Chapter 479: The Heir Who Accidentally Joined an Audition (part one)
The sleek, mirrored front of Ramsy Empire towered over the city skyline like a monument of glass and ambition. Its polished walls caught the pale autumn sunlight, scattering it in silver streaks across the plaza. The company was a giant in high tech: robotics, AI systems, and medical software... and a few places Micah had always avoided.
He stopped a few steps away from the entrance, tilting his head back to look up at the towering building.
He had only been here a handful of times, mostly for the Ramsy family’s annual award nights, where his father, the CEO, and his grandfather, the chairman, congratulated employees for their brilliance, while shareholders bragged about their new investments and their wives compared jewellery.
Micah never fit in those events. Back then, he had stood stiffly, wearing suits and polite smiles, feeling like an outsider surrounded by ambitious adults who smelled of perfume and champagne.
And now, technically, he was one. An outsider.
Micah took a deep breath and straightened his shirt.
Today, Micah didn’t look like a corporate heir. His outfit screamed more celebrity than businessman. He wore a loose white silk shirt tucked halfway into slim black slacks, the fabric gleaming under the lights. A thin silver chain glinted at his collarbone, and a light black bag hung simply over one shoulder. His silver-white hair was styled carelessly, strands falling over his forehead. A pair of round sunglasses hid his eyes, adding an effortless kind of glamour.
To most people, he could have passed for an idol, a rising actor, or maybe a spoiled influencer here for a sponsorship deal.
Micah was sure most employees wouldn’t recognise him as the heir of the Ramsy family. And honestly, he had preferred it that way before. He had never set foot in the company because of Willow, not wishing to make things difficult for her. And after learning Darcy was the real young master, he had even less desire to show up at Ramsy Empire.
But right now, he had no choice. He needed to show his face here. First, he wanted to talk to his father and Willow, preferably in a setting that wouldn’t raise Darcy’s suspicion that he had gone behind his back. Second, he needed hype. If everyone focused on him at uni, they would forget Darcy easily.
Archie’s words still rang in his head: if you want to erase a rumour, you don’t just delete the post. You bury it under something bigger.
If he was going to stir up attention and drown out Darcy’s name, he needed to create a new rumour, something big, noisy and public enough that university forums would forget all about the person behind DarkVyne or Darklegend. Then what better way than to spread that he was the Ramsy family’s heir at the university?
Anyway, sooner or later, it would be known to all that he was the fake heir. So better use it to his advantage than stay quiet and let others gain the upper hand.
Micah stepped through the rotating glass doors into the grand lobby. The floor gleamed like liquid marble, reflecting the halogen lights. Employees hurried past in tailored suits and pencil skirts, the ID badges swaying with every step.
Beside them, the lobby buzzed with people seeking recognition: inventors, engineers, and ambitious dreamers alike. The Ramsy Empire thrived on innovation, welcoming any new discovery or idea with potential.
Micah took out his phone, ready to contact Willow to come get him, when a sharp voice exploded beside his ear.
"Hey! I told you guys not to wander around. Go stay with others!"
Micah turned his head toward the source, baffled. A middle-aged woman in a tight navy business suit and heels stood near the reception desks, glaring at him. A Ramsy ID badge hung around her neck.
Was she talking to him?!
Micah looked behind himself, half expecting someone else to be there. The lobby was crowded. Maybe she was yelling at someone else?
But then she marched right up to him. "What’s with the blank look?" she snapped. "Did you not hear me the first time?"
"Uh..."
Before he could finish, she grabbed his elbow and pushed him toward a side corridor. "Unbelievable! Every time it’s the same... one clueless pretty face after another. Why on earth are they holding this in the Ramsy Empire?" she grumbled under her breath.
When they reached the end of the corridor, she let go of his arm. "This is your last warning. If I catch any of you wandering off again, you’ll be all thrown out."
Micah stumbled into the corner of the hallway, completely bewildered. Around him stood a bunch of handsome boys, all roughly his age, dressed in a variety of stylish but inexpensive outfits, bright jackets, ripped jeans, designer knock-offs. Most had striking features: sharp eyes, styled hair, pale skin.
Micah blinked, looking from face to face. He had been shoved right into a group of hopefuls who looked like they had just walked out of a K-pop boot camp.
Seriously, who was this woman?! Why was she treating him like some lost trainee from an idol show?
The woman glared at the group one more time, muttering about "kids these days" and "lack of discipline," scolding them for a few minutes before storming off down the corridor.
Micah shook his head, thinking about where this crazy woman came from, not letting him even speak.
Before he could slip away, a sharp tug on his sleeve stopped him.
"Where are you going?"
Micah turned to find a pretty boy standing close, looking at him in disapproval.
The boy was stunning, the kind of beauty that made heads turn instantly. His hair was soft brown, cut neatly with strands brushing over his eyebrows. His skin, almost translucent under the hallway lights, hid blue eyes sharp beneath it all. A small straight nose, lips faintly pink, and a defined jawline that softened at the chin. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a manga.
"Even if you wander around," the boy said coldly, "you won’t find a patron easily. This company is strict. They kick people out on the moment they see unprofessional behaviour. So, please," he gave Micah a once-over, tone laced with annoyance, "just behave, okay? Don’t ruin our chance to audition."
Micah stared at the boy, dumbfounded.
"Patron?" he repeated blankly. The Ramsy heir looking for a patron in his own father’s company? Huh?
Micah’s brain cells burned a few ATP, putting pieces together. A dozen handsome boys, audition, patron...
He was mistaken for being a participant in some sort of advertisement casting here? Micah was tempted to stay and see. But he had promised his grandfather to meet them...
Seeing Micah’s nonchalant expression as if he was disregarding his warning, the pretty boy’s eyebrows twitched. He tightened his hold, fearing Micah might slip away. "Who has recommended this one?" he mumbled under his breath.
Micah looked at the hand gripping his sleeves and stayed silent. The boy’s fingers were trembling.
Was he nervous?
Micah’s expression softened. Well... he could stay and keep an eye on the fairness of the selection...
So he typed quickly to his grandfather. "Grandpa, I’m sorry. I’ll be late. Caught up in something."
The rest of the boys were whispering quietly among themselves, sneaking glances at Micah. One of them nudged another and muttered. "He’s definitely a model, look at that silver hair."
"Look at his clothes. Even I could say they are the real deal," another said.
"He’s rich....So why was he trying to sneak up?"
"Tsk, maybe his current sponsor had doll him up. Those kinds of people always seek a more powerful backer to soar high."
"Yeah. Should use his freshness before it dried up," another said with a sneer.
Micah’s eyelid twitched. Great. Instead of being known as Ramsy’s heir, he had become a green tea bitch!
Still, his eyes landed on the trembling finger on his sleeve.
Before Micah could speak and calm down the boy, a voice called from the end of the hall. "Group C, get ready! You’re next!"
The boys around then tensed instantly, fixing their jackets, adjusting their hair. The air buzzed with nerves and faint cologne.