From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)
Chapter 230: Operation: Drag Clyde Out of His Misery

Chapter 230: Operation: Drag Clyde Out of His Misery

The atmosphere turned melancholy, heavy with unspoken questions. The heated discussion that once filled the lotus room had long since faded, leaving only the dull click of porcelain and the sound of shallow breathing.

Clyde sat in stillness, head slightly bowed, the air around him turned to a deep somberness with each passing second. His fingers tightened around his teacup, knuckles white, like he was holding on to something, anything, to keep himself steady.

He looked lost.

Lin Heye noticed first, his brows drawing together. With a slight tilt of his head, he glanced sideways at Georgina, nudging her softly, his eyes pleading for help to step in. Do something. Anything to snap Clyde out of this despairing silence.

Georgina sighed silently. She reached out and twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, her usual playfulness subdued, replaced by quiet thoughtfulness. She understood why Lin Heye sought her help. Clyde’s older brother, Gabin, had been her mentor from an early age.

Georgina was the only one who had stayed in the Du Pont mansion before that incident. When they were young, Clyde had treated her like an older sister. She knew him better than most, well, at least, before he turned cold and distant. She needed to do something to drag that idiot out of his miserable thoughts.

"Guys, how much do you actually know about Ramsy’s family?" Georgina asked, breaking the silence.

Lin Heye was caught off guard by the abrupt question. His gaze flickered toward Clyde, then Georgina again. "Not much," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "We never crossed paths. Not directly, anyway."

Mason gave a slow shrug, lifting his teacup for a sip before speaking. "I met the daughters, you know, Micah’s aunts, a few times. Doctors, same field as me. They were polite. Nice, even. But I didn’t get anything deep from them. No lasting impression."

"I did some digging," Dylon said, leaning forward on his elbows, voice lower, more serious now. "Back when Lin Heye first said Clyde might’ve found someone. Most of the things I stumbled on were just rumours. Gossip stuff. About how extravagant and superficial the Ramsy heir was. It wasn’t flattering. But I never heard anything about the Ramsy family actually abandoning Micah." He paused. "Still...they never tried to put an end to the rumour either. They just let it spread around. So..." _{f\ree webn ovel(.)com}

"So what if..." Georgina began, her eyes gleaming with a sudden thought. "What if Micah didn’t want Clyde to know about it?"

"Huh?" Dylon looked confused.

"Think about it," Georgina said, her tone growing more certain. "When you fall in love with someone, the last thing you want is for them to see the parts of you that are broken. Like your ugly side, right? Maybe Micah didn’t want Clyde to know about the rumour. Or worse, to see how his family and others treat him..."

"That actually makes sense." Lin Heye nodded.

The room fell silent as they all turned their heads, looking at Clyde.

Clyde didn’t lift his gaze. But his grip on the teacup grew tighter. His fingertips trembled slightly against it. "He knows I am a Du Pont," he said quietly, finally breaking his silence.

"So?" Georgina asked gently.

"His family sent an invitation. To the Du Pont family mansion."

"Does he know you are the patriarch?" Lin Heye frowned.

"No," Clyde murmured. "I tried to tell him once, but he got distracted by something else...I never brought it up again." he rubbed his thumb over the rim of the teacup. "He probably thinks I am just a distant relative."

"See?" Georgina’s eyes lit up. "That fits perfectly. He thinks you don’t know about the banquet. So he hid it."

"But if he had told you," Dylon added, eyebrows raised. "You could’ve easily pulled some strings and gotten an invitation. So he kept it from you. On purpose." He let out a low whistle. "Wow! He is really invested, isn’t he?"

Clyde glanced up slowly, his eyes flicking from one face to another. His mind was racing.

Could it be like what they are saying?

Micah never liked talking about his family. He brushed it off every time Clyde asked and changed the subject.

And his health... The way he had downplayed his stomach issues, the panic attacks, the collapse... hiding it from his family.

Was it shame? Or fear?

Because he feared his family would completely give up on him?

If Micah really didn’t care about him, he could have used him. He could have taken advantage of Clyde’s name. Walking into that banquet with a Du Pont would have every member of the Ramsy family grovelling at his feet. Especially if they were the type who only cared about appearances.

But he didn’t. Micah kept it quiet.

Why? Was it pride? Was it to save face in front of him? Or was he... protecting Clyde from them?

Was it really because he didn’t want Clyde to see his family’s ugly behaviour?

The idea shook something loose in him.

A strange, almost ridiculous feeling bubbled in Clyde’s chest. How could a few words shift his emotions so wildly?

Georgina nudged Lin Heye and winked at the other two. The three guys nodded in sync.

"Clyde," Lin Heye said, his voice soft. He could see Clyde’s mood lifting. "I think he likes you."

"Same," Dylon agreed with a small grin. "I saw how he stood up to me that one time. Just because of you."

"I haven’t even seen the boy in person, but based on what you all said, I’ll bet money on it," Mason said.

Georgina gave a nod, her eyes warm. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

Clyde stared down at the wooden player beads wrapped around his wrist. He rubbed them slowly. "What do you suggest?" he said at last.

The gasp sound filled the room.

"Oh my god!" Georgina shrieked excitedly. "Did you all hear that?"

"He asks for help! Damn!" Dylon shouted, pointing at Clyde like he had witnessed a miracle.

Lin Heye dabbed fake tears from the corner of his eye with exaggerated flair. "Ah, I thought I would never live to see this day."

Clyde’s lips twitched, wanting to sever his friendship with them. "Cut it out."

But the others were already laughing, loud and triumphant.

"Alright, alright. Enough with the joke." Lin Heye said, calming down with a chuckle. "We need a plan. Come on, pour your thoughts out."