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?"

I'd hate to see how your parents are

grown up. The

hold back,

Claire hated most was Adah's habit of always taking

that Claire had suffered so much in the Linwood

but now Adah was insulting her mother and brother too—that was something

Mrs. Tempest suddenly spoke up. "Let me

was it her who tried to

not quite sure where her mother was going with

someone tries to take something from you,

you, you

up

to. Don't be afraid. Your father, your brother, and I

example to Claire that as long as she believed in whatwas

eyes welled

to be believed in and supported by your

of

firmly. "I

she turned to face

previous life, and now she was doing it

then-today, she'd settle the