Meanwhile, another car ride had been tense but amusing as Evander sped up to meet Irene’s deadline. She had insisted they’d make it to the school in five minutes, even though Evander had scoffed at the idea. But the thought of seeing Mia had ignited a sense of urgency in him, and now, as Irene dashed towards Mia at the school’s entrance, Evander smirked at his successful maneuvering.

Irene and Mia embraced warmly, their friendship evident in the way they laughed together. "How’s my sister doing?" Mia asked with genuine concern, her eyes searching Irene’s face for any signs of trouble.

"She’s fine," Irene replied with a reassuring smile, though her thoughts wandered to Eva's tumultuous situation with Andrew. "She's holding up, you know, being Eva and all."

Before they could delve deeper into the conversation, Evander strolled up behind them, his casual confidence causing Mia to stiffen slightly.

"Did you forget about me, ladies?" Evander teased, though his tone carried a softer edge than usual. Irene turned to him, her annoyance flaring up almost instantly.

"Didn't you leave already?" she snapped, half-joking, but secretly wishing he would make himself scarce for Mia’s sake.

Mia’s demeanor changed the moment Evander drew closer. She took a small step back, her eyes lowering to the ground. The warmth in her smile faded, replaced with unease. Evander cursed inwardly, blaming Andrew for the tension that now clouded every interaction. He could see the way Mia’s wariness mirrored Eva’s apprehension around his best friend.

Irene, sensing Mia’s discomfort, shot Evander a sharp look and whispered harshly, "You’re part of the reason she’s like this, you know."

Evander clenched his jaw, guilt tugging at him. He hadn’t meant for things to get this bad. Realizing he had to fix this, Evander took a deep breath and approached slowly, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Mia," he said, his voice sincere for once. "I owe you an apology. For the way I’ve acted in the past."

Both Irene and Mia blinked in surprise. Irene had never seen Evander offer an apology so openly before, and Mia’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t expected this from him either.

Mia bit her lip, still unsure. "It's okay," she mumbled, her voice soft and hesitant. "I understand... if I were in your shoes, I probably would have felt the same way."

Evander smiled, though there was a hint of regret in his expression. "That’s very generous of you, but I’ve been wrong. I see that now."

Mia nodded, but the discomfort in her body language was still evident. She gave him a polite smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Evander could tell she wasn’t fully convinced, but it was a step in the right direction.

"Thank you," Mia said quietly, her gaze flicking to the side, as if eager to escape the awkward situation. She tugged at Irene’s arm, signaling her desire to leave.

"We’re going to be late for class," Irene announced quickly, sensing the need to rescue Mia from the tense moment. "Come on, Mia."

Mia quickly bid Evander goodbye, and the two girls hurried off towards the school building, leaving Evander standing alone. He watched Mia’s retreating figure, a mixture of admiration and regret swirling in his chest. She had been kind enough to forgive him, but he knew he had a long way to go before he could earn her trust.

As the girls disappeared from view, Evander sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, frustrated at how much damage Andrew’s recklessness had caused. He would have to be patient if he wanted to rebuild what had been broken. Mia deserved better than the hostility she had been shown.

Inside the school building, Irene and Mia walked side by side, their footsteps echoing down the hallway. Irene glanced over at Mia, noticing how quiet she had become since their encounter with Evander.

"You okay?" Irene asked softly.

Mia nodded, though her brow furrowed in thought. "It’s just... strange, you know? I never thought he would apologize."

Irene smiled, though it was a little forced. "Yeah, Evander isn’t exactly known for his humility."

Mia chuckled, her mood lightening slightly. "But it’s nice that he did, I guess."

Irene nodded. "He’s trying. And I think he likes you... a lot more than he’s willing to admit."

Mia’s eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. "No way. That can’t be true."

Irene smirked knowingly. "Oh, it’s true. I can tell. He’s got it bad for you."

Mia felt her cheeks flush, her heart skipping a beat at the thought. "I don’t know," she muttered. "Evander doesn’t seem like the type to fall for someone like me."

"Trust me," Irene insisted. "He’s into you."

Mia stayed quiet, still processing the idea. She had never imagined Evander would see her as anything more than a bystander in the King family drama. But now that Irene had pointed it out, she couldn’t ignore the subtle shifts in his behavior—the way he had apologized, the softness in his voice when he spoke to her. Could it be true?

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of classes and idle chatter, but Mia couldn’t shake the thought of Evander. She wasn’t sure what to do with the new information, but she knew one thing for certain: her life was about to get a lot more complicated.