From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 606: The Guest List (part one/ Aidan)

Aidan leaned against the cold marble railing on the second floor, one elbow hooked lazily over the edge as he gazed down at the vast lobby below. Crystal chandeliers spilled warm light across the hall, catching on diamonds, sequins, and polished leather shoes.

The place was packed to the brim. Women glided past in dazzling gowns and men stood in small clusters with champagne flutes in hand, every smile plastic and every laugh carefully pitched.

It was noisy, but in a restrained way. The kind of noise that came from money and power rubbing shoulders.

Aidan lifted his glass and took a sip, the amber liquid burning faintly as it slid down his throat. His eyes narrowed, sharp and calculating, as the crooked smirk on his face deepened.

He looked perfectly at ease, almost careless. Tonight, he wore a deep blue suit tailored close to his frame, the fabric catching the light just enough to draw attention. Beneath it was a black shirt, the two top buttons undone carelessly, exposing a hint of collarbone and giving him an intentionally reckless edge. His black hair was styled with deliberate messiness, strands falling forward as if he had just run a hand through it and never bothered to fix it. The way he leaned was lazy and loose, like the entire world was a joke he had already heard, broadcasting arrogance without him having to say a word.

Natasha stood to his left, one hand resting lightly on the railing as she scanned the crowd below. Monica stood on his other side, posture straighter, her gaze flickering from face to face as if mentally cataloguing every important guest.

"Such a crowd..." Monica murmured, eyebrows lifting slightly. "Did all of Isatis city decide to show up tonight?"

Aidan let out a short scoff, swirling the drink in his glass. "It’s your family’s auction," he said, voice dripping with mockery. "Of course they came running. The Francis name still has weight here even when it’s casually tossed around."

Monica turned toward him, a smile curving her lips. It wasn’t offended, if anything, she seemed amused. "Well," she said lightly, "I think you did a splendid job. The hype alone is impressive."

Aidan didn’t want to hide his smugness. He tilted his head slightly, eyes half-lidded as if the praise was expected, showcasing there was not one shred of humility in his blood. "Of course I did," he replied without hesitation. "You came to the right person."

Natasha burst into laughter, covering her mouth briefly before dropping her hand. "Yeah. Mum’s going to be so thrilled. Even our aunt and cousin are attending tonight."

Aidan arched an eyebrow. "Wouldn’t that be a given?"

Monica shook her head slowly, her smile fading into something more resigned. "Not really. My aunt only shows up when it’s something directly tied to the Francis family. And my cousin is worse. He never sets foot in any gathering. Ever."

That caught Aidan’s attention, just a little. He hummed thoughtfully and gave a small nod, eyes drifting back toward the lobby. Truth to be told, he had never seen this Mrs Durant, Luna Francis, up close. Even though he had behaved like a social butterfly attending any gathering in Isats city, acting as a womaniser and questionable character, some figures remained just out of reach.

But he heard a lot of praise about her. His eyes were glued to the entrance below, waiting for his target to arrive.

Micah Ramsy had lost his importance after last night. The explosive news he got stunned him. Micah Ramsy, that arrogant waste, was a fake. Aidan’s careful planning, the strings he had pulled, the subtle provocations, all of them had turned into a joke overnight. Every move he had made under the assumption that Micah was the true heir had suddenly lost its value, rendered it pointless.

The revelation irritated him more than he cared to admit.

There had been no time to properly investigate the true young master, Darcy from last night. He only caught a glimpse of the man’s face and picked up some surface-level information.

His priority was still the president of La Riviere, Clyde Du Pont. After his encounter with that girl, beaten and bruised, his dislike for the man skyrocketed. He was his rival but treating a woman like a punching bag... that was too low.

Aidan wasn’t a saint. He used women as covers, toying with their feelings, he always compensated them with money and opportunity.

Clyde Du Pont crossed a line.

His fingers tightened slightly around the glass as he remembered memories he had tried so hard to forget.

Unfortunately, the mobile phone he had handed to that girl had been switched off all this time. He couldn’t track her. But around two weeks ago the phone was turned on.

Aidan was not too disappointed when he realised the tracking app was gone. Someone like Clyde Du Pont would never allow that kind of vulnerability. The tracking app was deleted. But he could at least send texts to her.

