From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 204: A Tornado Named Micah (part 1)

Inside the McKay residence, Seth rang the doorbell in a rush, his fingers tapping the button a second time even before the sound of the first chime faded. The moment the door cracked open, Mother McKay pulled it wide and immediately grabbed his wrist.

"Seth! You’re finally here," she gasped, not giving him a chance to step in on his own. She pulled him through the entryway with urgency, her grip tight, her footsteps fast and uneven as she led him toward the hallway.

"Mum, what happened? What’s the big emergency?" Seth asked, worry spreading over his face as he tried to keep up with her pace.

"It’s your little brother, Leo. He’s...he is acting strangely. He locked himself in his room, won’t talk to anyone, and now he started drinking!" she said breathlessly, looking over her shoulder, her eyes wide with a mixture of anger and helplessness.

Seth’s feet stumbled for half a second. "What? Drinking?" His face twisted in confusion. "Leo?!" Seth asked with disbelief.

"I know," she exclaimed. "I don’t know what had happened. Maybe it’s his agency? Did someone threaten him? Blackmail? There is always something horrible in the news about the entertainment industry. I am starting to think your father was right. We never should have let him become a star."

Seth let out a frustrated breath and gently pried his wrist free as they reached the hallway. "Mum, he is twenty-five. He is not a kid anymore. You can’t choose his future for him. It was his decision to be an actor. He should bear the responsibility."

Her mouth fell open slightly, her voice suddenly quieter, hurt. "How could you be so cold?"

He paused, softening slightly, but didn’t back down. "So what, Mum? You want to keep babying him until he’s old and grey?"

"Of course not!" she said quickly, shaking her head. "But... But we are parents... we can’t just sit by while he’s hurting like this."

Seth sighed in resignation, pressing his fingers to his temples. "You are blowing this out of proportion. Maybe he just got dumped or something."

"Dumped?" she repeated sharply. "Did he even have a girlfriend?"

Seth hesitated and ran a hand through his hair. "Fair point. Where’s Dad? What about Luca?"

"Your dad tried talking to him, but Leo wouldn’t listen. You know how your father gets, he has been brooding in the study ever since," she said, waving a hand in frustration. "And Luca..."

A voice cut in before she could finish.

"Hey, older brother."

Seth turned toward the sound and spotted Luca standing near the bottom step, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw clenched, his expression dark and rigid.

"Luca..."Seth said cautiously, noting the tension in Luca’s shoulders and the stiffness in his expression.

"Don’t bother," Luca said angrily. "He won’t open the door. I was this close to breaking it down, but Mum stopped me."

Seth’s eyes narrowed as he looked closer. Luca’s knuckles were red, almost raw. "Mum, his hands, can you get the first aid kit?"

Mother McKay turned sharply. Her eyes followed Seth’s gaze and landed on Luca’s bruised hands. "What on earth, Luca!" she cried, smacking his arm lightly. "Why didn’t you say anything? Come here this instant."

She dragged him toward the living room, muttering under her breath as she reached for the cabinet with the bandages.

Seth sighed heavily and headed down the hallway alone. He stopped in front of Leo’s room and rested his hand against it. The door was shut tight, not a sliver of light coming from underneath. No sound of movement.

He knocked softly. "Leo, it’s me. Open the door."

There was no sound. He knocked again, louder this time. "Come on, Leo. Talk to me."

A few minutes passed, and then, faintly, the lock clicked. The door creaked open just enough to let out a wave of stale air and alcohol. The strong smell hit Seth like a slap, making his nose wrinkle. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. The room was pitch dark. Fumbling along the wall, Seth found the switch and turned the lights on.

"Turn it off," came a hoarse voice from somewhere inside.

Seth hesitated, then flipped the light back off, plunging the room into dimness. His eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dark. He slowly stepped forward and sat on the bed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently.

"I found him..." Leo’s voice was rough, low, and thick.

It took a few seconds for Seth to process the words. His breath caught. "Really? You found him? Oh man! You found him before I did! That’s embarrassing for me, huh?"

He laughed weakly, trying to lighten the mood, but the silence that followed felt like a wall.

Seth stopped laughing, sensing something was amiss. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Why aren’t you happy? Haven’t you been waiting for this?"

Leo shifted on the ground. He was leaning on the bed frame, his legs stretched out on the floor. One arm rested on his knee., the other holding a half-empty bottle that hung loosely from his fingers.

He took a sip from it and looked up. In the faint glow of light from the window, Seth saw his eyes, red, swollen, bloodshot.

Leo’s lips twitched but didn’t form a smile. He closed his eyes for a second. "I was... but he ran away from me..." he whispered.

Seth slowly slid off the bed and sat down beside him on the ground. The bottle clinked lightly as Leo set it down.

"I expected that," Seth said quietly, resting his arms on his knees. "If he wanted to be known, he wouldn’t have tried so hard to erase his tracks."

There was a silence. Then Seth spoke again. "So, who was he?"

"A handsome young man...name’s Micah."

Seth jolted. "What did you say?" he asked, turning his head sharply to look at him.

Leo opened his eyes slowly, the red in them sharp even in the dark.

"I said... his name is Micah."

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