CHAPTER 523: RABBITS BETWEEN CARNIVORES (PART ONE)

Micah unlocked his apartment door and stepped into silence. The lights were off, no voices. He frowned, kicking off his shoes and glancing toward the living room and kitchen.

"Where did he go?" he muttered under his breath.

Darcy and he had settled into a routine living together. Most of the time, they ate upstairs to put Flora and Nora at ease.

Micah could see they were too cautious when he stayed with them. And honestly, Micah didn’t want to put Flora into a stressful situation.

After checking the rooms and bathrooms, he turned on his heels and walked downstairs. He pressed the doorbell of the apartment below.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing Darcy.

The young man stood with one hand still on the handle, his dark hair a little dishevelled, his eyes calm but guarded.

"Good, you’re back," Darcy said evenly, though his gaze held a faint chill. "They are here for you." He pointed behind him.

Micah froze, his greeting stuck in his throat as he spotted his family, his entire family, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the Edwoods’ living room. Elina, in her neatly pressed skirt, posture as straight as an arrow, Jacob, already fiddling with his glasses, his older sister Willow sipping tea politely, and Aria, the second sister, with her arms folded, looking unimpressed as ever.

Micah’s throat went dry. "Ah...uh..."

He stepped inside awkwardly, his movements stiff. With the corner of his eye, Micah sneaked a glance at Darcy, studying his expression. Was he angry? Annoyed? Did he think I told them to come here?

Darcy’s jaw was tight, his dark eyes frosty.

Micah shifted from one foot to another, terrified. He swallowed hard, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Mum, Dad, older sister, second sister," he greeted, nodding one by one. His voice was unnatural.

Elina’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You don’t seem happy to see us," she said, smoothing the hem of her skirt with one elegant hand.

"How could that be, Mum?" Micah’s lips twitched.

Jacob coughed softly, stepping in before the tension could stretch further. "Son, where were you? We called several times."

Micah fished out his phone from his pocket, looking at the screen. "Ah, sorry I must’ve put it on silent..." he lied.

In truth, he had placed all their numbers on do-not-disturb. He had been afraid that their calls would show up on the screen at the wrong moment, maybe caught on some security camera.

Micah didn’t want to risk anything. Maybe he was too paranoid, but the novel content had made him wary.

"What was wrong?" Micah asked carelessly, tucking the phone away again.

Elina gave him a sharp look, but didn’t respond.

Aria tilted her head. "Little brother, do you have to ask?" she said, her voice full of disapproval.

Micah rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "Haha, no... I mean..." he really had no idea what mess he had made for his parents to show up in person.

Noticing Micah’s stammering in panic, Flora stepped forward with a gentle smile. "They were worried about you and called us," she explained. "I told them you had some errands to do and then... I invited them over."

Micah’s shoulders relaxed slightly, gratitude flickering in his eyes. Thank God, he hadn’t been caught doing something disastrous.

Jacob caught that look and groaned inwardly. His wife’s aura had already darkened, and his son’s gaze toward Flora certainly wasn’t helping. He cleared his throat, thinking his son was a lost cause, brazenly looking at his biological mother like that in front of Elina, his adoptive mother...

Hearing the sound, Micah turned his head and noticed Aria and Jacob gesturing with their eyes subtly toward Elina.

Micah’s heart sank. Crap! He was finished. He immediately stepped forward and sat beside Elina. "Mum, how are you?" he grabbed her hand, acting coy.

Elina’s gaze flicked past him straight toward Darcy, who stood far away from them, quiet and stiff. "Not bad, dear," she said coolly, "I manage."

Micah’s hand almost slipped, catching the look. He was sweating profusely from the awkwardness. Darcy and his family were like oil and water; no matter what the situation was, they never mixed.

Flora appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks. Before she could pass the threshold, Darcy stepped forward and took it from her hands. "I’ll handle it, Mum. You just sit down."

His tone was firm but affectionate, and Flora hesitated before nodding and taking a seat near the edge of the sofa.

Her eyes went to Nora, who had hidden in the kitchen, peeking timidly.

The three blood-related Edwoods looked like three trembling rabbits trapped between two huge carnivores. One side was Darcy, and the other Ramsy family.

Darcy walked to the coffee table and carefully placed each glass in front of Ramsy’s family members before stepping back and sitting as far away as possible, his back straight, his expression unreadable.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Micah gulped. He could already feel the storm brewing. Any moment now, he was going to be scolded. For what he had no idea, but experience told him it was coming. "So, what were you looking for me for?" he asked in the end.

Willow placed down her teacup with a soft click. "Didn’t you suggest we stay here temporarily, too? We waited, but you never contacted us again."

Micah slapped his forehead. "Ah! It slipped my mind!"

"That shows how much you care for us," Elina mumbled, her voice sweet but cutting.

"Mum! That’s not true." Micah protested, leaning toward her with wide eyes. He was about to continue coaxing his mother when Darcy’s voice interrupted. "No one cared to discuss it with me?"

Micah flinched, looking at the dark-haired young man’s grim face. His stomach dropped.

Shit! He was really angry. Inwardly, Micah was shedding tears for his pitiful self. He had genuinely forgotten about the plan for his family to move in. Between Darcy’s illness, Silas’s matters, and the endless trouble Leo had created, it had slipped right past him. Yet, he couldn’t even say the truth, defending himself.