The corridors buzzed with chatter as students spilled out of their classrooms. Sara carried her books close to her chest, her mind still replaying Lina's words from last night. Remember what's worth fighting for.
But peace never lasted long.
"Look who it is," Emily's sharp voice cut through the crowd. She leaned against a locker, Hannah beside her, arms crossed smugly. "The little heiress, playing dress-up for the Li family. Tell us, Sara, did you practice bowing, or did Daniel do it for you?"
Laughter rippled from a few onlookers.
Sara stopped, her pulse quickening. Normally, she would have lowered her gaze and walked away. But not today.
She straightened her shoulders, her voice steady. "At least I was invited to that dinner. Unlike you."
Gasps echoed down the hall. Emily's smirk faltered, and Hannah's cheeks flushed.
"You—" Emily started, but Sara cut her off, her words cool and precise.
"Mock me if you want, but hiding behind insults only shows how insecure you really are."
The hallway went silent. A ripple of whispers followed as Sara brushed past them, her chin held high.
For the first time, she felt the sting of fear not in herself — but in them.
From a distance, Daniel had witnessed the entire exchange. He stood with Adrian, Leo, and Ryan near the stairwell.
Adrian let out a low whistle. "Well, well. Our princess finally bites back. And she's good at it."
Ryan frowned. "Or reckless. Emily won't forget this. She'll come back harder."
Leo smirked faintly, adjusting his glasses. "And that's when we'll see who Sara Chen really is."
Daniel said nothing, but his eyes lingered on Sara's retreating figure, the faintest hint of approval glinting in his usually calm gaze.
At lunch, Lina clapped her hands dramatically when Sara retold the encounter. "You, my dear, are officially upgraded from 'silent doll' to 'warrior princess!'"
Sara laughed despite herself. "I don't know if I'd go that far."
"Oh, I would," Lina grinned. Then her expression sobered. "But be careful. Emily's not just petty — her family's connected. People like her don't like being humiliated."
Sara nodded. She already knew Lina was right. Still, for once, she felt proud instead of ashamed.
The consequences came faster than she expected.
During gym, Sara opened her locker to find her uniform missing. In its place was a crumpled note: Stay in your place, or next time will be worse.
Her heart thudded. It was childish, but cruel.
Before she could react, Adrian appeared behind her, peering over her shoulder. "Wow. Subtle. Very subtle."
Sara jumped, stuffing the note away. "It's nothing."
"Nothing?" Adrian leaned closer, his tone playful but his eyes sharp. "Sweetheart, threats stuffed in lockers are never nothing."
Before Sara could argue, Ryan strode over, holding her uniform. "Looking for this? Found it tossed behind the bleachers."
Sara blinked in surprise. "You—thank you."
Ryan shrugged. "Don't thank me. Just… be smarter. You won't always have someone finding your things."
Adrian chuckled. "Relax, Ryan. She's tougher than she looks."
Leo appeared last, calm as ever. "Toughness isn't the problem. Timing is. If she chooses the wrong moment to fight back, it'll cost her."
Their gazes turned to Daniel, who had been standing silently at the end of the row, his expression unreadable.
Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "If Sara chooses to fight, then she'll learn to win. That's all that matters."
Sara froze, her chest tightening at his words.
For the second time, he had defended her. Not loudly, not dramatically, but in a way that told her he believed in her strength.
And somehow, that belief lit a fire inside her that no threat could extinguish.