Evander arrived at the college, leaning against his sleek car as he waited for Mia and Irene. The crisp afternoon air carried the faint chatter of students leaving campus, but his attention was solely on the clock ticking away. As Irene finally appeared, she flashed him a playful grin, her sharp gaze cutting through his usual cool demeanor.

“Brother, why are you always here to pick us up?” Irene asked with a teasing lilt, her mischievous eyes narrowing in amusement.

Evander smirked but tried to keep his expression neutral. “My company is nearby,” he replied nonchalantly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Irene wasn’t fooled. With a sly smile, she leaned closer and whispered, “Come on, Evan. I know it’s for other reasons.” She punctuated her tease with a cheeky wink, making Evander scoff.

“Where’s Mia?” he asked, changing the subject and glancing toward the college entrance.

“She’ll be here soon.” Irene’s lighthearted expression shifted to concern as her gaze scanned the crowd. Her heart sank when she spotted Mia in a tense encounter with a guy who was holding her arm far too tightly. “There,” Irene whispered, pointing toward the scene.

Evander followed her gaze and his expression darkened instantly. His jaw clenched as he watched the random guy—Ron—pull Mia closer.

“I said I love you, Mia, and I won’t let you go!” Ron insisted, his grip tightening on her wrist.

Mia’s voice trembled, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t feel the same! Please let me go, Ron.”

Evander’s fists curled at his sides, but instead of rushing in, he turned toward Irene. “Take me to the dean’s office,” he ordered coldly.

Irene’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What about Mia?”

Evander’s expression was unreadable, but his voice remained steady. “We’ll handle it. The dean first.”

Reluctantly, Irene followed him to the dean’s office, glancing nervously over her shoulder at Mia.

The dean, a middle-aged man with a nervous smile, greeted them warmly. “Mr. Kane, what brings you here?”

Evander didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I need to see your security cameras,” he said, his tone sharp.

The dean’s smile faltered, sensing something was wrong. Without hesitation, he gave Evander access to the footage. As Evander scanned the cameras, he quickly found the scene with Mia and Ron. His eyes narrowed. “I want them both in your office. Now.”

The dean nodded and summoned someone to fetch them. Minutes later, Mia and Ron arrived at the office, Mia still shaken from the encounter. The moment she spotted Irene, Mia ran into her friend’s arms, clinging tightly to her.

“Are you okay?” Irene whispered, stroking Mia’s hair soothingly. Mia nodded, her face still wet with tears.

Ron, standing awkwardly by the door, crossed his arms. “Why the hell was I dragged here?” he demanded, glaring at the dean.

Before the dean could respond, Evander’s voice cut through the room like ice. “Not him. I called you here,” he said, his cold gaze fixed on Mia.

Then, without looking back, Evander turned toward Irene. “Princess, take Mia out of here.”

Irene didn’t need to be told twice. With a comforting arm around Mia’s shoulders, she led her out of the office.

Once the girls were gone, Evander’s expression hardened even further as he turned to Ron. “Leave Mia alone,” he ordered quietly, but the threat in his voice was unmistakable.

Ron’s temper flared. “She’s mine! Whoever you are, back off.”

Without a word, Evander strode toward him and slapped him hard across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the room, and Ron stumbled back, clutching his cheek.

“She isn’t yours,” Evander hissed. “If you bother her again, I will ruin you. You’ve been warned.”

Ron, still furious, surged forward, grabbing Evander by the collar. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded angrily.

The dean watched nervously, knowing things were spiraling out of control.

Evander didn’t flinch. His cold, steady gaze bore into Ron’s. “You’re making a grave mistake, boy.”

Before Ron could respond, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen—his father. Confused but irritated, Ron answered.

The voice on the other end was frantic. “Apologize. Now. There’s a gun to my head! You offended the wrong person, son.”

Ron paled, releasing Evander immediately. He swallowed hard, then mumbled, “Sorry, mister…”

Evander smirked but didn’t respond. Instead, he turned to the dean. “Transfer him to another campus,” he ordered.

The dean nodded, his face pale. “Consider it done.”

Without sparing another glance at Ron, Evander walked out of the office, his expression as cold as ever.

Meanwhile, Mia was with Irene, confiding everything that had happened. “Ron’s been harassing me for weeks,” she admitted softly. “I told him no over and over, but he wouldn’t listen.”

When Mia spotted Evander walking toward them, relief washed over her, and she rushed forward, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered, burying her face in his chest.

Evander’s expression softened as he hugged her back. “You’re safe now,” he murmured.

Mia hesitated, her heart pounding as she clung to him. “Evan… Can I ask you for one more thing?”

Evander pulled back slightly, looking down at her. “Of course. What is it?”

Mia’s cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip nervously. “Can we… Can we go on a date?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Evander blinked, caught completely off-guard. “A… date?”

Mia nodded, her gaze steady despite the blush spreading across her cheeks. “I know you like me. But I don’t know you that well yet. So let’s go on a date and figure things out.”

For a moment, Evander was stunned into silence. Then, a slow, genuine smile spread across his face. “Okay,” he said softly. Without thinking, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Mia’s heart raced as she looked up at him, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

Their sweet moment, however, was interrupted by Irene’s sarcastic voice. “Please stop. I’m going to vomit,” she teased, though a grin played on her lips.

Evander chuckled, wrapping an arm around Mia’s shoulders. “Jealous, Irene?”

Irene scoffed, crossing her arms. “No one dares come near me because of you and Andrew.”

Evander laughed. “That’s for the best. None of them are good enough for you anyway.”

Irene rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Enough. I’m not interested in anyone. Can we just go now?”

Evander and Mia shared a small laugh, and with one last playful nudge from Irene, the trio made their way toward the car, the weight of the day finally lifting as they walked together into the fading afternoon light.