Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Chapter 500

She had barely spent a week resting at home before the president of Cresthaven Institute of Technology personally invited her back to give a speech to the

students.

Naturally, Claire had no reason to refuse.

What she hadn't expected, though, was to spot Mandy in the crowd after her talk.

It wasn't until much later that Claire realized she hadn't just changed her own fate in this life-she'd changed Mandy's as well.

Perhaps, in some mysterious way, she and Mandy had always been destined to become friends.

The first time Mandy saw Claire on TV, she'd felt an inexplicable sense of kinship. She longed to get closer to her idol, but Claire was a prodigy-enrolled in college at the age of five.

Mandy knew she wasn't a genius herself, but she never gave up. She poured her heart into her studies, consistently ranking first in her class year after year. She skipped grades whenever she could, and at fourteen, she was accepted into Cresthaven Institute of Technology, becoming the youngest top entrance scorer in

her year.

After Claire, Mandy was the second youngest student ever admitted to the institute.

the school placed

dream was to walk the same path Claire had walked. For now, she was Claire's junior, but one day,

to National Defense Polytechnic and succeeded.

get close to her. Their eyes shone

Claire's gaze sought out only one face

made it into college? At just

in Claire's troubles. She'd broken her arm for Claire, and later, in seeking revenge on her behalf,

just as kind. Everything that had happened it

with tears. The noise around her faded to a distant hum as she stepped toward Mandy, one determined stride at a

drew closer the distance between them shrinking with every step, Mandy's heart thudded madly in

Claire really looking

walking toward

too nervous

Claire's eyes were

Her cheeks burned

brain all

short-circuited.

blurted out, "C-could I have