Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 453

When Mrs. Tempest burst onto the scene, she looked every bit the fierce mother hen-so different from her usual gentle, graceful self that she was nearly

unrecognizable.

Claire blinked, taken aback. She'd never seen Mrs. Tempest like this before- radiating such ferocity, as if she might tear apart anyone who dared lay a finger on her precious daughter.

Mrs. Tempest rushed to Claire's side, her eyes full of worry as she checked her over from head to toe.

"Honey, are you hurt anywhere? Tell me, sweetheart," she urged.

Orion's usually charming face was twisted in anger. "Claire, tell me who did this to you? Who bullied you?"

But before Claire could answer, Vanessa cut in with a sneer, "It's her own fault for not letting me have the dress! She deserved what she got she was asking for it."

Ethan chimed in, backing his sister up. "Yeah! Picking a fight with my little sister over a dress? She's lucky that's all she got."

"All the prettiest dresses should be for my sister. No one else would look as good in them as she does."

Orion turned his gaze on Ethan and Vanessa, his eyes cold and sharp.

Adah, seeing Orion glare at her son and daughter with such ferocity despite being so young, snapped, "What's with that look? This is a huge boutique, and you two insist on grabbing every nice dress for yourselves. How selfish can you be?"

manners? I'd hate to

kids-just wait until you're grown up. The world isn't going to

hold back,

of always taking

was because of Adah's blatant favoritism that Claire had suffered so

Adah was insulting her mother and brother too—that was

to explode, Mrs. Tempest suddenly spoke up. "Let me show you right now how

Vanessa. "Sweetheart, was it her who tried

nodded obediently, not quite sure where

grew serious. "Listen to me, darling: if someone tries to take something

bullies you, you

up

afraid. Your father, your brother, and I will always be here

example to Claire that as long as she

welled

feels like to be believed in

surge of

firmly. "I understand,

turned to face

her previous life, and now she

the score for both