Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 346

A gentle breeze swept by, teasing strands of Claire's hair.

She stood at the edge of the bridge, gazing down at the river flowing beneath her feet—a scene so familiar, yet her heart was nothing like the last time she'd been here.

Back then, she'd been completely lost, teetering so close to the edge that only a miracle had stopped her from jumping.

"Father Foster, do you remember this place?" Claire's eyes shimmered with emotion. "If I hadn't run into you that night, I don't think I'd be standing here now."

She turned, meeting Sean's gaze, her expression earnest. "Really, thank you. You saved my life. I'll never forget it."

Sean's face softened. "Do you remember what I told you that night?"

Claire thought for a moment. "You said life's a bit like a play-sometimes, just having one more person in the audience can change everything. You told me you wanted to see what would happen if I chose to keep going, to see how the story would unfold."

She paused, then added, “Back then, I didn't believe you. I thought my story was already a tragedy, not worth watching anymore."

usually stern face, glowing warmly in the evening light. "You never know. The best scenes often come at the end. You made it through the darkest times—now it's time to enjoy

And I owe it all

her features, but a dull ache

her body weren't failing her. If only she had

hiding the sorrow in her

the subtle shift in her mood. He parted his lips to offer comfort, but before he could speak, a voice cut through

"Claire?"

up and found herself staring into Vincent's

vagrant she'd last seen scavenging for scraps. Now, Vincent sat tall in a sleek black suit, wheelchair-bound, a wool blanket draped over his

thought that after losing his job

onto

how desperately I've searched for you these

one person she'd hoped never to see again,

ignored Vincent, slipped her hand into Sean's,

himself forward and blocked her path with alarming speed. "Claire, aren't you happy to see