From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 728: The Aftercare Was Unnecessary

Just after witnessing the most disgusting green smoothie disappearing and successfully being erased from existence, Micah’s hazel eyes curved into shining crescents. He looked from the empty glass... to Clyde. A strange mix of relief and approval flickered across his face.

Finally, he turned toward Jacob, clearing his throat as if nothing had happened. "Dad," he said, voice steady, though still carrying a trace of curiosity, "did something happen?"

Jacob set a neatly arranged plate of fruit in front of him, the pieces were cut in unimaginable shapes, clearly proving he had no experience in the kitchen. His expression was gentle, but there was something thoughtful behind his eyes. "No," Jacob replied calmly. "We just saw your post and got worried."

Micah blinked. Post?

Jacob continued, as if this were the most normal explanation in the world. "You haven’t said anything about going public."

Micah picked up a grape and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly. For a moment... he genuinely didn’t understand. His mind stalled. Then, like a delayed reaction finally catching up... Ah. The WeChat moment. Right. That.

He swallowed. "Public what?" he asked, brows knitting together in confusion. Because really, how could a single WeChat post cause this? An entire family mobilising like a response team, showing up first thing in the morning?

It didn’t make sense. Not completely. And judging by the way the room suddenly went quiet...

It didn’t make sense to everyone else either. A brief, almost comical silence fell over the kitchen. Utensils paused mid-motion. Voices died out. And then, almost in perfect synchronisation, everyone turned their heads. Toward Clyde.

It lasted only a second. A single, loaded second.

And then, just as quickly, they all went back to what they were doing, as if nothing had happened.

Aria resumed stirring. Elina adjusted something on the counter. Willow returned to her phone. Jacob reached for another piece of fruit. Flora checked the simmering pot. The picture of normalcy. Completely natural. Entirely innocent.

Except, every single one of them was thinking the exact same thing: Wow. Clyde is bold. Bold enough to make things public without even telling Micah. Bold enough to claim him outright. Bold enough to... survive whatever came next.

Because really... Didn’t he fear Micah’s wrath?

Micah, meanwhile, had not missed that glance. Not even for a second. His eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly turned his head toward Clyde. There was no immediate explosion. Just a quiet, pointed look.

Clyde felt it instantly. Of course he did. He swallowed hard.

Internally, he could already tell, this was a setup. A very deliberate, very coordinated act of throwing him under the bus. So this is how it is, he thought. Not a single ally in sight. Still, he couldn’t exactly deny it. So he spoke carefully. "Our picture," Clyde said slowly, "apparently got leaked."

Micah stared at him. Then realisation dawned. His lips twitched faintly, like he was about to say something sharp, something biting, but in the end, he didn’t. He didn’t lash out. Didn’t jab at Clyde. Didn’t even sigh dramatically. Instead, his expression shifted into something... complicated.

Ahh...This man. This insecure man. Even after everything, after they had already crossed every possible boundary, after they had spent the night together... Clyde still felt the need to make it official. To make sure everyone knew. To announce it to those four men.

Micah exhaled quietly. "Oh... that happened," he said. His tone was calm.

Elina chose that exact moment to place a plate of freshly toasted bread onto the table, as if perfectly timed to break any lingering tension.

Aria and Jacob moved to sit down as well, settling into their seats like this was just another ordinary morning. All eyes drifted back to Micah. Watching. Waiting. Observing.

Micah picked up his fork and paused. There wasn’t any sound. He looked up. "Why aren’t you eating?" he asked.

Aria answered immediately, casual as ever. "We’re full. We ate before coming."

Micah’s gaze slowly shifted across the table. The spread. The variety. The sheer amount of food. Egg custard. Porridge. Fruits. Toast. Milk. Everything neatly prepared. Everything fresh and rich. Everything... for him.

His face flushed in a deep red. He wasn’t an idiot. There was no way, no fucking way, this was just casual cooking. They had prepared all of this just for him because of what had happened. Because of what they thought had happened. Micah’s grip tightened slightly around his fork.

Then slowly, he turned his head. And glared at Clyde.

Clyde, who was currently sitting beside him, peeling a boiled egg with absolute focus, as if his life depended on it. Completely calm and composed. As if he had nothing to do with any of this. The shell came off cleanly. Clyde placed the peeled egg onto Micah’s plate.

Micah stared at it. Then at him. Then back at the egg. Even worse, Clyde hadn’t taken anything for himself. He wasn’t eating. Not a single bite.

Elina’s voice cut in again, warm but firm. "Sweetheart, what are you waiting for?" she urged, pushing the bowl of rice porridge toward him.

It wasn’t just porridge. It was loaded. Honey was drizzled generously on top. Almonds. Walnuts. Everything rich. Everything nourishing. Everything screaming: Eat me. You need this after your nightly indulgence.

Micah’s soul left his body for the second time that morning. He knew. He knew exactly what this was. Energy replenishment. Recovery food.

Micah picked up his spoon. Slowly. Very slowly. And began to eat. He had nothing left. Not even the dignity to protest!

Every bite felt heavier than the last. Every movement painfully aware. Every second stretched under the invisible weight of everyone’s attention. Even if they weren’t staring, they knew. And he knew they knew. And they knew he knew they knew.

