Ethan looked over at Mia and said, “When I left, Russell hadn’t brought up the request yet. But don’t worry, Luna will definitely agree to help. Given her current situation, she wouldn’t want to burn bridges with us.”
A flicker of displeasure flashed through Mia’s eyes, but her expression remained soft and
sweet.
She said, “Our team has a lot going on right now, what with the upcoming school competition and preparations for the new project. If Luna’s willing to come back and help, that’ll be great. And even if she doesn’t, we still need to repair our relationship with her.
“If Wyatt asked you to bring Luna snacks, that means he never intended to cut ties completely. If you can’t fix things with her, it might sour everyone’s mood, and that could affect both the competition and the new project.
“By that point, Wyatt might not be so forgiving.
Though Mia’s words sounded like gentle teasing, cold sweat had already broken out on
Ethan’s back.
Unlike the others on the team, Ethan didn’t have the skills of Trevor or Russell, nor the family influence of Kevin or Wyatt.
Now that Luna was out of the picture, Ethan knew he’d be on the chopping board if the team needed to get rid of another member.
That was why he had gone out of his way to curry favor with Wyatt.
Back when Wyatt had been fixated on Luna, Ethan had used her to cozy up to him. But now that Wyatt’s attention had shifted to Mia, Ethan had to do whatever he could to stay on Mia’s good side.
He’d assumed that Mia hated Luna and would want nothing more than for her to stay out of the team for good. But now, things did not seem so simple.
Ethan had always prided himself on being able to read people and sense their intentions. But he just couldn’t figure Mia out.
“So… should I really try to win Luna over?” Ethan cautiously asked. “Or are we just pretending to be nice so she’ll keep running errands for us-
He wasn’t able to finish his sentence because Mia’s expression instantly darkened.
She snapped, “Ethan, what are you saying? Luna was with the team for years. Even if there
was conflict, does that erase everything she’s done for you?
“Pretending to be nice? What’s that ab “Pretending to be nice? What’s that about? I sincerely hope you can all rebuild that
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relationship. I don’t want her to lose her friendships with you all just because of me. And I’m sure Wyatt feels the same way.”
Ethan was thoroughly confused now. Could it be that he was the one with evil thoughts? Maybe Mia really didn’t intend to use Luna for the team’s benefit. Maybe she genuinely wanted to mend things.
That must be it. After all, Mia was kind and pure. How could she possibly harbor such manipulative thoughts? She probably just wanted everyone to get along again.
Wyatt had once cared deeply for Luna. Maybe he didn’t truly want to sever ties either.
This must’ve all been a misunderstanding on his part.
“Alright.” Ethan nodded. If everyone really wanted to fix things with Luna, he could play the good guy. He’d butter her up again when he had time. “I’ll do as you say. Next time, I’ll definitely be nicer to her.
“But I really don’t think you need to worry. Based on what I know about her, she’ll definitely agree to Russell’s request. Just wait till he gets back–you’ll see!”
With that, he wandered off to deal with something else, not worrying too much about it.
Once Ethan had turned and left, Mia gently patted her chest.
She had almost slipped up. But thankfully, Ethan was too dense to catch her real meaning.
She had thought that once Luna was kicked out of the team, she’d be lost with nowhere to go. There was no way she could find a new hospital for her internship.
All Mia would need to do now was show Luna a little mercy, coax the seniors, and offer her some menial work within the team.
That way, Luna would still be able to graduate, Professor Hanley would still be her advisor, and everyone on the team would still see Mia as both beautiful and kind–hearted.
Meanwhile, their attitude toward Luna would become even more critical and dismissive. With that kind of dynamic in place, everything would work in her favor.
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
