Chapter 283: The Vinegar in the Room
Micah returned to the condo, glasses sitting neatly on his face. The moment he stepped through the door, he froze.
There, standing casually in the living room, was Georgina.
Micah’s face lit up. "Teacher!" he blurted, practically leaping forward like a gust of wind. "You are here too!"
His sudden energy made the others turn, but none were more unsurprised than Clyde, who let out a sigh. Of course. He knew this would happen. The moment Micah laid eyes on Georgina, he would drop everything and turn into a starstruck, frantic fanboy.
Georgina turned her head, catching sight of Micah as he rushed toward her. "Hello," she greeted, smiling with relaxed grace. "Fancy seeing you here too. I’ve heard so much about you from this guy." She patted Clyde’s arm playfully.
Micah’s excited gaze faltered slightly when he noticed Georgina’s hand. She was leaning slightly against Clyde, her delicate fingers patting his forearm. They looked friendly, casual...
Micah felt extremely uncomfortable. He knew Clyde didn’t look at Georgina that way, Clyde barely looked at anyone like that. But Georgina? She was beautiful, confident, close in age, and easy to talk to. What if she had a crush on Clyde?
He had never thought about it before. Now the thought twisted in his gut like thorns.
Clearing his throat, he stepped closer, positioning himself a bit nearer to Clyde. "Have you seen my sketches, teacher?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and composed. All of his excitement had gone down the drain the moment that thought flashed in his mind.
Georgina’s lips curled into a knowing smirk. She turned to Clyde and gave his arm a light pinch. "Yeah, I have," she said, her voice amused. "Clyde had shown them to me."
She was enjoying Micah’s reaction. Ah, he was such an open book. Georgina could practically smell the vinegar in the air.
Micah’s jaw tightened slightly. His eyes dropped to Georgina’s hand on Clyde’s arm. He wanted to separate the two. Shouting, ’Get your hands off him, woman.’ But he couldn’t. He bit the inside of his cheek, controlling his temper.
"I’d be grateful to hear your opinion," Micah said instead, trying to sound calm and collected.
Georgina had enough fun watching Micah squirm. She let go of Clyde’s arm nonchalantly, pretending not to notice how Micah’s shoulders relaxed the moment she did.
"Sure," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can spare a moment."
She gestured toward the couch, and Micah sat down beside her, trying to look casual. But he kept darting glances at Clyde.
Of course, Clyde also noticed Micah’s subtle shift in expression. He sighed. What he had feared had come true. Georgina had never patted him or gotten close to him. But the moment she saw Micah, her mischievousness flared up.
And honestly, a small part of him had been curious to see how Micah would react.
Clyde pinched the bridge of his nose. He was acting childish too.
Nearby, Jacklin stepped up beside Clyde. "Uncle, why is he here? Who had invited him? Was it Emile?" she asked, confused, her voice low.
Clyde slid his hands into his pants pockets, expression unreadable. "No," he replied simply. "It was me."
Jacklin’s eyes widened. "Huh? You? Why? How do you even meet him?"
"It’s complicated. Anyway, don’t talk nonsense in front of him." Clyde warned.
Jacklin tilted her head. "No, uncle, explain it clearly. What do you mean by ’nonsense’?"
"I mean don’t talk about Asena in front of him," Clyde said.
Before Jacklin could push for more, Lin Heye called out. "Lunch is ready."
The conversation paused as everyone turned toward the dining area. Plates clattered, the chair shifted, and the table began to fill.
Micah returned from the couch with Georgina, but the moment he saw Clyde pulling out a chair beside her, something in him snapped. His heart leapt into his throat.
Oh no you don’t.
Without a word, he strode forward and slid into the seat between them. A clean, tactical insertion, one that separated Clyde and Georgina with military precision.
Clyde paused, a small smile crept onto his face before he quickly masked it. He sat beside Micah in silence.
The others peeked at them secretly. Those who knew the truth, like Lin Heye, Dylon, Mason, and Georgina, exchanged looks behind their drinks with amusement. Those who didn’t know watched with suspicion and confusion.
Micah dropped his head, his posture stiff. He was trying hard to act as if this was all perfectly casual. But he could feel the eyes on him.
He kicked Clyde’s foot under the table in anger. If this man behaved like a taken man, he wouldn’t have behaved like a jealous fool.
Clyde glanced sideways, blinking. Then, slowly, he looked back at his plate. Silent. Feigning total innocence.
The meal began with light chatter, talking about the funny things they had encountered. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
Micah slowly relaxed. He even laughed once or twice. When Clyde’s glass was low, Micah quietly refilled it. When someone passed a dish, he picked out the pieces he knew Clyde liked and nudged them over with his fork.
Meanwhile, Clyde calmly put on gloves, cracked the lobsters’ shells, and placed the fresh meat onto Micah’s plate.
Micah could feel people were staring, poking a hole in him. He coughed awkwardly. "That’s enough," he whispered.
Clyde paused, then placed the last one on his own plate and resumed eating like nothing had happened.
Across the table, the trio Du Ponts, Jacklin, Emile, and Dean, were sitting motionless, watching their uncle like he had grown wings.
Jacklin leaned toward her cousins. "What is this?" she whispered urgently.
Dean replied. "That’s what I told you. Uncle is acting strange."
Emile leaned in. "But Micah is more suspicious. Did you see how he sat between them?"
"Yeah, and now he’s feeding uncle."
"No way!" Emile hissed. "Micah is into our uncle or something?"
"But Uncle is with Asena!"
"Yeah. I thought so." Jacklin muttered.
They glanced again, watching as Micah reached over to grab the last scotch fillet and placed it on Clyde’s plate.
Jacklin narrowed her eyes. "Wait for me in your room after Lunch. We need to talk."
Her cousins nodded and resumed eating while their eyes darted toward Micah.
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