"Alex? What are you doing here?" I asked, confused, tilting my head slightly.
He stepped forward, stopping just a breath away from me. His brows were furrowed, and his usually warm pink eyes were burning with something much colder—anger.
"Mia Isabella," he growled, his voice low and tight. "You almost drove me crazy today."
"What? What happened?" I asked cautiously. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're… scaring me."
"Why did you lie to Mikael—telling him you were having lunch with me? And then you turned off your phone?!" His voice rose sharply, his gaze so intense it felt like it could burn a hole straight through me.
My heart skipped. "Wait, how did you know about that?" I stammered. "I did lie to Mikael, but I didn't think you'd—"
"Mike called me to confirm," Alex cut in. "Apparently Mikael got suspicious and called him. That's how I found out."
I winced. "Oh…"
Alex's voice was colder now. "So, Mia. Why use my name to lie? And… who are they?" His eyes shifted over my shoulder. "Aren't you going to introduce them?"
"Oh, right… um—"
"I'm Caspian Aurelius," Caspian stepped in smoothly, offering his hand. "Mia's friend."
Alex didn't even glance at the offered handshake. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on me. "Friend, huh?"
Caspian slowly retracted his hand, unfazed. "May I ask who you are, sir? You two seem… close."
"I'm Alexius Zain Lysander," Alex replied firmly. "Mia's best friend since childhood."
His tone was clear—territorial.
"And you?" Alex's gaze shifted to Lucas, who'd been silently watching the drama unfold with amusement.
"Lucas Vellard," Lucas said coolly, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.
"Mia's fian—"
"Ex-fiancé," I cut in quickly, shooting him a warning look.
"So you're Lucas Vellard," Alex said, a hint of venom lacing his tone. "I've heard quite a bit about you."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile forming. "Oh? Do tell. I'm curious—what exactly did you hear?"
Alex's expression darkened. "Just stories. About how badly you treated Mia. How you nearly drove her insane."
Lucas let out a sharp laugh. "Are you sure it was her who went insane, not me? Sounds like someone's been dramatizing things."
"Funny," Alex said flatly. "Doesn't sound that way to me."
Before the tension could thicken further, Alex turned back to me and reached for my hand.
"Mia, let's go. Now!"
"Wait, Alex. Just a minute—I need to say goodbye first."
He let go reluctantly. "Fine. One minute."
I ran back to Caspian and Lucas.
"I'm sorry, I need to leave before my third brother, Mikael finds out where I really went," I said quickly. "Caspian, thank you again for today. Let's hang out again sometime—maybe an amusement park next?"
Caspian's expression softened. "That sounds fun. I'd like that. And—ah, don't forget this." He handed me the bag filled with the pads and plushies from earlier.
"Thanks. See you next time," I said, giving him a bright smile. Then I turned to Lucas. "And you… goodbye, ex-fiancé."
I didn't bother to hide the flat tone in my voice.
Lucas gave me his usual smug smile. "Always a pleasure, Mia."
Ugh. So annoying.
I turned on my heel and walked back to Alex, who was watching me with unreadable eyes. And just like that, we left the mall—me, caught between one furious best friend and an upcoming disaster.
***
"Alexius Zain Lysander… that name sounds familiar," Lucas muttered as Mia and Alex's silhouettes faded into the crowd. "But she never mentioned him before. Not even once."
"Of course you've heard his name," Caspian replied, his tone calm but a little sharp—like a teacher explaining something obvious. "He's the younger legitimate son of the Lysander family. One of the five noble duke houses in Velmaria, specialists in medicine. His grandfather served as a royal physician for decades—and was once a minister too."
"Oh… that Lysander," Lucas blinked, realization dawning. "Right, I remember now. My grandpa used to talk about their family. He and the old Lysander guy were friends. They used to hang out together after retirement. I think he used to complain about how his friend kept bragging about a genius grandson who graduated med school super early with a double degree."
Lucas frowned. "So that prodigy was him all along, huh?"
Caspian nodded. "That's him."
Lucas crossed his arms, clearly annoyed. "And here I thought I knew everyone in Mia's circle. I didn't even know she had a childhood friend like that. That's quite strange."
"What's so strange about it?" Caspian asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I don't know," Lucas shrugged. "She never mentioned him before. That's the weird part."
