Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

As expected, Nathan reached out his hand toward her.

His large palm came to rest on her tiny neck.

Claire's eyes widened in alarm. What was happening? Wasn't he supposed to pick her up and throw her away? Why was he choking her instead?

Did Nathan really intend to strangle her?

Her delicate, infant neck was squeezed tight, and she instantly felt herself suffocating.

Great. I just got a second chance at life, and now I'm about to be choked to death.

But the next second, Nathan released his grip and scooped her up in his arms.

Claire let out a silent sigh of relief.

At least he didn't strangle me.

Last time, Nathan had abandoned her, and in this life, he'd made the same choice.

The only difference was, where she'd once been heartbroken, now she couldn't wait to leave the Linwood family behind.

As before, Nathan dumped her on the steps of an orphanage.

Claire didn't make a sound the whole way there; she just stared up at Nathan, wide-eyed, watching his every move.

After he set her down, Nathan looked down at her from above, a cold sneer on his lips. "Little brat, live or die—it's up to fate now."

With that, he turned and strode away without a backward glance.

It wasn't until Nathan's figure had disappeared completely that Claire finally began to wail.

It was late autumn, and the nights were bitterly cold.

If she just lay there quietly and did nothing, she'd freeze to death before dawn.

So she screamed at the top of her lungs, her cries echoing through the empty night.

Before long, the orphanage door creaked open. When the caretakers saw a newborn lying helpless on the ground, they hurried over and carried her inside.

And so, Claire found herself back in the orphanage once again.

She couldn't remember what she'd been like as a baby in her previous life. But this time, she was a child in body only-her soul was that of an adult. Compared to the other children, she was almost eerily well-behaved.

Apart from when she was hungry or needed changing, she never cried or fussed. She quickly became the quietest, most docile child at the orphanage.

Because of this, the staff all grew especially fond of her.

"This little one is so good-I've never seen a baby so easy. All she does is eat and sleep, never a bit of trouble."

"She's almost too quiet, honestly."

"Yeah, it's strange. She looks perfectly healthy, but why would anyone abandon such a sweet baby at an orphanage?"

"Do you think there might be something wrong with her mind? Otherwise, why

would anyone give up such a healthy, beautiful little girl?"

The caretakers would gather around Claire, examining her from every angle.

One of them suddenly said, "She

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never cries or fusses. Even when she's awake, she just stares off into space with those big eyes. Do you think she might be... slow?

"Honestly, she does seem a little off."

"Well, as long as she's quiet, it's fine with me. Makes our jobs a whole lot easier."

Claire listened to their conversation, then silently closed her eyes in exasperation.

Time passed, and before anyone knew it, a year had gone by.

The "slow" little girl in everyone's eyes not only spoke clearly and walked steadily, but could also

recognize every letter the caretakers taught her.

The entire orphanage was stunned.

"We all thought Claire was developmentally delayed, but she's actually a genius!"

"I know! In all my years here, I've never seen a child as bright as her. She's almost too smart."

"Exactly. I taught her the alphabet, and she memorized everything in one go. She knows at least two thousand words already!"

"My goodness, we've got a prodigy on our hands. If her birth parents ever find out, they'll regret giving her up for sure."

Claire sat on a tiny stool, reading a book.

She heard every word of their conversation, clear as day.noveldrama