Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 407

Everyone says I'm cold by nature, impossible to get close to.

But what they don't know is that before I turned five, I was a cheerful, outgoing child who loved to talk and laugh.

Whether I was at school or at home, I was always the center of attention, the kid everyone liked.

Everything changed after my mother died. My father brought his mistress into the house-boldly, shamelessly—and from that moment on, I became a different person. Quiet. Withdrawn. The brightness in me faded, replaced by a dark cloud that never really left.

Back then, I was too young to hide my feelings, too honest to pretend. I acted, spoke, and reacted according to whatever I felt inside.

If I felt even the slightest bit upset, I'd lash out at my father's mistress without holding back.

Once, I even pushed her down the stairs-she lost the baby she was carrying.

I was just a child, but I threatened her with a knife once, saying, "I'm a minor. Even if I killed you, I wouldn't go to jail."

She hated me for it. Hated me so much she probably dreamed of killing me herself.

At first, she thought dealing with a five-year-old would be easy. She never expected I'd use my age as a shield, or that I could be so terrifying, even as a child.

After that day with the knife, she was so afraid of me that every time we crossed paths, she'd freeze, trembling like a mouse confronted by a cat.

of me. He knew I wasn't

my instincts, doing whatever

them down

this ruthlessness, this do-or-die resolve, that kept my stepmother from ever laying a finger on

years passed, I learned to hide my sharp edges. I became more

saying I

truth: when it came to my enemies, I would do whatever it took,

terrified of me as a child, became

my life would go on like this-steady,

came to Cresthaven and met the most important

life-

She changed everything.

I saw her-how deep an

so small and fragile, her skin pale as snow. She looked so delicate, as if the lightest breeze could knock her over. And yet, she walked up to me, bold

how our lives would become so tangled. I never could have imagined how fate would keep throwing us

she was

been cold, especially toward women. I had no patience for their tears or

But Claire was different.

or maybe it was just something about her that

grew into a burning need to know everything about

finally uncovered