Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 498

But Claire couldn’t give Irene what she wanted.

She owed a debt only to Irene—she didn’t owe the rest of the Cole family a thing.

Claire gave Irene a gentle smile. “That’s a privilege you have. As for him…” She turned her gaze to Brian.

Brian was watching her with open anticipation, hope written all over his face.

Inside, Claire scoffed. “No.”

The word landed like a stone. The hope in Brian’s eyes shattered in an instant, and his whole demeanor crumpled. He stared at Claire, as if searching her eyes for a hint of warmth, and what he found instead was unmistakable dislike.

But why? He couldn’t understand it. This was the first time they’d ever met—why would she dislike him so much?

The question gnawed at him, but he could do nothing except swallow the pain.

Even Irene was stunned. She could feel that Claire meant her no harm, but it was just as clear that Claire had no fondness for her brother.

Claire didn’t care about Brian’s feelings. In her previous life, she and Brian had been so close. But it had only taken a few careless words from Vanessa for Brian to turn on her without hesitation, always choosing to believe Vanessa’s lies and never trusting her.

People like that—she wanted nothing more than to keep them at arm’s length. How could she ever consider being friends with him again?

“Let’s go,” Claire said.

The family clustered around her as she slowly exited the hospital.

She thought that was the end of it, that she could finally go home. But as they stepped outside, she was caught off guard by the crowd of reporters swarming the entrance. The moment they spotted Claire, their eyes lit up, each one desperate to be the first to get a statement.

Before they could close in, security stepped in and barred their way.

Orion shot Claire a wink. “I figured this might happen, so I arranged for bodyguards ahead of time.”

“Thank you, Orion,” Claire said quietly.

He ruffled her hair. “Hey, I’m your brother. It’s my job to protect you. No need to thank me.”