CHAPTER 525: THE WOLF, THE FOOL, AND THE PENTHOUSE

After finally sending off his family by endless coaxing and promises to visit them with Darcy, Micah sighed loudly, his shoulders slumped. "At last," he muttered.

Then he looked at Darcy. "Really...what’s your problem? Is it that hard to sweet-talk them? Couldn’t you at least say goodnight or something?"

"Like it or not...That’s me." Darcy replied.

Micah stared at him, exasperated.

Then a smirk spread across Darcy’s face. "Besides," he added, "look who’s talking... You were lying to them the whole night."

"What lying?" Micah shot back.

"You took care of me?" Darcy raised an eyebrow.

Micah scowled and kicked a loose stone on the pavement. "Oh, come on. What was I supposed to say? You wanted me to tell them the Du Pont patriarch personally looked after you?" His voice dropped to a grumble. "If I did that, they’d think you two were an item or something... and what’s next, shipping both of us abroad?"

Darcy let out a short laugh, his teeth flashing under the dim light. "You are such an idiot."

"Hey!" Micah stepped closer and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Don’t laugh at me. I’m serious. The last time they saw me with him, grandpa forbade me from hanging out with him. I can’t just utter his name, even if it is just related to you and not me."

Darcy tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. "They were wary of him for good reason. You are the only one stupid enough not to see it," he said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

Micah gasped. "What an ingrate! The man nursed you, called his family doctor, even cooked for you, and you talk about him like that behind his back?"

"I say all of it to his face, too," Darcy said, his tone flat.

Micah frowned. "Before you were okay with him, now suddenly you think he is dangerous?"

Darcy’s gaze darkened. "Before, I was blind. Now I can see he is obsessed with you."

Micah blinked, stunned. "What obsession? Don’t be ridiculous. He is just worried about me. That’s all." He defended Clyde.

Darcy gave a sharp, humourless laugh. "Really? Then why do you think he’s here again?"

"Huh?" Micah’s eyebrow shot up. "What do you mean?"

"You are such a fool. The penthouse..." Darcy said, looking at him as if he couldn’t believe this level of idiocy.

"No way!" Micah’s eyes widened, then a warm, blooming smile spread across his face.

"Ugh..." Darcy groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Wipe that goofy grin off your face! He’s got you wrapped around his little finger, and you are happy about it?" He sounded frustrated, hating iron for not becoming steel. Micah’s mind was filled with La La Land, completely oblivious to how unhealthy Clyde’s behaviour was.

In a past life, Micah feared that man so much that he would shake seeing him from afar. But now...

Darcy sighed.

"Wait, how do you know he is the one who brought it?" Micah asked. His voice rose in disbelief, but there was an unmistakable light in his eyes.

Darcy looked heavenward, as though praying for patience. The way Micah’s face lit up made him want to shake him by the shoulders. It wasn’t even about how the Darcy of this world felt about this fake young master. As someone whose life had been entangled with Micah since birth, Darcy was genuinely worried for him.

"Don’t you know anything about him? La Riviere has its hands in almost every real estate deal in this city. Of course, he could buy it easily."

"That’s it? Man, you got my hopes up for nothing!" Micah clicked his tongue.

Darcy rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "Look left," he said.

Micah blinked, confused, then turned his head. He spotted Clyde standing a few steps away, half in the shadow of a lamppost, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his overcoat. His expression was calm.

He leapt toward Clyde, excited. "Hey! When did you get here?"

Clyde’s lips curved slightly. "From the moment he started badmouthing me."

Darcy’s expression hardened.

"Don’t take it to heart. He is grumpy because my parents stopped by." Micah said, waving a hand frantically. "So...why are you here? Is it true? Did you really buy the penthouse?"

Clyde nodded slowly, grabbing Micah’s hand. "Yeah. I figured it’d be better not to stay in your place anymore."

He frowned, noticing Micah’s hand felt icy cold. He shook off his overcoat and draped it around Micah’s shoulder.

Micah tensed for a second before his expression softened more. "Yeah. I mean...like tonight. If my family had seen you upstairs, that’d be hard to explain."

Clyde’s smile deepened slightly, but his gaze shifted to Darcy. The look wasn’t openly hostile, but there was weight behind it, a silent warning, maybe even a claim.

Darcy’s expression twisted for a moment, jaw tightened. His fingers curled inside his pockets.

He still didn’t like this man being near Micah, not in his past life, not in this life either. But that fool was enchanted by Clyde, thinking he was a saint or something.

Micah placed his hands onto Clyde’s overcoat pockets, lowering his head and inhaling discreetly the sandalwood scent that surrounded him. His sour mood from today’s events had vanished instantly as if Clyde had cast a spell on him.

"Have you eaten?" Micah asked, staring at Clyde.

"Yeah. But I got the special edition dessert from that bakery you like," Clyde said, gesturing to his car.

Micah’s eyes lit up. "Yay! Let’s go up and eat it. Besides, I want to see what the inside of the penthouse looks like."

Darcy snorted, hearing the conversation. He turned his head away and stormed inside.

He was done with this foolish young master. If he wanted to jump into a wolf’s den, who was he to stop him?

Micah’s nature would not have changed much even after living a lifetime. He was still a lovesick boy falling into traps like a moth burning by the flame.