Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 438

“No means no.”

“Then we’re not leaving.” York and Zachary had made up their minds: they wouldn’t leave until they saw Claire. They dug in their heels at the Tempest estate, refusing to budge no matter how many times they were shooed away.

Orion watched the two of them like a hawk, determined not to let them slip past. But he hardly spared a glance for Sean.

Sean gave the trio of troublemakers a cool, disinterested look, then turned and walked out of the mansion without another word.

The grounds behind the house were sprawling and serene—a perfect place to be alone. Sean liked the quiet, so he wandered toward the backyard, his small figure walking with a straight back and a calm, measured pace, as if the noise of the world simply didn’t touch him.

Meanwhile, in the garden—

Claire was crouched among the flowers, waiting…and waiting. Half an hour went by, but Orion never came.

Her legs were numb from sitting in the same position for so long.

Did Orion forget about her?

Whatever. She needed to get up and stretch her legs.

With that thought, Claire slowly stood. But she’d been crouching for too long; her legs prickled with pins and needles. As soon as she tried to straighten up, her knees buckled, sending her stumbling forward a few steps—until she landed flat on the ground with a soft thud. When she looked up, she saw a pair of shoes right in front of her.

She thought it was Orion, so she put on her most pitiful voice and complained, “What took you so long, big brother? I’ve been waiting for you in the garden forever.”

As she spoke, Claire tipped her head up.

But the moment she saw who it was, she froze.

It wasn’t Orion standing there.

The boy in front of her had pale skin that caught the sunlight, glowing softly. His eyes were bright as stars, but cold and distant, as if he kept the world at arm’s length. His nose was straight and sharp, his expression severe, lips set in a thin, unsmiling line.

Her Mr. Foster—Sean, just ten years old.

Most of all, it was those beautiful eyes—clear and cold, yet so achingly familiar—that made Claire want to cry.

Right now, nothing else mattered. For Claire, the world had narrowed down to just this one boy.

“Mr. Foster, I finally found you again.” Her voice trembled, thick with emotion and relief.

The warmth of her tears burned against Sean’s chest, almost as if they could scorch him.