"Fortunately," Evan said, "the faculty office only suspended my duties in the student council. I haven't been removed. This will eventually blow over—people will forget. Felicia, don't worry. We'll be fine."
"That's a relief…" Felicia let out a soft breath, then her eyes filled with tears, making her look fragile and pitiful. "Evan, I'm so sorry. I dragged you into this. But I really need this opportunity at Imperial University. If I get expelled, I… I might not even survive going back home."
"I know, I know," Evan said quickly, pulling her into his arms. "As long as I'm still here, I'll make sure you become a legend at Imperial University. I'll protect you."
Felicia didn't resist.
A flicker of joy flashed through Evan's chest as he held her tighter.
She nodded, her voice soft. "I know… and I'm really grateful. You've done so much for me—helping me sign up for the freshman representative too. I'm just afraid I'll disappoint you."
Her guilt-ridden tone made his heart ache.
"How could you?" he said gently, wiping away her tears. "You're perfect. Don't forget—you're still ranked first in the voting. Just focus on preparing. I want to see you shine on that stage."
Felicia forced a faint smile, her face pale and tired. "Evan… you might not know this yet. My sister was transferred to Class Seven. I don't know what she did, but the whole class is spending money to vote for her. She'll probably surpass me soon."
She paused, then added quickly, "Please don't mind me… maybe… maybe she just saw me preparing for the stage and wanted to try it too."
Her voice trembled—soft, hurt, and full of quiet grievance.
Evan's anger flared instantly. "She clearly just wants to compete with you over everything! Felicia, you're too kind. You need to learn to protect yourself."
His expression hardened. "I'll handle this. I won't let that fool succeed. If it's a money game, so what? You think I'd lose to those spoiled brats in Class Seven?"
He scoffed.
"An fool like her—what right does she have to compete with you?"
Not wanting to waste this rare moment of closeness, he quickly changed the subject. "Felicia, it's the weekend tomorrow. Want to go out? I know a great place—I'd like to take you there."
Felicia's gaze dimmed slightly. She stepped out of his embrace, her tone turning distant. "We'll see. I might have an audition this weekend. If I'm free, I'll message you."
Her voice was clearly perfunctory—
But Evan didn't notice at all. Instead, he smiled to himself. "Alright. I'll wait for your message."
***
As soon as Felicia got home, she told Elaine everything about Evan.
Elaine grew tense immediately but reassured her. "We covered our tracks well. As long as Evan doesn't expose anything, we'll be fine. The most important thing now is to keep him stable."
Then she paused, looking at her daughter. "Felicia, you said Evan asked you out?"
Felicia nodded, irritation clear on her face. "Yeah, but I don't want to go. He couldn't even handle something this small—I don't see how useful he is."
"No," Elaine said firmly. "Listen to me. Don't be impulsive. Go out with him tomorrow. With his position as student council president, he'll be valuable for your footing at Imperial University."
Felicia sighed, exhausted. "Fine. I'll go. I'm tired—I'm heading upstairs."
She grabbed her bag and went to her room.
The moment the door closed, her expression darkened completely.