Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 317

Mandy finally let out a sigh of relief as she stood in the kitchen.

Carrying a bowl of noodles, she was about to take a seat next to Claire. Then she remembered Claire couldn't hear her, so she changed course and sat down across from her instead—this way, Claire could easily read her lips.

As Mandy twirled her fork in the noodles, she tried to sound casual. “So, Claire, who was that man who just came in?”

“That’s Mr. Foster’s personal assistant. Liam,” Claire replied.

Mandy stiffened mid-bite, her fork pausing halfway to her mouth.

He’s with Mr. Foster?

Then why was he hanging out with Victor?

As she remembered how she’d swindled a hundred thousand dollars out of Liam, a wave of anxiety crashed over her.

She’d never minded tricking arrogant, entitled rich guys; she had no qualms about taking advantage of people like that. But she’d never intended to scam a decent person, especially not someone who was looking out for Claire.

Suddenly, her noodles felt tasteless, like a lump in her throat. That money burned in her pocket—she wanted nothing more than to give it back to Liam, pronto.

If Claire ever found out Mandy had conned Liam, she’d be crushed.

Mandy kept her head down, her emotions swirling behind her eyes. She kept eating, but the food might as well have been cardboard.

Afterwards, Mandy helped Claire clear the dishes. She was so preoccupied she barely said a word, and Claire, who didn’t hear well to begin with, wasn’t talkative either. For a while, the only sounds in the kitchen were the running water and the gentle clink of plates.

When everything was cleaned up, Claire led Mandy into the sewing room.

Lately, Claire spent almost every waking moment here, immersed in her embroidery. As Mandy glanced around at the endless spools of colored thread and watched Claire’s focused fingers dance over the fabric, her heart ached even more for her friend.

Claire had a gift for excellence—whatever she did, she did it beautifully. She’d picked up traditional embroidery while serving time, and in just five years, her skill had reached a level most would call masterful.

But if Claire hadn’t gone to prison, she would have graduated from a top university and had a brilliant future ahead of her.