Chapter 16 – The Fire Within

The next morning, I woke up before the sun had fully risen. My body protested as I pushed myself out of bed, my muscles aching from yesterday’s training. But I welcomed the pain—it was proof that I was changing. That I was no longer weak.

I glanced at the small mirror in the corner of my room. Clarisse’s face stared back at me, but the girl in the reflection was different. Her once timid eyes now held a fire, her posture stronger, her expression unreadable.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Miss, breakfast is ready,” a maid’s voice called from the other side.

I sighed and stretched my sore limbs before heading downstairs.

The dining table was already full when I arrived. Bianca sat at her usual spot, sipping coffee like a queen, while our parents barely acknowledged my presence. Typical.

I took my seat silently, reaching for the toast when Bianca spoke up.

“Heard you were playing soldier with Adrian yesterday.” She smirked. “Didn’t take you for someone who enjoys getting beaten up.”

I chewed slowly, meeting her gaze with indifference. “I didn’t know you were so interested in my activities, Bianca. Do you always keep track of what I do?”

Her smirk twitched. “I just find it amusing. You? Training? You won’t last a week.”

I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Want to bet?”

The room fell silent for a moment. My father finally lowered his newspaper, giving me a brief, unreadable glance before returning to his reading. My mother sighed, shaking her head.

“This is nonsense,” she muttered. “Clarisse, stop embarrassing yourself.”

Embarrassing?

I fought the urge to laugh. If only they knew—I wasn’t the same weak Clarisse anymore.

Instead of reacting, I finished my meal quickly and stood up. “I’ll be going now.”

Bianca raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“To train,” I said simply.

Her laughter followed me as I left the room, but I didn’t care. Let them laugh. Let them underestimate me.

They wouldn’t be laughing for long.

The Training Ground

Adrian was already waiting when I arrived. He leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed, watching me with that same unreadable expression.

“You’re early,” he noted.

I rolled my shoulders, preparing myself. “I need to get stronger faster.”

He studied me for a moment before smirking. “Alright then. No holding back.”

The second he finished speaking, he attacked.

I barely had time to react as his fist came toward me. I ducked, but he shifted, catching me off guard. His leg swept under mine, and before I could balance myself, I hit the ground hard.

Pain shot through my back, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself up.

“Again,” I said.

Adrian’s smirk widened. “Good.”

We continued, the intensity increasing with each strike. He was faster, stronger, but I was learning. Every hit I took, every fall, every bruise—it all taught me something.

By the time the sun reached its peak, I was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. But I was still standing.

Adrian finally stepped back, wiping his brow. “Not bad,” he admitted. “You lasted longer today.”

I smirked despite the exhaustion. “Told you I’m not the same Clarisse.”

He chuckled. “We’ll see how long you can keep this up.”

I didn’t answer. I just met his gaze with unwavering determination.

Because I already knew—

I wasn’t going to stop.

Not until I was strong enough to make them all regret underestimating me.

-----

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my breathing heavy as I steadied myself. My body was screaming in pain, but I refused to give in. I had to keep going.

Adrian tossed me a water bottle, and I caught it mid-air. “You’re stubborn,” he commented, watching me with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

I took a sip before answering. “Stubbornness keeps people alive.”

His smirk widened. “Maybe. But it can also get you killed.”

I met his gaze without hesitation. “I’d rather die fighting than live on my knees.”

Something flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he gestured for me to follow. “Come on. You’re done for today.”

I wanted to protest, to tell him I could still train, but I knew pushing my body too far wouldn’t help. So, I nodded and walked beside him toward the exit.

As we reached the edge of the training ground, I noticed a familiar figure standing nearby. Bianca.

She was watching us, her arms crossed, her lips curled into a smug smirk.

“Wow. You actually survived another day,” she mused, her voice dripping with mockery. “I’m impressed. I expected you to give up by now.”

I rolled my shoulders, ignoring the soreness. “And yet, here I am.”

Bianca’s smirk faltered slightly before she turned her gaze to Adrian. “I don’t know why you’re wasting your time on her. She’s just playing pretend.”

Adrian shrugged. “Maybe. But she’s holding up better than you would.”

Bianca’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

I bit back a smirk. Watching her ego get bruised was surprisingly satisfying.

“I mean,” Adrian continued nonchalantly, “you wouldn’t last five minutes in training. Too fragile.”

Bianca scoffed, but I saw the way her jaw clenched. “As if I’d ever lower myself to this kind of barbaric nonsense.”

I tilted my head. “Right. Because it’s easier to hide behind words than actually do something.”

Her expression darkened, but before she could retort, I walked past her. I didn’t need to waste my time arguing.

Let her talk.

Soon, words wouldn’t be enough to keep her above me.

