Return of The Alpha Heiress-Chapter 35: Clarissa – The True and The Adopted

Mr. Woods’ voice exploded from the front of the room, sharp enough to snap my focus in half.

I blinked at him, stunned.

"If you want to make noise and distract everyone else, get out of my classroom!" he barked again.

His eyes were wide, his brows pulled so tightly that even from the back row, I could see every sharp line.

"But, sir—"

"Out. Now!"

I had no choice but to walk out.

I had only whispered. Barely. And Tessa had been talking to me too.

As I passed her desk, Tessa whispered, "That weird teacher likes picking on students he thinks don’t have strong backing."

I stared at her, surprised, but she just lifted her shoulders as if it was simply the truth of the world.

I walked out with heat burning under my ribs.

It wasn’t only the students who were ridiculous. The teachers were too.

Before leaving completely, I glanced back. Shannon was looking at me with worry. I forced a small smile to reassure her.

Outside the classroom, I lingered near the door.

Tessa’s comment about Mr. Woods should have been loud enough for him to hear with his sharp hearing. If he wanted to be "fair," he should drag her out too.

But I heard nothing except his voice calmly continuing the lesson.

’So Tessa was right. She has backing. I’m just... the adopted daughter.’

That bitter thought sank low in my chest.

Maybe he was also holding a grudge.

In the faculty room before, Darren had opposed him. That must have hurt his ego. But he couldn’t do anything to Darren.

And after learning I was just adopted, he probably thought I was safe to bully.

Whatever. I’m not making this bigger. I need to find my necklace anyway.

There was no way I could face Edwin if it was truly gone.

I searched the hallways, the restroom, the cafeteria.

I went up the stairs, down the lifter. Nothing.

I checked the janitor’s closet. Still nothing.

My head felt tight, as if something inside was pulling painfully. I couldn’t find it anywhere.

After class was over, Tessa and the others helped me search.

My hair was a mess, my shirt damp with sweat, and the wound on my body throbbed from too much movement.

"Let’s continue tomorrow, Clar," Tessa said. "Just tell the janitors to keep it if they find it during morning cleaning."

"Yup, it’s almost dark," Kellan chimed in, while Mira already leaned on Rylas’ muscular shoulder, tired.

Seeing my com-orb had been buzzing nonstop. Calls from the Alpha Green family driver. From Mother too.

I finally nodded. "Alright."

After asking the janitors for help, we went our separate ways.

They walked toward the dorms; I headed to the parking lot.

Thankfully, I hadn’t run into Edwin. I wasn’t ready for the guilt that would swallow me if I had to tell him I lost his gift.

On the way home, another thought surfaced. My win at the Rookie Ae-Engineer Competition.

I should tell Mother. If she wanted to arrange a family dinner, she could prepare it before the weekend arrived.

Funny... why was I so sure she’d celebrate it?

My cheeks warmed at my own naïve thought.

At least the panic about the necklace had eased a bit. I just hoped the janitor would find it tomorrow.

When I reached home, I searched for Mother immediately, not even bothering to change clothes.

"The Luna is in the second-floor library, miss," one of the maids told me. "But she’s in a discussion with the Alpha."

My steps stopped cold. "The Alpha?"

So he was home.

Great.

Couldn’t he just stay in the capital forever? 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I really didn’t want to meet that heartless man, but I wanted to tell Mother about my win.

So I still went upstairs. I planned to change first and then check if they were done talking.

When I reached the second floor, the library door wasn’t fully closed.

’Hopefully that wildbeast of an Alpha doesn’t notice me. He surely will find any excuse just to slander me.’

I walked slowly, sharpening my hearing in case he suddenly came out.

But then I heard it... my name in their conversation.

Fear of him, the Alpha who grated on every nerve I had, faded under a wave of curiosity.

’What are they saying about me? Is he badmouthing me again in front of Mother?’

Instead of going to my room, I stepped toward Shannon’s door and stopped there. The voices carried clearly.

"It’s only right to pity Shannon. Don’t pity that child whose origins are unclear." Alpha Will’s voice oozed disdain.

"That child whose origins are unclear"...

That had to be me.

He really, truly hated me.

’But why pity Shannon?’

Mother’s voice followed, soft but firm. "Alpha, Clarissa is our child. Have we ever seen another child with violet eyes? And her birthmark—"

"I’m tired of that explanation!" Alpha Will cut her off harshly. "Shannon looks like me too. More than our own sons. But she isn’t our biological daughter, is she?"

His words hit like stones against my chest. I almost leaped from the ground and shrieked like a shock rabbit.

"Until her inner wolf awakens and she proves herself as our blood daughter, be grateful I still allow her to hold the status of Alpha Green’s adopted child and stay in this house."

Mother fell silent.

He continued, "And stop mentioning your plan to reveal Shannon’s real identity."

Mother finally answered, "I don’t intend to reveal it. But Clarissa also shouldn’t—"

"Luna!"

His roar crashed through the walls. The pressure slammed into me so hard I stumbled backward even behind the door.

If I could fall from this far away... how was Mother, also an omega, handling it?

I tried to stand, ready to go in and help her even if he caught me listening.

But footsteps came from the stairs. Darren’s steady steps.

I rushed back into my room. He was the best person to help Mother right now.

But... did Darren know Shannon wasn’t his biological sister?

...