"Maybe she had her reasons," Caspian said simply, his eyes watching the direction Mia disappeared. "Some people don't talk about the ones who matter most."
Lucas raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. "Or maybe she just forgot."
Caspian didn't respond. But the quiet look on his face said he didn't believe that for a second.
"What a lucky girl she is. Dumped me, and now she's surrounded by men—one's a childhood friend with royal ties, the other acts like a rom-com hero who buys her pads and wraps her in his coat like she's Cinderella. HAHA—" Lucas scoffed and forced a hollow laugh.
Caspian gave him a sideways glance, smirking. "Regretting letting her go now?"
Lucas turned slowly, unfazed, his expression unreadable. "What's your point?"
Caspian folded his arms. "It's getting a little crowded around her, but with one less rival, maybe I still have a shot."
Lucas tilted his head slightly, his smile sharpening. "You really think she's shut the door on me completely? Not yet. She's too emotional for that. She might act like she's over me, but trust me—she won't let me go that easily."
Caspian's jaw twitched, his eyes briefly darkening. "Big talk for someone she publicly dumped as an ex-fiancé."
Lucas shrugged, stepping back and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "She did. But it won't last. She'll come running back eventually. I just need to wait—maybe a month… or a couple of weeks."
"Keep dreaming," Caspian muttered, his voice low and cold. "I'll make sure that day never comes."
Lucas smirked, the challenge lighting up in his eyes. "We'll see."
Without another word, they turned and walked off in opposite directions—two predators leaving the field, but only for now.
The battle had just begun.
***
As Alex and I walked away from the crowd, his grip on my hand didn't loosen. It wasn't aggressive—but it wasn't gentle either. Each step felt heavier than the last. I could feel his silence burning beside me.
When we reached his car, he opened the door and let me in, then closed it—hard. Not enough to slam it, but enough to let me know he was upset. Then he circled around, slid into the driver's seat, and exhaled sharply as he gripped the steering wheel.
"Alex…" I said softly, unsure how to begin.
He didn't look at me. "Why did you lie?"
"I know I messed up," I murmured. "But if I told Mikael the truth, he would've grilled me with questions like some criminal."
He finally turned to me, his pink eyes no longer blazing with anger, but shadowed with something worse—disappointment. "Why didn't you just ask me to come instead of going out with them?"
I hesitated. "I… thought you were busy."
That was only half the truth. I wasn't about to admit I'd gone out just to eat spicy, greasy food with Caspian.
Alex's jaw tightened. "Mia, when have I ever been too busy for you?"
That hit me harder than I expected.
"I'm sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to shut you out."
He looked away, gripping the wheel again. "You didn't just hurt me, Mia… You scared me. I couldn't reach you. Your phone was off. I didn't know where you were. I thought—" He stopped himself, swallowing hard.
"I only turned off my phone because I was afraid Mikael would find out I lied," I said quickly, the words tumbling out. "I didn't mean to make you worry."
The silence stretched between us for a while.
Finally, Alex turned to me again, softer now. "Next time, don't lie. And don't push me away. If something's wrong, let me be the first one to know."
"I won't," I said. This time, I meant it.
He let out a breath and leaned over, gently ruffling my hair—something he used to do when we were kids. "You really drove me insane today, you know that?"
I smiled, a little sheepish. "I'll make it up to you."
"You better," he muttered, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
I leaned back into the seat, finally breathing. For a second, everything felt okay again. Until—
"Ouch—" I winced suddenly, clutching my lower abdomen.
Alex's eyes shot toward me. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
I shook my head slightly, grimacing. "No… it's just… period cramps."
His expression immediately shifted to concern. "Are you okay? Should I stop by a pharmacy and grab some medicine?"
I managed a small smile. "It's fine. I can still manage. Just send me home, please. I need to change my clothes…"
I trailed off, tugging at the black coat wrapped around my waist—the one Caspian had given me earlier.
Alex's eyes followed my hand, and for a second, he looked confused. Then realization dawned on him, and his ears turned a shade redder.
"Oh… right. Got it," he said, quickly clearing his throat. "Let's get you home."
Without another word, he turned the key and started the engine, driving off with a little more care than usual.