Chapter 7: A Lesson in Respect

The campus courtyard was bustling with students heading to their next classes, chatting in small groups, or lounging under the afternoon sun. Lucia, Adrian, and Ethan walked leisurely down the paved path, the tension from their previous discussion fading into the background.

Just as Lucia was about to part ways with them, Ethan stretched lazily, his signature smirk in place.

“So, Miss College Girl, what’s next on the agenda? Another thrilling lecture on how to be an ethical billionaire?”

Lucia rolled her eyes. “Some of us actually have a class to get to.”

Ethan grinned. “Tragic. Meanwhile, I’m here for entertainment purposes only.”

Lucia raised an eyebrow. “Wait. You don’t even go here. Why are you here?”

Ethan placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. “Can’t a guy visit his best friend? Keep an eye on him? Make sure he’s not planning to renounce his fortune and become a humble college boy?”

Lucia turned to Adrian. “Is that the plan? Renouncing your fortune?”

Adrian let out a short laugh, finally snapping out of his thoughts. “Not quite.”

Ethan draped an arm around Adrian’s shoulders. “See, I knew it. He needs me around. Can’t have him getting too sentimental about normal life.”

Adrian shrugged off Ethan’s arm with an amused smirk. “You just don’t want to be bored.”

“Guilty.”

Lucia shook her head. “You two are impossible.”

Just as she was about to say goodbye, a commotion near the coffee cart caught their attention. A small crowd had formed, murmuring and whispering excitedly.

Lucia frowned, her instincts kicking in. “What’s going on over there?”

As they stepped closer, the scene became clear—Mia was at the center, gripping a guy’s wrist and twisting it behind his back in an ironclad hold. The guy winced in pain, his face contorted with discomfort.

“You think just because you have a pretty face, you can put your hands wherever you want?” Mia’s voice was sharp, filled with authority. “Here’s a lesson—touch me again, and you’ll be eating through a straw.”

The guy let out a pained hiss. “Okay, okay! Let go already!”

Lucia’s eyes widened. Holy crap.

Ethan let out a low whistle. “Well, this is interesting.”

Mia finally released the guy with a shove, and he stumbled forward, rubbing his wrist with a glare. He looked ready to say something, but the amused stares from the crowd around him made him think twice. Instead, he scoffed, muttered something under his breath, and turned to leave.

“That’s right,” Mia called after him. “Walk away, you creep.”

Lucia hurried over. “Mia, what the hell just happened?”

Mia huffed, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “That jerk thought I’d be interested in his smooth lines and rich boy charm. When I told him to back off, he decided to try touching my waist to ‘convince me.’” She rolled her eyes. “So I convinced him otherwise.”

Lucia blinked. “By nearly breaking his arm?”

Mia shrugged. “I was being merciful.”

Lucia wanted to scold her best friend for causing a scene, but honestly? She was proud.

Ethan, however, had gone oddly silent. His usual smirk was still there, but his gaze was sharper as he studied Mia.

Lucia turned to him. “Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?”

Ethan’s smirk widened a fraction. “Oh, no reason. Just realizing something.”

Mia finally turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “And you again?”

Ethan’s grin stretched wider. “We have to stop meeting like this, ‘Just Mia’.”

Mia let out an exasperated sigh. “Are you stalking me now?”

Ethan chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing.” He gestured vaguely. “First, I catch you spying on me. Now, I find you here, bending some poor idiot’s arm backward like it’s your full-time job.” He tilted his head. “Starting to think there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

Mia scoffed. “You mean,I catch you snooping around the school? And please,Don’t flatter yourself.”

Ethan leaned in slightly, intrigued. “You know, I never did get your last name.”

Mia crossed her arms. “And you never will.”

Lucia watched the exchange with growing concern. This is bad. This is very bad.

Adrian sighed. “Ethan, stop pestering her.”

Ethan ignored him, his eyes still locked onto Mia. “You know, it’s funny. There’s something familiar about you.” He tapped his chin. “Have we met before?”

