"Spying on me? Trying to figure out how the blind girl kicked your ass?"
Chase's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "You're not what you claim to be."
"I've never claimed to be anything other than what I am," Amara countered. "You're the one who made assumptions."
She turned and walked toward the dojo entrance, leaving Chase staring after her, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Inside, Sensei Park was waiting, his stern expression softening slightly as Amara entered. "You're troubled," he observed.
"The situation at school is evolving," Amara admitted.
Sensei Park nodded thoughtfully. "The boy in the car outside?"
"One of your tormentors? The ringleader," Amara confirmed.
"And now he knows your strength."
"Yes."
"Then be prepared," Sensei Park warned. "When the weak discover they cannot defeat you directly, they look for other ways to attack."
Later that evening, James Marshall sat in his home office, reviewing the audio files Sammy had shared with him at Amara's request. "This is more than enough for a harassment complaint," he told his daughter. "Possibly even criminal charges."
"I don't want to escalate this publicly," Amara replied. "Not yet."
Her father studied her thoughtfully. "You've shown remarkable restraint."
"I learned from the best," she said with a small smile.