tattoo his name across their chest. Compared to Leo’s fanbase, the Majestic King, they were practically saints.

For example, his sister, Nora, behaved like an excited teenager, a totally normal reaction to seeing her idol.

Micah’s lips curved into a faint smirk. Maybe he had been spoiled or permanently traumatised by Leo’s obsessive fans. They treated Leo like a deity, worshipped him, obsessed over him, even lusted after his body! Micah was still traumatised by those pictures that Candra, NumberOneKing’sFan, had sent him. And after being dragged through that madness once, this wholesome event felt... dull. Too boring.

He tapped his fingers against his cheek, half-listening to Mani’s soft-spoken answers to fan questions. The young man talked about his new project, his favourite food, and how grateful he was for everyone’s support. His tone was calm and polite, no arrogance, no overwhelming charm. Just sincerity.

Maybe that was what made his fans normal.

Still, Micah couldn’t bring himself to care. Halfway through the event, he decided he had had enough.

He rose quietly from his seat, slipping away through the side aisle without drawing attention. He wasn’t worried about Nora. The atmosphere here was too PG for anything to go wrong anyway.

He pushed through the glass doors and stepped onto the balcony. The evening air hit his face, cool and sharp. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a moment.

The city stretched out below, lights flickering like distant stars. Cars moved lazily along the streets, and somewhere in the distance, music floated from an open bar. Micah braced his arms against the railing, staring at nothing.

Leo had surely messed with his head. All three McKay brothers were hopeless in their own ways. Seth was too disciplined, Luca was too impulsive, and Leo... too stupidly emotional.

Micah yanked his hair in frustration. He shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with those four male leads. He thought about it bitterly. If he had met Clyde earlier, before starting any of his ridiculous schemes, he would have handled things differently. He would have sat back and crushed them from the shadows using Clyde’s influence and intelligence. But now? He was knee-deep in trouble.

Leo, Silas, and Archie all knew him now. One way or another, they had each become fixated on him, all because of Darcy.

And then there was Aidan... he was the person whom Micah was most wary of. The man had been scheming against the Ramsy heir long before even Micah knew someone like him existed. Manipulative, cunning, and dangerous, the kind of man for whom morality didn’t even exist in his vocabulary. And now Aidan had tried to use Asena to get to Clyde.

Everything was a mess. Despite everything, Micah still kept the mobile Aidan had given him. Of course, Clyde had checked it and gotten rid of the tracker, ready to dispose of it. But Micah had convinced Clyde to let him use it. Micah didn’t like to be in the dark. And if that phone could give him even a hint of what Aidan was cooking up for Clyde, it was worth the risk. Using his Asena disguise, he could know more for sure.

But the phone had remained silent. No messages or calls from Aidan.

That made Micah more nervous.

Micah’s nerves buzzed under his skin. He leaned against the railing, staring out at the city lights, trying to steady his breathing. His mind kept circling back to the same question: how was he supposed to deal with all four of them now?