Mia stared at him flatly. “No.”

Ethan hummed. “Hmm. I don’t know. You’re giving me déjà vu, Just Mia.”

Mia smirked. “Well, I can guarantee I would never associate with someone like you.”

Ethan let out a laugh. “Ouch. You really know how to bruise a man’s ego.”

Mia shrugged. “I aim to destroy.”

Lucia groaned. “Okay, can we please move on from this?”

Mia finally turned to Lucia. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go before Westwood here starts thinking I’m interested in talking to him.”

Ethan clutched his chest dramatically. “You wound me, Mia.”

“Not yet,” she quipped. “But keep talking, and I just might.”

Lucia sighed. This was going to be an absolute disaster.

But as Adrian caught her gaze, something unspoken passed between them. Maybe disasters weren’t always a bad thing.

---------

Adrian and Ethan leaned against Adrian’s sleek black car parked near the edge of campus. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and a cool breeze rustled the leaves above them.

“You’re way too quiet,” Ethan mused, crossing his arms.

Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Just thinking.”

Ethan smirked. “Dangerous. What’s on your mind? Our dear Miss College Girl?”

Adrian shot him a look but didn’t deny it. “Lucia’s different.”

Ethan chuckled. “That’s an understatement.” He tilted his head. “Let me guess. You’re not used to someone looking at you and not seeing dollar signs?”

Adrian sighed. “Something like that.”

Ethan tapped his fingers against the car. “And yet, here you are, attending classes, buying hats, and trying to live a normal life. I don’t get it. Why the sudden interest?”

Adrian was silent for a moment. “Because for once, I want to be seen as more than just a Sinclair.”

Ethan’s smirk faltered slightly. “You are more than just a Sinclair.”

Adrian let out a humorless laugh. “Am I? Because sometimes it feels like my last name is the only thing that matters.”

Ethan studied him for a moment before shaking his head. “Man, you’re getting way too sentimental. Next thing I know, you’ll be writing poetry about your existential crisis.”

Adrian smirked. “Not my style.”

“Good,” Ethan said, straightening up. “Because I am way too charming to have to sit through that.”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “Speaking of charm, what was that back there with Mia?”

Ethan grinned. “What? You mean my undeniable charisma clashing against her unshakable attitude? Classic.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “You do realize she’ll probably break your arm one day, right?”

Ethan’s grin widened. “Now, wouldn’t that be interesting?”

Adrian shook his head. “You have issues.”

Ethan shrugged. “Maybe. But I like a challenge.” His smirk turned thoughtful. “Mia’s sharp. There’s something about her… I don’t know. It’s familiar.”

Adrian narrowed his eyes. “Familiar how?”

Ethan drummed his fingers against the hood of the car. “I can’t put my finger on it. But she’s holding something back.” He tilted his head. “And you know me—I love a mystery.”

Adrian sighed. “Just don’t annoy her too much. I’d hate to have to explain to your family why you ended up in a cast.”

Ethan laughed. “Oh, please. If anything, she’d make my life more interesting.”

Adrian smirked. “You really don’t know when to quit.”

Ethan grinned. “Never.”

The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Ethan nudged Adrian. “So, what’s next, Mr. Normal College Student? You gonna sign up for a club? Maybe try out for the soccer team?”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. I just… I want to see where this goes.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “With Lucia?”

Adrian hesitated. “With all of it.”

Ethan studied his best friend for a moment before letting out a dramatic sigh. “Well, if you’re gonna play ‘normal guy,’ I guess I’ll have to stick around. Make sure you don’t get too attached.”

Adrian smirked. “I thought you were just here for entertainment purposes?”

Ethan shrugged. “That too.” He then shot Adrian a mischievous grin. “But mostly, I just want to see how long it takes for you to crash and burn.”

Adrian chuckled. “Nice to know I can count on you.”

Ethan grinned. “Always.”

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Adrian couldn’t shake the feeling that things were changing. For better or worse, he wasn’t sure.

But for the first time in a long time, he was willing to find out.