Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 282

She scrubbed furiously at the tears streaming down her face and pushed herself to her feet, wanting to help the Coles.

But the moment she stood, a searing pain ripped through her chest. Her vision blurred, the room spun, and before she could steady herself, her knees buckled and she collapsed toward the floor.

"Claire—!"

Aberdeen, Grace, and May cried out in alarm.

The three elderly women, already trembling with rage and red-eyed after hearing Irene's account, rushed forward to catch her. But Sean reached her first, gathering Claire's limp body into his arms.

She looked up at him, but her vision was so clouded with tears, the harder she tried to focus, the more her tears fell.

Even her voice sounded foreign and hoarse as she choked out, "Mr. Foster…"

"I'm here," he replied, steady and close.

"My heart… it hurts so much."

Just five words—but each one landed like a hammer blow right on Sean's chest.

This was the first time Claire had ever told him she was hurting.

Not when she drank herself into the hospital. Not when Jeffry uncovered all those painful secrets. Never before had she confessed, with such agony, how much her heart ached.

Sean gently brushed away her tears, meeting her eyes with unwavering seriousness. "Don't be afraid. Whatever you want to do, I'll stand by you—no questions asked. You don't need to worry about a thing."

Claire understood what he meant, and the dam broke again; new tears spilled down her cheeks.

For the first time, she didn't want to suppress her feelings anymore.

She flung her arms around his waist, burying her face in the warmth and safety of his chest, whispering over and over, "Thank you. Thank you…"

If it weren't for Mr. Foster, she honestly didn't know how she would have gone on. Maybe, before the truth ever came to light, the Linwoods would have crushed her, again and again, until there was nothing left.