Back at the Mansion

I entered my room and collapsed onto my bed, feeling the exhaustion settle deep into my bones. The soreness would be worse tomorrow, but I didn’t care.

I was making progress.

For the first time, I was fighting back. And I wasn’t stopping.

As I stared at the ceiling, my mind drifted to my next goal.

Training was only the first step.

The real battle was proving to everyone in this house that I wasn’t weak anymore.

And I would.

No matter what it took.

-----

The room was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. Every bruise, every ache in my body was a reminder that I was no longer the same weak girl they used to walk over. I clenched my fists. This is just the beginning.

I sat up and winced as pain shot through my muscles. The training with Adrian was brutal, but it was nothing compared to the years of humiliation I had suffered in this house. If I could survive that, I could survive anything.

A knock on my door made me tense. No one ever knocked. They either barged in or ignored me completely.

“Come in,” I said cautiously.

The door creaked open, and to my surprise, it was Lucas—my eldest brother. He rarely spoke to me, and when he did, it was either to mock or scold me.

He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Heard you’ve been training.”

I met his gaze, refusing to look away. “Yeah. So?”

He let out a short chuckle. “Just wondering why you’re wasting your time. You’re still Clarisse. No amount of training will change that.”

I should’ve felt hurt by his words. But instead, I smiled. He’s wrong.

“I guess we’ll see about that,” I said evenly.

His smirk faltered for a second before he scoffed. “Whatever. Just don’t embarrass yourself too much.”

I watched as he walked away, his words echoing in my mind.

No, Lucas. The only ones who’ll be embarrassed are all of you—when I finally show you what I’m capable of.

Later That Night

I sneaked out of my room, careful not to make a sound. There was something I needed to check.

Moving through the dark halls of the mansion, I made my way to the study where my father kept important documents. I had a feeling that the answers I needed were hidden somewhere in this house.

As I reached for the doorknob, a voice stopped me.

“Going somewhere?”

I spun around, my heart pounding. Adrian stood there, arms crossed, watching me with a knowing smirk.

I exhaled sharply. “Why are you always lurking in the shadows?”

He chuckled. “Why are you sneaking around?”

I hesitated but decided to be honest. “I need answers.”

Adrian studied me for a moment before sighing. “You really don’t know when to stop, do you?”

“No,” I admitted. “And I don’t plan to.”

His smirk widened. “Good.”

I blinked in surprise. “Wait… you’re not going to stop me?”

He shrugged. “Not my business. But if you get caught, don’t expect me to save you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Noted.”

With that, I turned back to the door, my heart racing. If there were secrets hidden in this house, I was going to find them.

No matter what it took.

-----

My fingers trembled slightly as I turned the knob, pushing the door open just enough to slip inside. The study was dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the large window, casting long shadows over the towering bookshelves and the heavy wooden desk in the center.

I had been in this room before—back when I was still the weak, naive Clarisse. Back then, I never dared to touch anything. But now…

Now, I was different.

I walked straight to the desk and started searching through the drawers. Papers, business contracts, and letters—nothing unusual. I was about to move on when a thick leather-bound book caught my attention. It didn’t look like a normal ledger or document.

Slowly, I opened it, my eyes scanning the first few pages. My breath hitched.

A family record.

But something was off.

I turned another page, then another, my heart pounding with each word I read.

Clarisse Montiero – adopted.

I froze. My mind refused to process the word. Adopted?

That couldn’t be right. I had lived in this house my entire life. My parents… my siblings…

I forced myself to keep reading, my chest tightening with every sentence.

Brought into the family at age three. True parentage unknown.

My hands clenched the pages so tightly I thought they would tear.

They lied to me.

All this time, I thought I was just the unwanted child, the disappointment, the weak link in the family. But the truth was even crueler.

I wasn’t even one of them.

A sharp knock on the door made me jump.

"Clarisse," a voice called from the hallway. It was my mother.

Panic surged through me. I quickly shoved the book back into the drawer and closed it, my heart racing.

“Why are you in there?” her voice was sharp, suspicious.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm before slowly opening the door. She stood there in her silk nightgown, arms crossed, her eyes cold as ever.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I lied smoothly. “I thought I’d read something.”

She narrowed her eyes but didn’t push further. “You should be resting instead of wandering around. You’ll never be useful if you exhaust yourself.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from lashing out. Never be useful? So that’s all I was to them—a tool, a burden if I couldn’t serve a purpose.

I nodded stiffly. “I understand.”

She turned on her heel and walked away without another word.

As soon as she was gone, I exhaled shakily, leaning against the door. My chest felt tight, my emotions a whirlwind of anger, betrayal, and something else I couldn’t quite name.

I wasn’t their daughter.

But if that was the case, then… who was I?

And more importantly—why did they keep me?

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