Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 31

The atmosphere in the dining room suddenly plummeted to freezing point, as if someone had pressed the pause button on everyone's actions.

Nathan furrowed his brow slightly but chose to remain silent.

Adah's face showed a flicker of discomfort, unable to come up with a way to ease the tension.

Only Ethan reacted, slamming his knife and fork onto the table with a loud "bang," startling the maid.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

The maid shrank back, murmuring with her head down, "Young Master, the meals have always been prepared for four, so..."

Her explanation was feeble, doing nothing to quell Ethan's anger. Instead, it only fanned the flames.

"So what? Are you blind and didn't see my sister back at home? Or did you see her and deliberately not prepare her portion?"

"Sir, I..." the maid attempted to explain, but Ethan impatiently cut her off, "You're fired."

The maid looked terrified, glancing towards Vanessa for help, but Vanessa kept her head down, lost in thought.

throat, "May, prepare another

away!" May responded with relief,

quickly put on a concerned

didn't look at her or speak, but she didn't refuse the "kindness"

as if the awkwardness and conflict around

expectantly, seemingly waiting for Claire to say something to her, but Claire didn't even spare her a glance. Vanessa's hopeful expression slowly turned into one of disappointment, looking

Claire, but she continued eating her breakfast, not even

He coughed loudly.

Claire remained unmoved.

tone carrying a hint of disapproval, "Claire, look at how concerned

what

Ha!

have breakfast

this some kind

for three years and never won their hearts. If she continued to obediently

and looked around at them, "Thank her for what? For taking over my life? For sowing discord and framing me? Or for the five years I spent in prison

you demand I thank her? For three years in this house, I couldn't even have breakfast or lunch.