Aidan had not contacted her though. If she were caught she would turn into a fallen chess piece. Not useful anymore.

So he had waited patiently, betting on his intuition that she would be here. The girl had appeared last time in that charity gala, which meant she had a purpose, an objective she was chasing. Perhaps even her closeness to Clyde Du Pont was deliberate, even a scheme.

Either way, Aidan was still optimistic he could use her to find that young man who ghosted him and find a weakness in Clyde Du Pont.

Suddenly he caught Willow Ramsy’s figure. He straightened, pushing himself off the railing in one smooth motion. His expression shifted instantly into charm as he turned to the two women beside him. "If you excuse me, beautiful ladies," he said lightly, flashing a grin before heading for the stairs.

He descended at an unhurried pace, step measured, gaze already tracking movement below.

He was only one step behind when he heard Gu Feifei’s voice ring out. The reply Darcy had given her made him snicker. Gu Feifei really did sound like a dog barking for attention. His impression of the young man shifted almost instantly.

Before he had assumed Darcy would be awkward, stiff, overwhelmed and nervous, attending for the first time to this kind of social gathering. But the young man stood tall, shoulders relaxed, expression calm. Confident and at ease. He even mocked the girl who played the host.

He paused, following his movement with his eyes. They went toward the other members of the Du Pont family.

Aidan was not surprised. He had done his homework on Micah before. And he knew his roommate was Emile Collins, Clyde’s nephew.

And Darcy being close to Micah explained everything.

Then, one small distraction and just like that, Darcy vanished from the lobby. Aidan frowned. He straightened, scanning the place more carefully, fingers brushing the edge of his jacket. He clicked his tongue.

He had people to watch the CCTV, to track him but they were useless, losing him. As if he had been a drop of water disappearing into the ground.

Aidan ran a hand through his hair, irritation flashing across his face before he smoothed it away. This was the one chance he had tonight to get close to the true young master and it slipped right through his fingers.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. Then his mood worsened.

He spotted someone he loathed. Fuck. Why was Nabil Lobart here?

Aidan’s lips curled in distaste. He was his older sister’s fiancé. A dog for his sibling, his enemies.

He thought he would be out after his younger brother was landed in the hospital.

But no... apparently he had a mind to attend the auction. He let out a sharp click of his tongue. Tsk. Shit got complicated.

As if summoned by his irritation, the young man standing beside Nabil Lobart turned toward him, eyes unreadable.

A chill ran down his spine. Aidan was caught off guard. He blinked and saw the young man drop his head shyly.

"Brother," he asked softly, voice tentative. "Is this your friend?"

Nabil Lobart turned his head toward Aidan. "No, he is family." The voice was full of detachment.

Aidan gritted his teeth. He stepped forward anyway and smirked, masking his annoyance. "Oh, Mr Lobart," he said smoothly and cranked his neck. "Where is my dear older sister?"

Nabil Lobart gave him a sideline glance. "She is unwell. I came with my younger brother."

Noas Lobart nodded, acting timid.

Aidan raised an eyebrow. Was the boy discharged already? This soon? But he couldn’t behave as he cared about Lobart’s business. It was against his crafted laid-back persona.

"What do you think? Isn’t my girlfriend’s work splendid?" he said, gesturing with his hand around.

Well, he could throw it to his face. There was a rumour that this man had approached Gu Feifie before when he was a nobody, trying to gain benefits from Gu Donghai.

Aidan had no idea what exactly had happened. But he would use anything to take a jab at Nabil Lobart.

Nabil took a drink and nodded. "Yes. I’m sure it’s all thanks to Gu’s impressive upbringing that such a fine young lady could arrange an event this upscale."

Aidan’s smile stayed in place, but inside he seethed. What a pain in the ass. Nothing could crack this piece of wood, drawing even the slightest emotion from him.

Author’s note:

❤️❤️🎄🎁 Merry Christmas Everyone 🎄🎁❤️❤️

I hope everyone is staying warm(or chilling like me since it’s summer in the southern hemisphere), safe, and surrounded by family and good things. Thank you for reading and being here. 😘😘