Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 71

The unfamiliar man standing before Claire was strikingly handsome, even more so than Ethan and Brian, who were top-tier heartthrobs themselves. Claire was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure.

She had only wanted to find a quiet spot to be alone for a while and hadn't expected anyone to be in the stairwell. She considered turning around to leave, but since she was already there, it seemed pointless.

It was just a stranger, after all-nothing to be concerned about. With that thought, Claire let go of her apprehension, and with heavy legs, she slowly descended the stairs.

As she passed by the man, the smoke from his cigarette wafted over to her, its strong scent invading her senses and causing a brief moment of dizziness.

Claire paused and looked at the man. Coincidentally, he was looking back at her. Noticing her slight frown, he politely said, "I'm sorry."

He moved to extinguish his cigarette, but Claire stopped him, "Do you have another one, sir? Could I have one?"

The man hesitated, a bit surprised by her request. The woman before him was pale, and her eyes were weary, clearly burdened with troubles.

a word, he took a cigarette from

she murmured, taking the cigarette and mimicking his actions by placing

a long, elegant hand appeared before

leaned in to light her cigarette, taking a deep drag. The taste of nicotine spread

she wasn't accustomed to smoking. His eyebrows arched

on the steps, smoking in silence. She had seen many men turn to cigarettes when troubled, but now she

broken only by the occasional crackle of burning tobacco and the

flicking the butt into a nearby trash

the dim glow of the cigarette in her

time before leaving. She felt dazed and exhausted, longing only to

she found someone

the sunlight casting a soft glow around him. But Claire knew he was anything but gentle; he was