Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 312

If winter comes, he'll never make it.

Watching him, Claire couldn't help but think of herself.

She gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Her own life was a mess, and yet here she was, finding room to feel sorry for someone else.

But maybe that was exactly why-she'd stumbled through her own darkness, been battered by life's storms. She understood what pain felt like. And because of that, she wanted, more than anything, to shield others from the rain, if only for a moment.

Claire turned, stepping into a nearby convenience store. She bought a loaf of bread and a bottle of water, then walked back to the man.

Her voice was gentle. "That roll's gone moldy-you'll get sick if you eat it. Here, take these instead."

Claire held out the bag. Inside were the bread, the water, and some money.

She'd kept just enough cash for the bus fare-ten dollars, no more. Every remaining bill she'd tucked inside the bag for him.

At the sound of her voice, the man's frantic, hungry movements stopped cold. He froze, as if struck by lightning.

He sat there on the ground, hair falling over his face, and behind those tangled strands his eyes were wild with fear, shame, and helpless confusion.

Claire bent down, her gaze soft, and spoke to him again, even more quietly. "Go on. Take it."

But it was as if he hadn't heard her-he didn't move. In fact, his body seemed to tremble.

often that even

softened her tone further. "Don't be afraid. I

she reached to take the moldy roll

landed on her slender, almost ghostly-pale hand. Something twisted inside him. Without warning, tears

tear dropped onto

froze, heart aching

gone so long without kindness, she thought. To him, a single act of

tossed it in the trash.

word passed his lips. Claire wanted to say something encouraging, but just then, her bus arrived. May

at the man before following

away, the man at the curb finally found the courage to lift his head, revealing his face at

It was Vincent Lewis.

night, broken and bleeding, Vincent had been dumped

Sean Foster,

Vincent's legs were already mangled beyond repair-bones shattered, flesh torn,

without Sean's orders, amputation was

of surgery, both legs had been taken

off, and he

realized his legs were gone, the weight of despair

They