It was unbearable. Somehow he finished. He didn’t even remember how. It just... happened. By the time he set the spoon down, he felt like his stomach was about to explode.

He had eaten too much. Too fast. Under too much pressure. And yet, he had survived barely. At least he hadn’t bolted this time. That had to count for something.

A dangerous thought suddenly crossed his mind. Thank God I’m not a girl... Because if he were, he would be absolutely certain his family would have shoved this entire spread in front of Clyde instead. Encouraging him. Supporting him. Ensuring optimal... performance for his little swimmers...

Micah closed his eyes. No. No. He refused to think about that. Absolutely not.

Meanwhile, Clyde, noticing Micah’s discomfort, decided wisely that a distraction was necessary. So he had brought up last night’s post. "You don’t have to worry," he said calmly. "I’ve already arranged for a team to monitor public opinion."

Aria immediately backed him up. "Yeah, Mum, look," she said, holding up her phone. "So far, everything’s under control."

She scrolled slightly. "Most of the comments are actually in favour of Micah."

Willow nodded from the side. "The response is surprisingly positive."

Flora stepped forward gently, placing a bowl of freshly prepared herbal medicine in front of Micah. "It’s still hot," she said softly. "Let it cool a bit."

Micah stared at it. He had just finished eating. His stomach was full. And now, This Dark, Bitter, Unavoidable liquid.

He didn’t even hesitate. He pinched his nose. He picked it up and drank it in one go. Done. Finished. He set the bowl down immediately and stood up. "I’ll go check on Darcy and Nora," he said quickly.

And before anyone could respond.. He left. Just like that. Gone. Escaped.

*****

Silence lingered in the penthouse after his departure. A slightly awkward one. Clyde remained seated. He was surrounded once again by the Ramsy family.

Jacob was the first to speak. "Have you prepared for your proposal?"

The question landed like a bomb. No buildup. No warning.

Clyde blinked once.

Flora, Aria, and Willow all turned toward Jacob in surprise. Proposal? That fast?

But Jacob’s reasoning was simple. The situation had already escalated this far. Public exposure. Family involvement. At this point, Micah needed something official. A title. A position. Something solid like being Clyde’s fiancé.

"Truthfully... no," Clyde admitted after a pause. "I wanted it to be unforgettable for Micah. But I’m not sure what he’d like." He leaned back slightly. "I don’t think he’d enjoy anything too cheesy." Then, after a brief hesitation, he added sincerely, "I’d appreciate any suggestions."

His gaze shifted toward Flora. "And Mrs Edwood... I apologise for not informing you earlier. I didn’t want to affect your health, fearing you’d get too excited and all. So I told Darcy instead."

Elina immediately stiffened. Right, Flora seemed shocked. Internally, she cursed Darcy. That stubborn boy! He hadn’t said a word. Not even a hint. She quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Darcy probably got busy," she said lightly. "That child can be quite absent-minded."

Flora shook her head gently. "It’s alright," she said. And she meant it. There was no resentment in her voice. No disappointment. Only quiet acceptance. She wasn’t angry that she was left out. Truthfully she had done nothing for Micah until now. And instead, she was a burden. "Honestly, I’m just happy for Micah." She smiled softly at Clyde. "He’s found someone who cares for him deeply."

Clyde returned the smile, genuine and warm.

Then Aria suddenly perked up. "Can he travel?" she asked. "What about an island? Somewhere quiet and romantic?"

Willow immediately shook her head. "Not good for his condition."

"What about fireworks?" Jacob suggested.

"No way!" Elina shut it down instantly. "Too cliché." Then she suggested, "What do you think about going classic? A candlelit dinner, with romantic live music?"

Aria grimaced. "Nope. Micah wouldn’t like it. That’s too ordinary." Then she added, "Billboards?" She said excitedly. "Across the city?" She raised her hand and moved it horizontally. "Something like ’Micah, would you marry me?"

"Veto!" They all at once shouted in sync.

Aria pouted.

Flora chuckled softly. Then spoke. "Can I ask... how Mr Ramsy proposed to Mrs Ramsy?"

Elina froze.

Jacob coughed. "Well... at the time, Elina had a bit of a... reputation."

"What kind of reputation?" Aria demanded.

"What do you mean?" Willow added.

"She liked to ride a bike." Jacob laughed. "And she had a whole biking gang."

"They were not a gang! They were my brothers and close friends." Elina corrected him. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Honey you were so wild. They were definitely a gang." He continued anyway. "I asked them to help. They formed a heart shape in an open space... and I waited in the centre. On one knee."

Aria squealed. "That’s so romantic!"

Flora smiled. "Mine was simpler," she said. "I was painting. Oliver was posing for me, as usual." Her eyes softened at the memory. "I looked up and he was already on one knee with a ring in his hand." She laughed lightly. "I made him stay like that while I finished the painting."

Clyde listened quietly. Taking it all in.

Flora looked at him again. "So I think... it doesn’t need to be grand." She paused. "It’s better to do something that is meaningful to Micah. Even better if it’s something only you two know."

Clyde nodded slowly. "I understand. I’ll think about it carefully."