Chapter 415: He Had Known All Long
Albert Ramsy sat in his study, and the late evening light illuminated the room through the tall windows. A letter from the hospital lay open on his desk. He had already read it twice. Darcy Edwood had made a request; he wanted to know his biological parents.
Albert leaned back in his leather chair, his fingers tapping on the desk. He wasn’t surprised. The boy was logical, calculating, and looking at everything objectively. That was something Albert had discovered long ago when he began investigating his life thoroughly.
Darcy was the opposite of Micah in every sense. Where Micah acted on emotion, Darcy moved on obligation and purpose. He never wasted his time on trivialities. No late-night parties, no smoking, no karaoke or bars. No alcohol, nor mingling with the wrong crowd. His life had been nothing but study and work from the age of thirteen. He was a boy who built himself into something useful, dependable. Even he could influence Micah’s life choices too.
Albert exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. His request to know his biological parents was not something sentimental, no. It should be practical. The thought left a sour taste in Albert’s mouth.
He reached for the phone on his desk and dialled his lawyer. "Jerad, go talk to him. Never mention the Ramsy family until I meet him. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
Albert ended the call.
He was worried about Micah. Everything he had done, every careful step, was to minimise the damage for Micah’s sake. If the truth had been dumped on Darcy without preparation, the boy’s reaction might have been uncontrollable. Darcy might have reacted too severely realising Micah knew since he met him. Albert could only do this much for his grandsons.
His wife’s words echoed in his mind from the night before. It was not optimistic. Micah still could not cope with the truth being known. There was nothing they could do. All he could do was try to control the damage before it destroyed Micah and Darcy.
*****
Two days later, the sterile smell of disinfectant filled Albert’s lungs as he stepped into the hospital room. The lawyer had already spoken to Darcy, already gotten consent to run a test. All that was left now was the confrontation.
The moment Albert entered, his eyes locked with the boy’s. Darcy’s dark pupils dilated, shock flooding his features. Then, in the span of a heartbeat, they constricted. His face twisted as the realisation dawned on him. And for a moment, Albert saw nothing but raw, naked betrayal in his eyes.
"Hello, young man. We meet again." Albert Ramsy said calmly. Yet there was a small tremor underneath that he couldn’t quite hide.
Darcy gritted his teeth. "You..." The single word was spat more than spoken, restrained.
Albert took a step closer, then he lowered himself into the chair at the side of the room. "I believe you have guessed by now," he said softly. "Yes. You are the real young master."
The words hadn’t even fully left his mouth before Darcy’s composure broke. His voice exploded. "Where is Micah?"
Albert didn’t get angry. "The hospital had found that ten newborns were swapped during the time that the nurse worked here. You were not the only one affected."
"I don’t care about that. Where is he?" Darcy growled.
Albert tilted his head, studying the boy’s blazing eyes. "And...What exactly do you intend to do if you find him? Hit him? Blame him?"
Darcy’s chest heaved as he took a step forward, his voice low and furious. "That’s not your damn business! He knew... didn’t he? He knew all along."
Albert held his gaze. "The reality does not change. It was the nurse’s fault. Not Micah’s."
"I don’t care whose fault it is. Just tell me where he has gone. Where is he hiding?" Darcy asked.
Albert exhaled slowly, his expression tightening for the first time. "Well. You are too emotional right now. We’ll talk after you’ve calmed down."
Darcy clenched his fists by his side, nails digging into his palms. He came here expecting nothing much. But the moment he saw Micah’s grandfather, his heart sank. What else could explain all of this except that Micah knew? It was right in front of his eyes. Micah’s disappearance. The coincidence of the hospital’s call. Then, knowing he was switched. Micah knew before him and had escaped.
Darcy’s throat tightened painfully.
Why hadn’t Micah told him? Why? Micah couldn’t open up to him and say the truth? Why? Was he that fearful? What had he done for Micah to think he would react negatively to the truth?
Darcy couldn’t breathe in the room any longer. His feet moved before his mind caught up, carrying him out the door. The hallway blurred around him, his steps echoing harshly against the tiles.
His mind was a mess. He needed to see Micah. Needed to talk to him. Was Micah blaming himself? Thinking it was his fault?
He was sure the boy would think he had stolen his life. That boy was too kind-hearted. Too gentle. He had to comfort him. To tell him it didn’t matter, that none of it changed how he felt. His steps grew quicker, almost frantic.
He made his way to a nearby internet cafe and sat before a computer. His reflection on the dark screen looked haggard, eyes wild with determination.
With swift fingers, he typed a string of codes, tracing digital footprints. He never thought that one day he would use his skills to find Micah’s whereabouts. But he did. At last, a trace appeared. The last place Micah’s phone had been switched on. Darcy hurriedly wrote the address down on a scrap of paper. His hands shook slightly as he folded it into his pocket.
Without wasting another second, he bolted from the internet cafe. Before he knew it, he was at the airport. Buying the first ticket, he boarded the plane without looking back, his body stiff, his jaw clenched. The engine roared, and the aircraft lifted into the sky. Darcy’s mind replayed one word again and again. Micah. He needed answers, yes... but he needed to reassure him too.