Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 516

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on their side that day—rain had started to fall over Northcrest City.

But with the wedding being held at The Celestial Aerie, a seven-star luxury hotel, the downpour barely made a difference.

Inside, the grand ballroom was already bustling with guests.

Almost everyone had arrived.

May paced back and forth anxiously, unable to resist calling Mandy.

“Mandy, Claire’s wedding is about to start. Where are you? Why aren’t you here yet?”

“Mom, I’m almost there,” Mandy replied, her voice edged with urgency.

She stood at the bus stop, glancing between her phone and the gray sky, frustration clear on her face.

For ten years, Claire’s encouragement had been her driving force. Mandy poured herself into her studies, graduated with honors, and, after relentless effort, finally secured a position at the research institute.

But the institute was huge, and their fields rarely overlapped. Catching even a glimpse of Claire was a rare event. Both women were always busy, so finding time to meet was nearly impossible.

Today, of all days, a critical project had come up at work, delaying her even further.

She’d rushed out as soon as she could, only to be met with pouring rain.

Taking shelter under the narrow awning of the bus stop, she pulled out her phone and tried to hail a ride.

She waited, nerves on edge. After about ten minutes, a sleek black car finally pulled up.

Mandy didn’t bother checking the license plate—she dashed over, yanked open the passenger door, and slid inside.

“To The Celestial Aerie, please,” she said breathlessly.

Inside the car, Liam had just bent down to retrieve his phone from the floor. As he straightened up, he was startled to find a stranger sitting beside him.

The young woman wore a crisp white T-shirt and blue jeans, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Rain had dampened her bangs and eyelashes, and her T-shirt clung to her, outlining a slim, graceful figure.

Liam stared at her, a flicker of memory surfacing—once, long ago, on a rainy day just like this, another girl had sat beside him in the passenger seat.

He was momentarily lost in thought, eyes lingering on Mandy.