From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 215: A Quiet Kind of Star

Micah returned to his seat with his hands shoved into his pockets. He pulled the chair back lazily and dropped into it. But Darcy’s chair beside him was empty. Micah frowned slightly, eyes scanning the room.

Then he spotted him. Darcy stood in the middle of a small crowd, not too far off. Archie’s teammates surrounded him like he was the sun and they were caught in his orbit.

They leaned in when he spoke. Some nodded excitedly. A few girls covered their mouths when they laughed, clearly charmed. The guys didn’t look much better. Their faces open and focused, eyes sparkling like kids meeting a hero.

It was full of awe and admiration.

Micah stared for a few seconds, watching Darcy answer a question with that calm voice of his, his posture upright. There was no cocky tilt to his chin, no smugness in his tone. He didn’t try to act impressive, and yet he just was. He stood out effortlessly. Something about him made people want to listen.

And slowly, a smile formed on Micah’s face.

Darcy belonged here. Not just here at this tournament, but in this kind of setting, on stage, in the light, with people who noticed him for what he truly was. He had the kind of quiet talent that made others lean forward. He didn’t need tricks. He didn’t need drama. He had presence. He would shine in any field, on any stage, no matter the pressure.

Hadn’t he won the Math Olympiad while juggling several part-time jobs and caring for his sick mother and little sister?

Micah’s smile faded just a little.

He couldn’t let the novel version of things happen. He wouldn’t. The Darcy in that world had been stripped of everything: his talent, his future, his dignity. He was reduced to a pawn, a pretty thing passed between four twisted men, each one of them selfish and cruel. Micah clenched his jaw. That wasn’t going to happen. Not while he was here.

Darcy deserved better.

And Micah would do anything to make sure he got it. Yeah. He would make Darcy shine like that.

As if sensing his stare, Darcy turned his head.

Their eyes met.

Darcy’s face, which had been politely indifferent the whole time, changed the moment he saw Micah. His lips parted just slightly, and he let out the tiniest sigh. His expression shifted from calm to helpless, like a kid stuck in the middle of a family dinner he didn’t want to attend.

Micah chuckled under his breath. He stood up and started walking toward the group. Darcy was always like this. He hated being the centre of attention. He didn’t care about fame or the spotlight. If he did, he could have kicked the fake heir out of the Ramsy family the moment the babies’ swap came to light, hugging all the attention to himself. But he hadn’t done that.

No. Darcy was humble, modest, and genuinely talented. He didn’t need people clapping to prove his worth. He didn’t crave praise.

The complete opposite of Micah.

Some cheap praises, and he handed half of his savings to those so-called friends....

Micah scoffed inwardly. What a joke he was... tossing away money for crumbs of attention. He was really pathetic.

He stepped up behind Darcy and smoothly draped an arm over his shoulders, pulling him close like a protective older brother. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked casually, eyes sweeping across the group.

The group turned to look at him. There was a short pause, like they were searching for someone else besides Micah.

Then Elijah sighed helplessly. "We were exchanging gaming tactics with DarkVyne," he said, nodding toward Darcy.

Micah raised his eyebrow and gave a mocking grin. "For free? You do know that is a secret playstyle, right? How could you exploit my friend the second I stepped away?"

Meanwhile, on Darcy’s side, a few minutes earlier, his patience had already worn thin. He wanted to go after Micah and Archie. His mind was on what was happening between them. What if Archie played the victim card? What if he asked Micah for something more intimate? Like a hug? Why was Micah always this kind to everyone?

Then he saw Micah sitting alone, looking at him with an amused smile. He silently pleaded for help, and like always, Micah came to his rescue.

Hearing Micah’s words, Darcy covered his mouth with one hand, hiding his smile. Micah was always like that. Micah’s nonsense caught people off guard. They wouldn’t know how to respond when he acted like this.

Zian scratched his head. "Secret playstyle? Huh?"

Elijah raised his hands defensively. "No, no. We weren’t doing something like that. We were asking for advice."

"Oh? That’s worse," Micah said, sounding offended. "What’s Darcy now, your captain? Or your tutor?"

Darcy’s shoulders began to shake from laughter. He couldn’t help it anymore.

Lulu stepped in quickly, trying to smooth things over. "We are sorry if it came off that way. We were just excited to meet DarkVyne. That’s all."

Micah gave a solemn nod, his voice laced with mock seriousness. "Alright then. If you excuse us, I have a word for my dear friend."

Without waiting for a response, Micah tugged Darcy by the arm and pulled him aside, away from the group.

Zian let out a loud exhale, clutching his chest. "Whew. He is really scary. I don’t know how Captain hangs out with him."

"His tongue is really poisonous," Flinn added, nodding.

Elijah dragged a hand down his face. "Anyway, this is our luck. Our captain’s got his eyes set on Frosty."

"Yeah. I was skeptical at first," one of the younger members chimed in. "But after today’s match? I get it. I can see why Captain is interested in him."

"Right. If we could rope Frosty into the team, DarkVyne would be a natural fit. He follows for sure," another said.

From the side, Lulu and Elly exchanged a look.

Their expression turned comical.

That was too far from the truth. Archie wasn’t interested in DarkVyne. And it wasn’t Frosty’s gaming skills that caught Archie’s eye. It was the boy himself.

Elijah’s lips also twitched. But he had not the heart to tell them the truth.

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