Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom novel Chapter 372

Claire could feel Sean’s heartbeat, steady at first but fading, growing weaker with each passing second.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as guilt twisted inside her. If it hadn’t been for her, Sean would never have ended up in this nightmare.

“Sean, you can’t die on me! You promised—you said you’d stay with me forever!” Her desperate cry was swallowed by the roar of rain and thunder.

“D-don’t... be... afraid...” Sean’s reply was barely a whisper—so faint Claire could hardly hear it, could barely even sense it.

All she could feel was his motionless weight across her body. He didn’t move, didn’t react at all.

Panic crashed over her in waves. She screamed for help, her voice raw with terror and despair.

But no matter how loud she shouted, no one answered.

The mud and debris kept piling up, suffocating the last pockets of air. Claire’s head spun, her lungs burning as every breath grew harder. Her mind clouded, everything fading into darkness until she finally lost consciousness.

She had no idea how much time had passed before she finally began to stir.

Before she even opened her eyes, the sharp scent of disinfectant hit her nose.

Flashes of memory came rushing back: Sean shielding her, protecting her as she blacked out. Claire’s eyes snapped open. She was lying in a hospital bed.

White ceiling. White walls. The steady beeping of monitors and machines. For a moment, the sterile stillness was surreal—then the realization hit: she was alive.

But she didn’t care about herself. She needed to find Sean.

Claire tried to throw back the covers and get out of bed, only to find her body numb and unresponsive. She couldn’t move a muscle.

What’s happening? Am I... paralyzed?

“Nurse! Nurse!” she cried, panic rising in her voice.

Moments later, a plump nurse in scrubs, her face hidden behind a mask, wheeled in a wheelchair.

Slowly, the woman removed her mask.

“Scarlet...?” Claire breathed.

She’d only seen Scarlet once—at Mandy’s birthday in the private lounge at the Grandeur Hotel. But even after all this time, and even though Scarlet had put on weight since then, Claire recognized her instantly.

Scarlet’s eyes blazed with malice, her lips curling into a cold smile. “Surprised to see me, Claire?”

Claire’s pupils shrank in shock. “Scarlet, what are you doing? Where’s Sean?”

“You can barely save yourself, and you’re still worried about your man? Pathetic,” Scarlet sneered.

Gritting her teeth, Claire tried to stand, but her body refused to move—she was still completely numb.

Scarlet’s laugh was sharp and cruel. “Don’t waste your energy. The anesthesia hasn’t worn off. You’re not going anywhere.”